Postcode district · Watford

WD1 area guide

Who lives in WD1, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Watford
Region: East of England
Population: 31,288 (2024)

WD1Postcode district · Watford

At a glance

What WD1 is like

The WD1 postcode district in Watford covers 0 live postcodes and is home to about 31,288 people in 12,051 households. 49.1% of households own their home, 37.3% rent privately and 12.3% are in social housing. The largest age group is 30–34, and 65.1% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is above the England and Wales average.

Scores

How WD1 compares

Headline figures for WD1, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

6.0/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 39.1 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

8.5/ 10

Excellent: 3 stations within a mile, 48 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

100%

Rated good or better across 9 inspected schools in WD1.

Household incomeMore

£64,968

Average annual income before tax, higher than 76% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where WD1 differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
37.3% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A young populationPositive
23.7% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
Well connectedPositive
3 stations within a mile and 48 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.
04
Well-rated schoolsPositive
100% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

WD1 FAQs

Is WD1 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.0 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 39.1 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 100% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 8.5 out of 10 (excellent).

Is WD1 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 39.1 offences per 1,000 people a year around WD1, above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in WD1?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 30–34, at 10.3% of residents. 49.1% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (39.2%).

Which council covers WD1?

The local authority for WD1 is Watford.

WD1 comes under Watford in the East of England. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is WD1?

Connectivity scores 8.5 out of 10.

There are 48 bus stops within 800m and 3 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 8.5 out of 10 (excellent). The nearest station is Watford Junction Rail Station, 0.5 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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