Town Pop. 17,387

Living in Royston (North Hertfordshire): Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Royston (North Hertfordshire) scores 57/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 58/100 against a national town median of 21/100. No other settlement in the SG8 postcode district scores higher. Royston (North Hertfordshire) leads all 19.

Against the wider SG8 district average of 47/100, that is 10 points above. On lifestyle specifically, Royston (North Hertfordshire) sits 17 points above the SG8 district figure of 41/100. That puts Royston (North Hertfordshire) in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SG8 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.

Royston (North Hertfordshire) scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
77
64.7 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 395 crimes
↓ 32% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 261 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 82 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 69 crimes
↓ 35% below national average
Burglary 68 crimes
↑ 11% above national average
other 250 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Rosecomb 66 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 48 crimes
  3. 3 Supermarket 45 crimes

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

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 7.5 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
71
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 41
Sports Pitches Ample 20
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 14
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 16

Services

Schools
43
6 schools in area · 8 within 4km
1Outstanding3Good2Ungraded
  • St Mary Roman Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • King James Academy RoystonSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Roman Way AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Tannery Drift SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Icknield Walk First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • Studlands Rise First 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
31
A&E departmentsCambridge Biomedical Campus10.1 mi
Lister Hospital10.7 mi
Urgent Care Cambridge12.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,706 patients per GP
4dentists4pharmacies

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
76
Full fibre (FTTP)69.8%
available across North Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
90.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
91.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 390 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
76
Employment rate64.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.9%Unemployed2.1%Retired23.4%Student2.6%Other inactive6.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial47.2%Skilled & technical31.1%Routine & elementary21.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.5%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.5%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)39.3%Apprenticeship4.9%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership70.5%
Among the least-deprived 20% 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 C
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
45
Royston 0.2 mi
Meldreth 3 mi
Ashwell & Morden 4 mi
J10 M11 7.6 mi
J10 M11 7.6 mi
J10 A1(M) 8.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
58
Pubs & Bars Adequate 8
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 21
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 11
Retail Shopping Ample 57
Takeaways Ample 15
Fitness Ample 17

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £375,000 161
Detached £610,000 41
Semi-detached £410,000 35
Terraced £360,000 47
Flat / Maisonette £200,000 38
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£180k £323k £469k £611k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Kneesworth 36 2.0 mi away ⇄
Bassingbourn 33 2.6 mi away ⇄
Therfield 34 2.7 mi away ⇄
Melbourn 48 2.8 mi away ⇄
Litlington 41 2.8 mi away ⇄
Reed 35 3.1 mi away ⇄
Barley 36 3.1 mi away ⇄
Meldreth 43 3.4 mi away ⇄
Barkway 36 3.9 mi away ⇄
Great Chishill 33 4.4 mi away ⇄
Steeple Morden 41 4.5 mi away ⇄
Heydon 33 4.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Royston (North Hertfordshire) a nice place to live?

Royston (North Hertfordshire) is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Royston (North Hertfordshire) 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 Royston (North Hertfordshire)?

Royston (North Hertfordshire) is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 77/100. There were 1,125 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Royston (North Hertfordshire)?

Among the top-rated schools in Royston (North Hertfordshire) are St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School, King James Academy Royston and Roman Way Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Royston (North Hertfordshire) in total.

What are house prices like in Royston (North Hertfordshire)?

The current median house price in Royston (North Hertfordshire) is £375,000, around 32% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £610,000, semi-detached £410,000, terraced £360,000, flat £200,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 10%. There were 161 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Royston (North Hertfordshire) in context

See where Royston (North Hertfordshire) ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in Royston (North Hertfordshire)

SG8 47 ⇄

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