Highfield
Dacorum 008 · 5 sub-areas · 8,410 residents
Dacorum 008 is a residential area within Dacorum, home to around 8,400 people, and one of the more notably affordable corners of the district. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £1,363 a month, though nearly half of all households here are in social housing, which shapes the area's character more than rent levels alone.
Highfield is a green, lower-density part of Dacorum — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. The demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Highfield?
3 parks and 1 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; Recorded crime is higher than the national norm — common for built-up urban areas, but worth weighing if you're looking for a quieter base; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,577 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Highfield in Dacorum
Living in Highfield
Dacorum 008 stands out within the district for its unusually high proportion of social housing — close to 45% of homes are socially rented, which is well above typical levels for the East of England and gives the area a distinctly different feel from the owner-occupied commuter villages that dominate much of Dacorum. It's a neighbourhood built around settled, longer-term residents rather than a transient rental population.
The cost picture is relatively accessible by regional standards. A two-bedroom home runs around £1,363 a month, and one-beds start from roughly £1,086. Renters should be aware that rent-to-take-home sits at around 64% — meaning housing costs consume a significant share of a typical local salary. Council tax (Band D) comes to just over £2,400 a year.
The population skews towards families and young residents — around one in four people here is under 18, which is higher than you'd expect across the wider district. Single-person households make up about 30% of homes. The degree-holder share is 25.6%, below the regional average, and the local jobs picture is interesting: workplace salaries in the area average just under £19,000 a year, considerably less than the £36,000 median that residents themselves earn — a clear sign that most working-age residents commute out for better-paying jobs.
Greenspace is one of this neighbourhood's real strengths — 94.6% of residents are within walkable distance of open space, and the average distance to the nearest green area is just 157 metres. For practical day-to-day life, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 3.2 km away (around a 40-minute walk, though most residents drive — nearly 58% commute by car). See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets within the neighbourhood.
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Frequently asked
- Is Dacorum 008 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're looking for. Dacorum 008 has excellent greenspace access — almost all residents are within walking distance of open land — and a high proportion of social housing means it's a settled, community-oriented area rather than a transient rental market. The trade-off is a below-average share of highly-rated nearby schools and a crime rate above the national average.
- What is the rent in Dacorum 008?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £1,086 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,363, and a three-bedroom around £1,635. These are estimates scaled from district-level ONS data. Rents rose about 3.8% over the past year. Council tax at Band D adds just over £2,400 a year on top.
- Is Dacorum 008 safe?
- The recorded crime rate is around 113 per 1,000 residents annually, above the UK national rate of roughly 80 per 1,000. The area sits in approximately the third deprivation decile nationally, meaning there are genuine socioeconomic pressures locally. For specific crime breakdowns by street or category, the local Hertfordshire Police neighbourhood pages are the most reliable source.
- What's the commute from Dacorum 008 to the nearest major city?
- The public-transport journey to the nearest major employment hub takes around 66 minutes. The nearest mainline rail station is about 3.2 km away — most residents drive there rather than walk. Bear in mind that 57.9% of working residents commute by car, and public transport use is low at just 4.2%.
- Who lives in Dacorum 008?
- It's a mixed area with a strong family presence — around one in four residents is under 18. About 45% of homes are socially rented, giving the neighbourhood a more settled, long-term character than typical private rental areas. Single-person households make up around 30% of homes. Most working residents commute out for higher-paid roles, with local workplace salaries averaging under £19,000 a year.
- What schools are near Dacorum 008?
- There are 104 schools within 2 km of typical residents, but only around 38% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national share of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 7.4 km away. Families prioritising highly-rated schools should map individual catchment areas carefully before choosing a specific street.
- How far is Dacorum 008 from London?
- The rail commute to London takes around 66 minutes by public transport. Most residents drive rather than take the train for daily commuting, and the nearest mainline station is about 3.2 km away — roughly a 40-minute walk or a short drive.