Town Pop. 116,459

Living in Watford (Watford): Liveability Score 66/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Watford (Watford) comes out at 66/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 75/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 45/100 where the typical UK town reaches 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. Also scoring 80 or better: broadband (80). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the WD17 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.

Watford (Watford) scores 66 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Watford (Watford).
Or compare:
WD17 1AA WD17 2AA WD17 3AA WD17 4AJ WD17 WD18 WD19 WD23

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
45
102.4 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 4,087 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 2,404 crimes
↑ 36% above national average
Shoplifting 950 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 901 crimes
↑ 24% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 805 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 2,779 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 721 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 561 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 423 crimes

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

Environment
63
Air Quality NO₂ 11.8 · PM2.5 7.7 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
66
Green Space 57
Parks Ample 64
Sports Pitches Ample 52
Allotments Ample 12
Golf Courses Ample 9
Tennis Courts Ample 36
Bowling Greens Ample 8
Playgrounds Ample 69

Services

Schools
79
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 64 in area
14Outstanding38Good2Requires Improvement10Ungraded
  • Breakspeare SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Chessbrook Education Support CentreAlternative provision · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Colnbrook SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Grimsdyke SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Harvey Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Holy Rood Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Kingswood Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Nascot Wood Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Parkgate Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Parmiter's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
75
A&E departmentsWatford General Hospitalin area
Northwick Park Hospital3.8 mi
Barnet Hospital6.8 mi
Hospital waitsWest Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs89.9%
9 GP surgeries in area 10 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,017 patients per GP
24dentists24pharmacies

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
80
Full fibre (FTTP)84.8%
available across Watford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,549 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
58
Employment rate64%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64%Unemployed3.5%Retired16.6%Student4.9%Other inactive11%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.3%Skilled & technical34.2%Routine & elementary22.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.8%Level 3 (A levels)14.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)39.5%Apprenticeship4.4%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership61.3%
Among the least-deprived 39% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
48
Council tax Watford · 2026-27
A £1,631
B £1,903
C £2,175
D £2,447
E £2,991
F £3,535
G £4,078
H £4,894
Energy
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
78
Watford Junction 0.2 mi
Watford North 0.8 mi
Watford High Street 0.9 mi
J5 M1 1.4 mi
J5 M1 1.6 mi
J19 M25 2.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
60
Pubs & Bars Ample 40
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 87
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 66
Retail Shopping Ample 236
Takeaways Ample 67
Fitness Ample 22

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £445,000 601
Detached £852,500 64
Semi-detached £547,500 158
Terraced £435,000 212
Flat / Maisonette £268,000 167
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£259k £464k £676k £882k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Bushey 66 2.2 mi away ⇄
Chandler's Cross 37 2.6 mi away ⇄
Moor Park 63 3.0 mi away ⇄
Rickmansworth 62 3.1 mi away ⇄
Bricket Wood 53 3.2 mi away ⇄
Letchmore Heath 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Abbots Langley and Kings Langley 64 3.4 mi away ⇄
Radlett 54 3.7 mi away ⇄
Bedmond 49 4.0 mi away ⇄
Sarratt 40 4.2 mi away ⇄
Commonwood 0 4.2 mi away ⇄
Colney Street 35 4.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Watford (Watford) a nice place to live?

Yes, Watford (Watford) is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Watford (Watford) 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 Watford (Watford)?

Watford (Watford) has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 45/100. There were 11,926 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Watford (Watford)?

Among the top-rated schools in Watford (Watford) are Breakspeare School, Chessbrook Education Support Centre and Colnbrook School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 64 rated schools in Watford (Watford) in total.

What are house prices like in Watford (Watford)?

The current median house price in Watford (Watford) is £445,000, around 56% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £852,500, semi-detached £547,500, terraced £435,000, flat £268,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 15%. There were 601 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Watford (Watford) in context

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

Postcode districts in Watford (Watford)

WD17 66 ⇄
WD18 65 ⇄
WD19 68 ⇄
WD23 66 ⇄
WD24 66 ⇄
WD25 59 ⇄
WD4 54 ⇄
WD5 58 ⇄
WD99 60 ⇄

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