Town Pop. 362

Living in Reed: Liveability Score 35/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Reed is 35/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 10/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. Among the 19 scored places sharing the SG8 postcode district, Reed ranks 15th.

Against the wider SG8 district average of 47/100, that is 12 points below. That sits 15 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the bottom quarter of the towns and villages we score. Safety (84) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: SG8 postcode district.

35
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Reed scores 35 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Reed.
Or compare:
SG8 0AA SG8 1BQ SG8 5AA SG8 6AA SG8 7AA SG8 8AA SG8 9AA SG8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
84
229.3 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 18 crimes
↑ 227% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 18 crimes
↑ 49% above national average
Burglary 15 crimes
↑ 1083% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 12 crimes
↑ 387% above national average
Other theft 9 crimes
↑ 302% above national average
other 11 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 11 crimes
  2. 2 Pedlars Lane 9 crimes
  3. 3 London Road 6 crimes

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

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.19 · PM2.5 6.706 · PM10 11.964 µg/m³
73
Green Space 37
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
15
1 school in area · 3 within 4km
1Good
  • Reed First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good

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

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsLister Hospital9.8 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus13 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge15.7 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust2.3 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
Nearest GP surgeryRoysia Surgery3.5 mi
GP capacity1,760 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
10
Full fibre (FTTP)69.8%
available across North Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
0%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
0%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.5%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 22 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
71
Employment rate63.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed63.5%Unemployed1.9%Retired22.8%Student3.6%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial46.4%Skilled & technical37.5%Routine & elementary16.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.2%Level 3 (A levels)18%Level 4+ (degree & above)41.5%Apprenticeship4.7%Other (incl. vocational)1.7%
Home ownership66.7%
Around the England average for deprivation
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
12
Royston 3.2 mi
Ashwell & Morden 4.2 mi
Meldreth 5.9 mi
J10 A1(M) 7.8 mi
J10 A1(M) 8.1 mi
J9 A1(M) 8.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
13
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Reed in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Barkway 36 1.5 mi away ⇄
Therfield 34 1.7 mi away ⇄
Barley 36 2.8 mi away ⇄
Royston (North Hertfordshire) 57 3.1 mi away ⇄
Great Chishill 33 4.2 mi away ⇄
Buntingford 42 4.2 mi away ⇄
Great Hormead 36 4.6 mi away ⇄
Heydon 33 4.9 mi away ⇄
Litlington 41 5.0 mi away ⇄
Cottered 32 5.0 mi away ⇄
Kneesworth 36 5.1 mi away ⇄
Langley (Uttlesford) 44 5.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Reed a nice place to live?

Reed has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Reed is 35/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Reed?

Reed is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 84/100. There were 83 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Reed?

Among the top-rated schools in Reed is Reed First School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Reed in total.

Reed in context

See the best places to live in Hertfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Reed

SG8 47 ⇄

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