Town Pop. 34,907

Living in Hitchin: Liveability Score 69/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Hitchin comes out at 69/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 75/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 68/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 10 places in the SG4 postcode district. No category drops below 47/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. The SG4 district averages 57/100, putting Hitchin 12 points above its own postcode area. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SG4 postcode district.

69
OUT OF 100
Good
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.

Hitchin scores 69 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Hitchin.
Or compare:
SG4 0AA SG4 7AA SG4 8AB SG4 9AA SG4 SG5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
68
69.7 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 829 crimes
↓ 29% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 516 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 222 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Criminal damage and arson 173 crimes
↓ 26% below national average
Shoplifting 161 crimes
↓ 41% below national average
other 531 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 150 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 105 crimes
  3. 3 High Street 104 crimes

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

Environment
63
Air Quality NO₂ 8.8 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 11.8 µg/m³
69
Green Space 47
Parks Ample 21
Sports Pitches Ample 36
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 18
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 17

Services

Schools
73
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 21 in area · 25 within 4km
5Outstanding14Good2Ungraded
  • Hitchin Boys' SchoolSecondary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • North Herts Education Support CentreAlternative provision · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Samuel Lucas Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, HitchinPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • York Road Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Highbury Infant School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Highover Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Ickleford Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Mary Exton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Oughton Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    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
75
A&E departmentsLister Hospital2 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital8.5 mi
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital10.9 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
3 GP surgeries in area 4 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,916 patients per GP
11dentists6pharmacies

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
89
Full fibre (FTTP)69.8%
available across North Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 757 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
72
Employment rate64.2%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.2%Unemployed2.8%Retired20.7%Student3.7%Other inactive8.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial53.3%Skilled & technical27.9%Routine & elementary18.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12%Level 3 (A levels)14.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)47.4%Apprenticeship3.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership64.4%
Among the least-deprived 21% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax North Hertfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,633
B £1,905
C £2,177
D £2,449
E £2,993
F £3,537
G £4,082
H £4,898
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
62
Hitchin 0.3 mi
Letchworth Garden City 2.6 mi
Stevenage 4.4 mi
J8 A1(M) 2.7 mi
J9 A1(M) 2.7 mi
J8 A1(M) 2.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
59
Pubs & Bars Ample 25
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 49
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 14
Retail Shopping Ample 94
Takeaways Ample 16
Fitness Ample 25

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £418,000 259
Detached £887,500 27
Semi-detached £580,000 77
Terraced £395,000 60
Flat / Maisonette £250,000 95
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£229k £443k £664k £878k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Ickleford 61 1.4 mi away ⇄
Gosmore 50 1.6 mi away ⇄
St Ippolyts 0 1.9 mi away ⇄
Little Wymondley 51 2.1 mi away ⇄
Holwell (North Hertfordshire) 45 2.7 mi away ⇄
Letchworth 60 2.7 mi away ⇄
Pirton 35 2.9 mi away ⇄
Preston (North Hertfordshire) 37 3.0 mi away ⇄
Great Offley 36 3.3 mi away ⇄
Rush Green 0 3.8 mi away ⇄
Lower Stondon 47 3.9 mi away ⇄
Arlesey 46 4.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Hitchin a nice place to live?

Yes, Hitchin is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Hitchin is 69/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Hitchin?

Hitchin has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 68/100. There were 2,432 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Hitchin?

Among the top-rated schools in Hitchin are Hitchin Boys' School, North Herts Education Support Centre and Samuel Lucas Junior Mixed and Infant School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 21 rated schools in Hitchin in total.

What are house prices like in Hitchin?

The current median house price in Hitchin is £418,000, around 47% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £887,500, semi-detached £580,000, terraced £395,000, flat £250,000. There were 259 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Hitchin in context

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

Postcode districts in Hitchin

SG4 57 ⇄
SG5 54 ⇄

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