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Neighbourhood · Watford

Central Watford: house prices and how the area is changing

Official figures for the Central Watford neighbourhood of Watford, England (ONS area Watford 009). Headline figures assembled 4 November 2026. Postcodes WD17, WD18, WD24. Figures that read a point use the neighbourhood's centre, near WD17 2AU.

A middle-income neighbourhood, showing some signs of gentrification

Central Watford is a middle-income neighbourhood; it shows some signs of gentrification against Watford (3 of 19 signals rising, 2 falling). Houses here typically resell for £415,000 and flats for £240,000 (median resale prices, 2023-2025). Schools nearby are improving faster than the council's and the nearest station, Watford High Street, is about a 7-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre. Recorded crime per resident is 3.0 times the borough's rate, but there are about 2.5 jobs for every resident here, so crime per resident overstates the risk to people who live here.

The neighbourhood in brief, from the figures on this page. Summary updated 4 November 2026; source dates are shown below.

Typical house price

£415,000

Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +18% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Typical flat price

£240,000

Median resale price of flats in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; -8% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Affluence today

Middle income

How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Source: ONS, HM Land Registry, MHCLG Indices of Deprivation

Signs of gentrification

Some signs

Weighted balance +0.09; 3 of 19 signals up, 2 down, against the borough.

Source: Official statistics on prices, incomes, benefits, businesses, schools and more (a full report shows every signal)

Deprivation

Decile 4 of 10

English Indices of Deprivation 2025: 1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods, 10 the least. At the neighbourhood's centre; its 7 small areas range from decile 3 to 6.

Source: MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025

Average household income

£54,100

ONS estimate for the neighbourhood (modelled, with a margin of error).

Source: Office for National Statistics

Recorded crime

3.0 times the borough's rate

A busy centre, with about 2.5 jobs for every resident here, so crime per resident overstates the risk to people who live here (29,000 jobs in 2024 against 11,412 residents at the 2021 census). Crimes recorded by the police over 12 months (not anti-social behaviour) per resident, against the borough. Crime per resident can overstate the risk in busy centres where many people work or visit.

Source: Police.uk

Schools getting better

Faster than the council's

Nearby state schools' latest Ofsted inspections and results, against the council's schools.

Source: Ofsted, Department for Education

Where Central Watford sits in Watford

  • Typical house price: 3rd lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford
  • Typical flat price: 3rd lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford
  • Average household income: the lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford

Ranked among the council's neighbourhoods by the figures on each one's own page, checked 4 November 2026: typical prices are HM Land Registry resale medians over the latest three-year window, household income the ONS's modelled estimate, with a margin of error, so neighbourhoods a place or two apart may not really differ.

Prices over time in Central Watford

House prices: Central Watford against Watford: This neighbourhood £58k (1995) to £400k (2026); Watford £65k (1995) to £495k (2026).£115k£443k2026202120162011200620011995This neighbourhood£400kWatford£495k
Median resale price of houses each year here and across Watford, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).
Flat prices: Central Watford against Watford: This neighbourhood £41k (1995) to £259k (2026); Watford £44k (1995) to £261k (2026).£70k£242k2026202120162011200620011995This neighbourhood£259kWatford£261k
Median resale price of flats each year here and across Watford, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, held locally and checked 4 November 2026. Medians each year, not a valuation of any home.

How the area is changing, signal by signal

3 of 19 counted signals point towards rising affluence against Watford, 2 the other way and 14 in line. A reading of official statistics against the borough, not a prediction; a full report shows every signal's figures and weight. Where this reading sits among every neighbourhood in England and Wales: the gentrification league table.

Rising against the borough

  • Schools improving
  • Homes selling
  • Benefit claims (DWP)

Falling behind the borough

  • Residents aged 25 to 29
  • Home improvement applications

Stations and schools nearby

Nearest stations

  • Watford High Street Railway station, about a 7-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre (500 m in a straight line). About 8 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: London Overground to London Euston (about 48 min).
  • Watford Underground station, about a 19-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre (1.5 km in a straight line).

Station locations: NaPTAN (Department for Transport). Trains: Network Rail's timetable for Tuesday 6 October 2026, with the timetabled minutes of direct trains; timetabled, not live running. Distances from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line, walked at 4.8 km/h; the real route is longer.

Nearest state schools

  • Nearest state primary school Watford St John's Church of England Primary School 200 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: No overall grade: Good in 2 areas, Requires improvement in 2 (Feb 2025).
  • Nearest state secondary school Watford Grammar School for Girls 490 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Outstanding (Mar 2024).

Schools: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (20 October 2026); inspections: Ofsted's management information as at 30 September 2026, in Ofsted's own words. Straight-line distances; not a catchment or admissions assessment.

Nearest A&E

  • Nearest major A&E Watford General Hospital 1.0 km from the neighbourhood's centre, in a straight line.

Hospitals: NHS England, NHS Wales and Public Health Scotland site lists. Waiting times: NHS England's Emergency Care Data Set (experimental statistics), StatsWales and Public Health Scotland, Open Government Licence v3.0. The NHS standard is 95% within 4 hours. Ambulances go to the most suitable A&E, which is not always the nearest.

Questions about Central Watford

What is the typical house price in Central Watford?

£415,000. Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +18% against 2017-2019.

How does Central Watford compare with the rest of Watford?

Typical house price: 3rd lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford. Typical flat price: 3rd lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford. Average household income: the lowest of 12 neighbourhoods in Watford.

Is Central Watford an affluent area?

Middle income. How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Is Central Watford gentrifying?

Some signs. Weighted balance +0.09; 3 of 19 signals up, 2 down, against the borough.

What is the nearest station to Central Watford?

Watford High Street. Railway station, about a 7-minute walk from the neighbourhood's centre (500 m in a straight line). About 8 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: London Overground to London Euston (about 48 min).

Which state schools are nearest to Central Watford?

Nearest state primary school. Watford St John's Church of England Primary School. 200 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: No overall grade: Good in 2 areas, Requires improvement in 2 (Feb 2025). Nearest state secondary school. Watford Grammar School for Girls. 490 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Outstanding (Mar 2024).

Each answer repeats a figure shown above, with its source there.

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Neighbourhood names: House of Commons Library, MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains public sector information (MHCLG, Police.uk, Ofsted, Department for Education) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Station locations from NaPTAN (Department for Transport), Open Government Licence v3.0. Trains: contains information of Network Rail Infrastructure Limited licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures describe the area, not any home, and are not a valuation or a prediction.