Town Pop. 23,104

Living in Potters Bar: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Potters Bar is 57/100, built from 9 categories. Lifestyle is where Potters Bar most outperforms the national norm: 74/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 45/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is the highest score of the 5 places in the EN6 postcode district. No category drops below 45/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. It scores 5 points above the EN6 postcode district as a whole, which averages 52/100. For the surrounding area, see EN6 postcode district.

57
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.

Potters Bar scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Potters Bar.
Or compare:
EN6 1AE EN6 2AA EN6 3AB EN6 4AA EN6 5AB EN6 9FF EN6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
45
102.8 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 764 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 439 crimes
↑ 25% above national average
Other theft 242 crimes
↑ 69% above national average
Shoplifting 203 crimes
↑ 13% above national average
Vehicle crime 161 crimes
↑ 46% above national average
other 567 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Petrol Station 244 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 141 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 127 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 12.7 · PM2.5 7.9 · PM10 13.8 µg/m³
64
Green Space 80
Parks Ample 14
Sports Pitches Ample 26
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 11
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 9

Services

Schools
46
9 schools in area · 14 within 4km
1Outstanding6Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Dame Alice Owen's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Cranborne Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Ladbrooke Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Little Heath Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Northaw Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Pope Paul Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • The Wroxham SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Gracewood AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Requires Improvement
  • Oakmere Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

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
54
A&E departmentsPotters Bar Clinicin area
Barnet Hospital2.5 mi
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital4.8 mi
Hospital waitsMoorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.8 mi
Routine referral (median)6 wks
Treated within 18 weeks86%
A&E seen within 4 hrs97.5%
3 GP surgeries in area 4 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,517 patients per GP
5dentists4pharmacies

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
79
Full fibre (FTTP)73.5%
available across Hertsmere
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 564 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
62
Employment rate56.1%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.1%Unemployed3.1%Retired24.7%Student6.5%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44%Skilled & technical36.6%Routine & elementary19.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.4%Level 3 (A levels)16.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)36.4%Apprenticeship4.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership70.9%
Among the least-deprived 31% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
52
Council tax Hertsmere · 2026-27
A £1,604
B £1,871
C £2,139
D £2,406
E £2,941
F £3,475
G £4,010
H £4,812
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 Thames Water
Average bill regional £489/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
53
Potters Bar 0.3 mi
Brookmans Park 1.8 mi
Hadley Wood 2 mi
J24 M25 1 mi
J24 M25 1.2 mi
J23 M25 1.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
74
Pubs & Bars Adequate 6
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 45
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 18
Retail Shopping Ample 143
Takeaways Ample 21
Fitness Ample 38

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £600,000 149
Detached £759,975 28
Semi-detached £630,000 73
Terraced £450,000 19
Flat / Maisonette £315,000 29
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£232k £508k £793k £1.1m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

North Mymms 42 1.6 mi away ⇄
Brookmans Park 49 1.8 mi away ⇄
Northaw 46 1.8 mi away ⇄
South Mimms 30 2.0 mi away ⇄
Welham Green 47 3.0 mi away ⇄
Cuffley 52 3.1 mi away ⇄
Newgate Street 40 3.7 mi away ⇄
Colney Heath 48 3.9 mi away ⇄
Shenley 50 4.2 mi away ⇄
Goff's Oak 54 4.5 mi away ⇄
Borehamwood 54 4.6 mi away ⇄
Essendon 45 4.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Potters Bar a nice place to live?

Potters Bar is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Potters Bar is 57/100, 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 Potters Bar?

Potters Bar has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 45/100. There were 2,376 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Potters Bar?

Among the top-rated schools in Potters Bar are Dame Alice Owen's School, Cranborne Primary School and Ladbrooke Junior Mixed and Infant School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 9 rated schools in Potters Bar in total.

What are house prices like in Potters Bar?

The current median house price in Potters Bar is £600,000, around 111% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £759,975, semi-detached £630,000, terraced £450,000, flat £315,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 149 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Potters Bar in context

See where Potters Bar ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in Potters Bar

EN6 52 ⇄

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