Postcode district · Watford

WD18 area guide

Who lives in WD18, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Watford
Region: East of England
Population: 39,789 (2024)

WD18Postcode district · Watford

At a glance

What WD18 is like

The WD18 postcode district in Watford covers 717 live postcodes and is home to about 39,789 people in 14,021 households. 48.7% of households own their home, 34.1% rent privately and 15.7% are in social housing. The largest age group is 30–34, and 63.5% 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. Homes in WD18 sold for a median of £370,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How WD18 compares

Headline figures for WD18, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

5.6/ 10

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

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 38.0 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£370,000

Median over 192 sales in WD18, −8.1% on the year before.

TransportMore

4.5/ 10

Good: 1 station within a mile, 39 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

93%

Rated good or better across 14 inspected schools in WD18.

Household incomeMore

£64,214

Average annual income before tax, higher than 75% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where WD18 differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
34.1% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
A young populationPositive
23.1% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
Prices fallingLook closer
The median sale price in WD18 is down 8.1% on the year before.
04
Well-rated schoolsPositive
93% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

WD18 FAQs

Is WD18 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 5.6 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 38.0 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 93% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 4.5 out of 10 (good).

How much does a house cost in WD18?

The median sale price over the last year was £370,000.

Homes in WD18 sold for a median of £370,000 across 192 sales in the year to August 2026, −8.1% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is WD18 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 38.0 offences per 1,000 people a year around WD18, above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in WD18?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 30–34, at 9.5% of residents. 48.7% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (34.2%).

Which council covers WD18?

The local authority for WD18 is Watford.

WD18 comes under Watford in the East of England. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is WD18?

Connectivity scores 4.5 out of 10.

There are 39 bus stops within 800m and 1 station or tram stop within a mile, scoring 4.5 out of 10 (good). The nearest station is Watford Underground Station, 0.6 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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