Town Pop. 266,939

Living in Waltham Forest: Liveability Score 71/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Waltham Forest is 71/100, built from 9 categories. Healthcare is where Waltham Forest most outperforms the national norm: 93/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 33/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That sits 21 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 5% of the towns and villages we score. Also scoring 80 or better: schools (93), lifestyle (91) and transport (86). For the surrounding area, see E10 postcode district.

71
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.

Waltham Forest scores 71 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Waltham Forest.
Or compare:
E10 5AB E10 6AA E10 7AA E10 9BY E10 E11 E15 E17

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
33
110.9 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 7,016 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 6,734 crimes
↑ 66% above national average
Vehicle crime 2,530 crimes
↑ 98% above national average
Other theft 2,173 crimes
↑ 31% above national average
Shoplifting 2,041 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 9,108 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 1,366 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 870 crimes
  3. 3 Further/Higher Educational Building 745 crimes

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

Environment
68
Air Quality NO₂ 17.5 · PM2.5 9 · PM10 14.7 µg/m³
57
Green Space 95
Parks Ample 143
Sports Pitches Ample 159
Allotments Ample 34
Golf Courses Ample 5
Tennis Courts Ample 37
Bowling Greens Ample 7
Playgrounds Ample 127

Services

Schools
93
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 108 in area
25Outstanding72Good2Requires Improvement9Ungraded
  • Acacia NurseryNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Barclay Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Church Hill Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Colegrave Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Davies Lane Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Earlham Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Eden Girls' School, Waltham ForestSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Forest Gate Community SchoolSecondary · inspected 2021
    Outstanding
  • Hawkswood Primary PRUAlternative provision · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Kay Rowe Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare
93
A&E departmentsWhipps Cross University Hospitalin area
Homerton University Hospital1 mi
North Middlesex University Hospital1.6 mi
Hospital waitsGreat Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks74.4%
31 GP surgeries in area 47 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity3,098 patients per GP
27dentists52pharmacies

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)86.6%
available across Waltham Forest
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
92.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92.8%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 3,452 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
38
Employment rate63%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed63%Unemployed5.1%Retired12%Student6.1%Other inactive13.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial42.9%Skilled & technical34%Routine & elementary23.1%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.4%Level 3 (A levels)12.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)42.9%Apprenticeship3.5%Other (incl. vocational)3.3%
Home ownership49.8%
Among the most-deprived 39% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
53
Council tax Waltham Forest · 2026-27
A £1,591
B £1,857
C £2,122
D £2,387
E £2,917
F £3,448
G £3,978
H £4,774
Energy London 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
86
Wood Street 0.6 mi
Walthamstow Central 0.8 mi
Walthamstow Queen's Road 0.9 mi
J4 M11 2.4 mi
J5 M11 5 mi
J26 M25 6.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
91
Pubs & Bars Ample 100
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 451
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 293
Retail Shopping Ample 1294
Takeaways Ample 189
Fitness Ample 48

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £555,000 1,280
Detached £837,500 20
Semi-detached £695,000 130
Terraced £691,000 609
Flat / Maisonette £404,800 521
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£365k £524k £688k £847k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Buckhurst Hill 74 3.3 mi away ⇄
Redbridge 71 3.6 mi away ⇄
Hackney 72 3.7 mi away ⇄
Chigwell 69 4.1 mi away ⇄
Haringey 70 4.1 mi away ⇄
Enfield 68 4.6 mi away ⇄
Sewardstone 37 4.7 mi away ⇄
High Beech 40 4.9 mi away ⇄
Newham 72 5.0 mi away ⇄
Loughton 64 5.1 mi away ⇄
Islington 71 5.2 mi away ⇄
Tower Hamlets 68 5.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Waltham Forest a nice place to live?

Yes, Waltham Forest is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Waltham Forest is 71/100, 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 Waltham Forest?

Waltham Forest has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 33/100. There were 29,602 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Waltham Forest?

Among the top-rated schools in Waltham Forest are Acacia Nursery, Barclay Primary School and Church Hill Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 108 rated schools in Waltham Forest in total.

What are house prices like in Waltham Forest?

The current median house price in Waltham Forest is £555,000, around 95% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £837,500, semi-detached £695,000, terraced £691,000, flat £404,800. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 16%. There were 1,280 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Waltham Forest in context

See where Waltham Forest ranks among the best places to live in Greater London

Postcode districts in Waltham Forest

E10 72 ⇄
E11 72 ⇄
E15 71 ⇄
E17 71 ⇄
E20 68 ⇄
E4 69 ⇄
E7 74 ⇄
IG8 71 ⇄

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