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Neighbourhood · Watford · East of England

Oxhey

Watford 012 · 4 sub-areas · 7,313 residents

Watford 012 sits within Watford, in the East of England, with around 7,300 residents and a median rent of roughly £1,800 a month. A two-bedroom flat runs about £1,590 — noticeably above the UK national median but well below central London rates. Over two-thirds of homes here are owner-occupied, giving this pocket of Watford a more settled, residential feel than the town's more transient rental streets.

Best for Young professionals (84/100)Watch-out: Investors / BTL (60/100)Liveability 67/100 · Above median

Oxhey is a mid-density neighbourhood of Watford in the East of England region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. Most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time; a high share of adults are degree-educated, which often shows up in the kind of jobs people commute to.

2-bed rent
£1,586/mo+4.6%
1-bed £1,256 · 3-bed £1,805
Crime / 1k / yr
55.9
Above median
Best hub commute
6 min
Direct to London
Good schools 2 km
30%
22 schools within 2 km
Liveability
67/100
Above median
Population
7,313
4 sub-areas

Overview

Overview

What's it like to live in Oxhey?

A snapshot of Oxhey

Day-to-day life sits close to greenery — a park or playing field is within easy walking distance of most addresses; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents sit firmly in the upper bracket nationally, with a typical home letting at around £1,813 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.

Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically

Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.

Oxhey in Watford

Overview

Living in Oxhey

This part of Watford has a firmly residential character — the kind of area where owner-occupiers outnumber renters by a clear margin and the age spread is unusually even across the generations. Unlike some commuter-belt neighbourhoods that skew heavily towards families or young professionals, Watford 012 has roughly similar shares of under-18s, 18–34s, 35–49s and 50–64s, which gives it a balanced, settled feel rather than the transient energy of a student zone or the quietness of a retirement enclave.

Rents here sit above the UK national average but not by the eye-watering margins you'd find closer to central London. A two-bedroom flat costs around £1,590 a month, and prices have been rising — up roughly 4.6% over the past year. The affordability picture is tighter than those headline numbers suggest: median rent absorbs about 73% of typical take-home pay for residents, which is a significant stretch. For buyers, the median sold price is around £507,000, putting a deposit roughly 6.8 years of saving away at typical local salaries.

Who lives here? Predominantly owner-occupiers — around two in three homes are owned outright or with a mortgage. About one in five homes is private rented, and around 14% is social housing, which is a meaningful social-tenure presence for a predominantly owner-occupied area. Nearly half of residents hold a degree-level qualification, and the ethnic diversity index sits at 42, reflecting a moderately mixed community with about 77% of residents born in the UK.

The practical case for this neighbourhood is strong. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 480 metres away — about a six-minute walk — and from there central London is reachable in around six minutes by public transport, making this one of Watford's better-connected patches. Broadband is full-gigabit across the whole area, with zero properties falling below the minimum universal service obligation. Green space is close too: the nearest park or open area is just over 200 metres away, and nearly three-quarters of residents live within easy walking distance of accessible greenspace. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.

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FAQ

Frequently asked

Is Watford 012 a nice place to live?
It's a settled, predominantly owner-occupied neighbourhood with good rail access, fast broadband, and green space close by. The trade-off is affordability — rent absorbs around 73% of typical take-home pay, which is a real squeeze. Crime rates are comfortably below the national average, and the community has a stable, mixed-age character.
What is the rent in Watford 012?
A one-bedroom flat runs roughly £1,260 a month; a two-bedroom is around £1,590; and a three-bedroom comes in at about £1,800. Rents rose around 4.6% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from local sale prices, as official rent data only goes to council level.
Is Watford 012 safe?
Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 57 per 1,000 residents annually, noticeably below the UK national figure of roughly 80 per 1,000. The neighbourhood sits in the less-deprived half of the national deprivation index, which tends to correlate with lower crime volumes.
What's the commute from Watford 012 to London?
Around six minutes by public transport to a major hub — the mainline rail station is roughly 480 metres away, about a six-minute walk. That makes this one of Watford's better-connected spots for London commuters. Around 42% of residents work from home, so many don't make that journey daily regardless.
Who lives in Watford 012?
Predominantly owner-occupiers — around two in three homes are owned. The age spread is unusually even across all adult groups. Nearly half of residents hold a degree, and the community is moderately diverse, with about 77% born in the UK and an ethnic diversity index of 42.
What schools are near Watford 012?
There are 88 schools within 2km, but only around 28% of those within typical catchment distance are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 1,190 metres away, about a 15-minute walk. It's worth checking individual school Ofsted reports carefully.
How affordable is buying a home in Watford 012?
The median sold price is around £507,000. At typical local salaries, saving a deposit takes roughly 6.8 years — a significant commitment. That's more manageable than central London but steep by wider East of England standards.
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