City Pop. 72,218

Living in St Albans: Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

St Albans comes out at 66/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Schools is where St Albans most outperforms the national norm: 79/100 against a median of 23/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 45/100 versus a median of 88/100.

No category drops below 45/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. That is 16 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (88) sits at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: AL1 postcode district.

66
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.

St Albans scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with St Albans.
Or compare:
AL1 1AG AL1 2AA AL1 3AA AL1 4AA AL1 5AA AL1 9AE AL1 AL2 AL3 AL4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
45
95.8 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 1,940 crimes
↓ 19% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,326 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
Shoplifting 883 crimes
↑ 56% above national average
Vehicle crime 580 crimes
↑ 67% above national average
Other theft 540 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
other 1,647 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 434 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 339 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 329 crimes

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

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 10.4 · PM2.5 7.5 · PM10 12.1 µg/m³
67
Green Space 61
Parks Ample 93
Sports Pitches Ample 57
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Ample 18
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 45

Services

Schools
79
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 41 in area · 46 within 4km
7Outstanding26Good8Ungraded
  • Cunningham Hill Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Cunningham Hill Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Fleetville Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Heathlands SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Nicholas Breakspear Catholic SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Sandringham SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St AlbansPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Alban City SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Batchwood SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
    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
66
A&E departmentsQueen Elizabeth II Hospital4.2 mi
Potters Bar Clinic5.8 mi
Watford General Hospital6.3 mi
Hospital waitsWest Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust1.1 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs89.9%
6 GP surgeries in area 9 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,877 patients per GP
21dentists13pharmacies

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
88
Full fibre (FTTP)80.4%
available across St Albans
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.6%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,844 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
71
Employment rate64.7%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.7%Unemployed2.7%Retired18.6%Student4.9%Other inactive9.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial59.4%Skilled & technical26.1%Routine & elementary14.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications9.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.3%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.5%Level 3 (A levels)12.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)56%Apprenticeship3%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership68%
Among the least-deprived 21% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
50
Council tax St Albans · 2026-27
A £1,613
B £1,881
C £2,150
D £2,419
E £2,957
F £3,494
G £4,032
H £4,838
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
67
St Albans City 0.4 mi
St Albans Abbey 1.1 mi
Park Street 2.1 mi
J22 M25 3.1 mi
J3 A1(M) 3.3 mi
J3 A1(M) 3.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
74
Pubs & Bars Ample 45
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 122
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 42
Retail Shopping Ample 375
Takeaways Ample 37
Fitness Ample 26

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £610,000 467
Detached £935,000 77
Semi-detached £787,000 113
Terraced £610,000 153
Flat / Maisonette £313,350 124
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£311k £616k £929k £1.2m 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Sandridge 56 2.0 mi away ⇄
Smallford 51 2.2 mi away ⇄
Park Street and Frogmore 47 2.4 mi away ⇄
London Colney 53 2.5 mi away ⇄
Chiswell Green 49 2.6 mi away ⇄
Colney Street 35 3.2 mi away ⇄
Colney Heath 48 3.3 mi away ⇄
Shenleybury 42 3.6 mi away ⇄
Hatfield 55 3.8 mi away ⇄
Bricket Wood 53 3.9 mi away ⇄
Wheathampstead 53 4.1 mi away ⇄
Bedmond 49 4.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is St Albans a nice place to live?

Yes, St Albans is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for St Albans is 66/100, 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 St Albans?

St Albans has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 45/100. There were 6,916 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in St Albans?

Among the top-rated schools in St Albans are Cunningham Hill Infant School, Cunningham Hill Junior School and Fleetville Infant and Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 41 rated schools in St Albans in total.

What are house prices like in St Albans?

The current median house price in St Albans is £610,000, around 114% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £935,000, semi-detached £787,000, terraced £610,000, flat £313,350. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 2%. There were 467 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

St Albans in context

See where St Albans ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in St Albans

AL1 66 ⇄
AL2 52 ⇄
AL3 58 ⇄
AL4 55 ⇄
AL5 65 ⇄

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