Town Pop. 45,337

Living in Welwyn Garden City: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Welwyn Garden City scores 58/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Transport is where Welwyn Garden City most outperforms the national norm: 62/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Safety falls furthest short: 44/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No other settlement in the AL6 postcode district scores higher. Welwyn Garden City leads all 6. Notably, nothing falls below 44/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. The AL6 district averages 50/100, putting Welwyn Garden City 8 points above its own postcode area. Wider context for the surrounding area: AL6 postcode district.

58
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.

Welwyn Garden City scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Welwyn Garden City.
Or compare:
AL6 0AA AL6 9AA AL6 AL7 AL8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
44
100.1 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 1,407 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,042 crimes
↑ 51% above national average
Shoplifting 671 crimes
↑ 90% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 267 crimes
↓ 13% below national average
Public order 231 crimes
↓ 22% below national average
other 922 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 466 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 460 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 124 crimes

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

Environment
65
Air Quality NO₂ 10.4 · PM2.5 7.5 · PM10 11.9 µg/m³
68
Green Space 60
Parks Ample 26
Sports Pitches Ample 39
Allotments Ample 16
Golf Courses Ample 5
Tennis Courts Ample 16
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 29

Services

Schools
58
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 26 in area · 28 within 4km
3Outstanding16Good1Requires Improvement1Inadequate5Ungraded
  • Lakeside SchoolSpecial · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Ludwick Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Tenterfield Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Applecroft SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Commonswood Primary & Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Harwood Hill Junior Mixed Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Holwell Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Knightsfield SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Monk's Walk SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Our Lady Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    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
54
A&E departmentsQueen Elizabeth II Hospitalin area
Potters Bar Clinic6.4 mi
Lister Hospital6.6 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust0.9 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
4 GP surgeries in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,780 patients per GP
10dentists8pharmacies

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
89
Full fibre (FTTP)60.9%
available across Welwyn Hatfield
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.2%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,156 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
54
Employment rate61.8%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.8%Unemployed2.9%Retired20.8%Student4.1%Other inactive10.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial45.2%Skilled & technical31.8%Routine & elementary23%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.5%Apprenticeship4.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership58.2%
Among the least-deprived 37% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
52
Council tax Welwyn Hatfield · 2026-27
A £1,635
B £1,907
C £2,180
D £2,452
E £2,997
F £3,542
G £4,087
H £4,904
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
62
Welwyn Garden City 0.4 mi
Welwyn North 1.6 mi
Hatfield 2.7 mi
J6 A1(M) 1.7 mi
J4 A1(M) 1.8 mi
J6 A1(M) 2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
53
Pubs & Bars Ample 14
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 26
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 23
Retail Shopping Ample 83
Takeaways Ample 17
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 £417,500 288
Detached £710,000 37
Semi-detached £549,100 51
Terraced £420,000 121
Flat / Maisonette £240,000 79
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£228k £430k £638k £840k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Tewin 40 2.0 mi away ⇄
Welwyn 51 2.2 mi away ⇄
Tewin Wood 46 2.6 mi away ⇄
Letty Green 45 2.9 mi away ⇄
Oaklands 48 3.0 mi away ⇄
Birch Green 48 3.1 mi away ⇄
Hatfield 55 3.2 mi away ⇄
Essendon 45 3.3 mi away ⇄
Woolmer Green 51 3.6 mi away ⇄
Codicote 40 3.8 mi away ⇄
Datchworth 45 3.8 mi away ⇄
Little Berkhamsted 40 4.2 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Welwyn Garden City a nice place to live?

Welwyn Garden City is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Welwyn Garden City is 58/100, 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 Welwyn Garden City?

Welwyn Garden City has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 44/100. There were 4,540 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Welwyn Garden City?

Among the top-rated schools in Welwyn Garden City are Lakeside School, Ludwick Nursery School and Tenterfield Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 26 rated schools in Welwyn Garden City in total.

What are house prices like in Welwyn Garden City?

The current median house price in Welwyn Garden City is £417,500, around 46% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £710,000, semi-detached £549,100, terraced £420,000, flat £240,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 288 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Welwyn Garden City in context

See where Welwyn Garden City ranks among the best places to live in Hertfordshire

Postcode districts in Welwyn Garden City

AL6 50 ⇄
AL7 56 ⇄
AL8 53 ⇄

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