Watford: house prices, jobs and local statistics

Detached

£932,291

Semi-detached

£534,461

Terraced

£430,030

Flat or maisonette

£263,145

First-time buyers

£350,934

The claimant count is people claiming unemployment-related benefits as a share of residents aged 16 to 64; the unemployment rate is the survey measure of people out of work and looking. Pay is for full-time employees who live in the area.

• Residents

  74,934 in 1991 → 107,171 in 2024 (+43.0%)

  England over the same years: +22.4%

• Average house price

  £196,427 in 2005 → £404,299 in 2026 (+105.8%)

  England over the same years: +85.9%

• Median weekly pay

  £498 in 2008 → £713 in 2025 (+43.1%)

  England over the same years: +63.7%

• Employment rate

  77.3% in 2004 → 81.2% in 2023 (+5.0%)

  England over the same years: +4.4%

• Claimant count

  1.5% in 2001 → 4.4% in 2025 (+193.3%)

  England over the same years: +60.0%

• Disposable income per head

  £11,343 in 1997 → £26,924 in 2024 (+137.4%)

  England over the same years: +143.8%

40 official indicators are published for Watford; 30 of them have a better and a worse direction and are ranked here. A rank of 1st is the best (lowest unemployment, highest pay, and so on).

Where it ranks best

• Public EV chargers · Connectivity & access562.7 per 100,000 (mid-2026) · 12th highest of 361
• New homes · Housing16.0 per 1,000 (2024/25) · 16th highest of 296
• No qualifications · Education & skills2.7% (2023) · 17th lowest of 293
• Job density · Economy & work1.08 jobs per resident (2024) · 31st highest of 350

Where it ranks worst

• Life satisfaction · Health & wellbeing7.1 out of 10 (2022/23) · 344th highest of 363
• Home gas use · Environment10,890 kWh (2024/25) · 285th lowest of 347
• Claimant count · Economy & work4.4% (2025) · 293rd lowest of 361
• Housing affordability · Housing9.8× earnings (April 2025) · 257th lowest of 316

These figures are published for county councils, so they are for Hertfordshire, which includes Watford.

• Life expectancy (male) (2025)81.0 years · England 80.0 · 33rd highest of 151
• Life expectancy (female) (2025)84.6 years · England 83.8 · 42nd highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (male) (2022 - 24)65.4 years · England 60.9 · 11th highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (female) (2022 - 24)65.5 years · England 61.3 · 18th highest of 151
• Under-75 mortality, all causes (2025)279.1 per 100k · England 321.0 · 33rd lowest of 151
• Adult smoking prevalence (2024)8.0% · England 10.4 · 26th lowest of 148
• Adults overweight or obese (2024/25)63.1% · England 64.6 · 57th lowest of 153

These figures are published for county councils, so they are for Hertfordshire, which includes Watford.

• School readiness (good development at Reception) (2024/25)69.8% · England 68.3 · 55th highest of 153
• GCSE Attainment 8 score (2024/25)50.4 score · England 46.0 · 23rd highest of 153
• 16–17 year-olds NEET or activity not known (2025/26)3.3% · England 5.8 · 25th lowest of 150
• Children in absolute low-income families (2024/25)10.9% · England 19.8 · 15th lowest of 153