Town Pop. 19,244

Living in Waltham Abbey: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Waltham Abbey comes out at 51/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 52/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 40/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 8 scored places sharing the EN9 postcode district, Waltham Abbey ranks 2nd. Notably, nothing falls below 40/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. That puts Waltham Abbey in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the EN9 postcode district.

51
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.

Waltham Abbey scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Waltham Abbey.
Or compare:
EN9 1AA EN9 2AA EN9 3AA EN9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
40
117.7 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 879 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 239 crimes
↓ 18% below national average
Vehicle crime 224 crimes
↑ 142% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 213 crimes
↑ 63% above national average
Public order 167 crimes
↑ 34% above national average
other 543 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Grove Court 110 crimes
  2. 2 Supermarket 102 crimes
  3. 3 Hillhouse 47 crimes

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

Environment
63
Air Quality NO₂ 11.9 · PM2.5 7.8 · PM10 13.3 µg/m³
65
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 25
Sports Pitches Ample 15
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 11
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
48
7 schools in area · 20 within 4km
6Good1Ungraded
  • Hillhouse CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Holdbrook Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • King Harold Business & Enterprise AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Leverton Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Oasis Academy EnfieldSecondary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Waltham Holy Cross Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Upshire Primary Foundation SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    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
52
A&E departmentsNorth Middlesex University Hospital5.2 mi
Princess Alexandra Hospital5.6 mi
Whipps Cross University Hospital6.8 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Free London NHS Foundation Trust2.3 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs80.6%
2 GP surgeries in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,358 patients per GP
3dentists3pharmacies

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
72
Full fibre (FTTP)71.5%
available across Epping Forest
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
89.2%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
91.2%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 423 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
43
Employment rate59%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59%Unemployed3.7%Retired21.1%Student3.8%Other inactive12.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial33.7%Skilled & technical38.3%Routine & elementary28%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications24.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)16.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)24%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership63.5%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax Epping Forest · 2026-27
A £1,518
B £1,771
C £2,024
D £2,277
E £2,783
F £3,289
G £3,795
H £4,554
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
51
Waltham Cross 1.7 mi
Cheshunt 1.9 mi
Theobalds Grove 2.1 mi
J26 M25 0.8 mi
J26 M25 1.2 mi
J25 M25 2.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
40
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 5
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 5
Retail Shopping Adequate 8
Takeaways Some 2
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £395,000 125
Detached £575,000 13
Semi-detached £428,500 38
Terraced £390,000 44
Flat / Maisonette £241,250 30
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£221k £359k £502k £640k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Waltham Cross 60 1.8 mi away ⇄
Sewardstone 37 1.9 mi away ⇄
High Beech 40 1.9 mi away ⇄
Bumble's Green 44 2.9 mi away ⇄
Cheshunt 59 3.1 mi away ⇄
Loughton 64 3.5 mi away ⇄
Theydon Bois 54 3.7 mi away ⇄
Lower Nazeing 45 3.8 mi away ⇄
Epping Upland 0 3.9 mi away ⇄
Nazeing 44 4.0 mi away ⇄
Epping 47 4.2 mi away ⇄
Buckhurst Hill 74 4.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Waltham Abbey a nice place to live?

Waltham Abbey is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Waltham Abbey is 51/100, 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 Waltham Abbey?

Waltham Abbey has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 40/100. There were 2,265 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Waltham Abbey?

Among the top-rated schools in Waltham Abbey are Hillhouse CofE Primary School, Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery and King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 7 rated schools in Waltham Abbey in total.

What are house prices like in Waltham Abbey?

The current median house price in Waltham Abbey is £395,000, around 39% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £575,000, semi-detached £428,500, terraced £390,000, flat £241,250. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 125 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Waltham Abbey in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Waltham Abbey

EN9 50 ⇄

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