Town Pop. 25,624

Living in Hertford: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Hertford is 59/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 59/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 70/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No other settlement in the SG13 postcode district scores higher. Hertford leads all 6. Notably, nothing falls below 47/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That sits 9 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 10% of the towns and villages we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: SG13 postcode district.

59
OUT OF 100
Average
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Hertford scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Hertford.
Or compare:
SG13 7AA SG13 8AA SG13 9AX SG13 SG14

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
70
72.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 648 crimes
↓ 24% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 398 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 173 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 123 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 116 crimes
↓ 34% below national average
other 396 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 103 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 72 crimes
  3. 3 Divot Place 69 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 9.5 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 11.8 µg/m³
68
Green Space 57
Parks Ample 8
Sports Pitches Ample 31
Allotments Adequate 3
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 17
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 13

Services

Schools
58
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 19 within 4km
5Outstanding6Good1Requires Improvement4Ungraded
  • Abel Smith SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Bengeo Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Middleton SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Presdales SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Simon Balle All-Through SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Mill Mead Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Morgans Primary School & NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Richard Hale SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford)Primary · inspected 2024
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
55
A&E departmentsQueen Elizabeth II Hospital3.3 mi
Princess Alexandra Hospital5.7 mi
Potters Bar Clinic7.6 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
2 GP surgeries in area 4 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,951 patients per GP
5dentists7pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
53
Full fibre (FTTP)67.9%
available across East Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
91%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 671 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
69
Employment rate64.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.7%Unemployed2.7%Retired20%Student3.7%Other inactive8.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial51.2%Skilled & technical30.7%Routine & elementary18.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.3%Level 3 (A levels)16.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.5%Apprenticeship4%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership67.4%
Among the least-deprived 24% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax East Hertfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,637
B £1,909
C £2,182
D £2,455
E £3,001
F £3,546
G £4,092
H £4,910
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
53
Hertford East 0.4 mi
Hertford North 0.5 mi
Ware 2.3 mi
J6 A1(M) 5.9 mi
J6 A1(M) 6 mi
J4 A1(M) 6.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Ample 27
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 44
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 13
Retail Shopping Ample 132
Takeaways Ample 14
Fitness Ample 33

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £445,000 239
Detached £837,500 24
Semi-detached £615,000 49
Terraced £445,000 97
Flat / Maisonette £275,000 69
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£265k £509k £761k £1.0m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Birch Green 48 2.1 mi away ⇄
Hertford Heath 51 2.2 mi away ⇄
Ware 58 2.3 mi away ⇄
Letty Green 45 2.7 mi away ⇄
Great Amwell 51 2.7 mi away ⇄
Bayford 41 2.9 mi away ⇄
Brickendon 0 3.0 mi away ⇄
Thundridge and Wadesmill 43 3.4 mi away ⇄
Little Berkhamsted 40 3.5 mi away ⇄
Tewin 40 3.5 mi away ⇄
Stanstead Abbotts 53 3.7 mi away ⇄
Watton at Stone 50 4.1 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Hertford a nice place to live?

Hertford is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Hertford is 59/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Hertford?

Hertford has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 70/100. There were 1,854 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Hertford?

Among the top-rated schools in Hertford are Abel Smith School, Bengeo Primary School and Middleton School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Hertford in total.

What are house prices like in Hertford?

The current median house price in Hertford is £445,000, around 56% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £837,500, semi-detached £615,000, terraced £445,000, flat £275,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 15%. There were 239 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Hertford in context

See where Hertford ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in Hertford

SG13 57 ⇄
SG14 56 ⇄

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