Cottonmill Lane is in St. Albans and in St Albans district. AL1 2ET is located in the Sopwell electoral ward, within the English Parliamentary constituency of St Albans. This postcode has been in use since 1980-01-01.
StreetScan combines information about Cottonmill Lane, St. Albans, AL1 2ET and displays a report on the quality of life in this place and its surroundings.
Nearby postcodes are: AL1 2EP, AL1 2HX, AL1 2HZ, AL1 2JD, AL1 2HY, AL1 2EY, AL1 2EF, AL1 2JE, AL1 2JA.
In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding AL1 2ET, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53% of residents being female. Several factors can contribute to this. Women generally live longer than men, resulting in a higher proportion of women in neighborhoods with significant elderly populations. Typically, as people grow older, they tend to relocate from city center addresses to suburban areas, smaller towns, and rural locations. Consequently, these areas often have a higher number of females. A higher female population can also be found in areas with industries that employ more women, such as healthcare, education, and retail.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 54% | 53% | -1.0% | 51.0% | 2.0% |
| Male | 46% | 47% | 1.0% | 49.0% | -2.0% |
Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 32.1% | 37.5% | 5.4% | 37.9% | -0.4% |
| Married: Opposite sex | 51.8% | 46.6% | -5.2% | 44.2% | 2.4% |
| Separated | 0.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 0.2% |
| Divorced | 7.6% | 9.1% | 1.5% | 9.1% | 0.0% |
| Widowed | 7.6% | 4.3% | -3.3% | 6.1% | -1.8% |
Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.
Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.
This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (85.8%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very good health | 63.6% | 63.7% | 0.1% | 48.4% | 15.3% |
| Good health | 26.7% | 22.1% | -4.6% | 33.6% | -11.5% |
| Fair health | 7.3% | 8.6% | 1.3% | 12.7% | -4.1% |
| Bad health | 1.5% | 5.3% | 3.8% | 4.0% | 1.3% |
| Very bad health | 0.9% | 0.3% | -0.6% | 1.2% | -0.9% |
During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.
This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 46.2%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No qualifications | 16.9% | 14.6% | -2.3% | 18.2% | -3.6% |
| 1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent | 9.6% | 9.1% | -0.5% | 9.6% | -0.5% |
| 5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels | 10% | 11.9% | 1.9% | 13.4% | -1.5% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 2.8% | -1.2% | 5.3% | -2.5% |
| HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels | 11.6% | 15.4% | 3.8% | 16.9% | -1.5% |
| Degree or Similar | 42.6% | 46.2% | 3.6% | 33.8% | 12.4% |
| Other | 5.2% | 0% | -5.2% | 2.8% | -2.8% |
This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 76.1% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladeshi | 9.7% | 12.4% | 2.7% | 1.1% | 11.3% |
| Chinese | 0.6% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| Indian | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.0% | 3.1% | -1.0% |
| Pakistani | 0.3% | 0% | -0.3% | 2.7% | -2.7% |
| Other Asian | 0.6% | 0.3% | -0.3% | 1.6% | -1.3% |
| Black African | 1.2% | 0.3% | -0.9% | 2.5% | -2.2% |
| Black Caribbean | 4.4% | 2.4% | -2.0% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Other Black | 0.3% | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Mixed White and Asian | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.4% |
| Mixed White and African | 0% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| Mixed White and Caribbean | 2.3% | 0.9% | -1.4% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Mixed Other | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% | -0.2% |
| White | 76.5% | 76.1% | -0.4% | 81.4% | -5.3% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 0.3% | 0% | -0.3% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| Other | 0.9% | 0.3% | -0.6% | 1.6% | -1.3% |
In this area, 80.7% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is similar to the UK average of 83.2%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 84.2% | 80.7% | -3.5% | 83.2% | -2.5% |
| European Union | 3.5% | 7.4% | 3.9% | 6.1% | 1.3% |
| Rest of Europe | 0% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% | -0.2% |
| Africa | 2.9% | 1.8% | -1.1% | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| Middle East and Asia | 5.9% | 6.8% | 0.9% | 5.6% | 1.2% |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 3.2% | 2.7% | -0.5% | 1.3% | 1.4% |
| Oceania | 0.3% | 0% | -0.3% | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born in the UK | 82.4% | 80.5% | -1.9% | 83.2% | -2.7% |
| 10+ Years | 2.1% | 17.8% | 15.7% | 9.8% | 8.0% |
| 5-10 Years | 0.6% | 1.5% | 0.9% | 2.9% | -1.4% |
| 2-5 Years | 1.8% | 0% | -1.8% | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| Less than 2 years | 13.2% | 0.3% | -12.9% | 1.9% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 82.8% | 76.7% | 6.1% |
| Ireland | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| France | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Germany | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Italy | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Portugal | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| Spain | 0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| Poland | 0.6% | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| Other EU countries | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Middle East | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Southern Asia | 0.3% | 1.2% | -0.9% |
| North America and the Caribbean | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| No passport held | 9.8% | 13.5% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 45.4% | 37.2% | 8.2% |
| Christian | 35.8% | 46.2% | -10.4% |
| Hindu | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.4% |
| Muslim | 11.6% | 6.5% | 5.1% |
| Not answered | 5.1% | 6.0% | -0.9% |
Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Cottonmill Lane was 65.0 per 1,000 residents, which is 37.8% lower than the Sopwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.
Cottonmill Lane has the 11th lowest crime rate of 23 local areas in Sopwell and the 159th highest crime rate of 430 local areas in St Albans .
Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 19.8 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -27.0%.

Households in this area have a higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 86% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

| Address | Sale Price | Sale Date | Price Estimate 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £860,000 | 2024-07-08 | £895,437 |
| 69 Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £425,000 | 2019-02-28 | £521,868 |
| 73 Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £560,000 | 2018-11-26 | £669,931 |
| 105 Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £525,000 | 2014-12-18 | £737,992 |
| 63 Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £470,000 | 2013-08-06 | £771,664 |
AL1 2ET area has a very high level of entrepreneurship. Only 15% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 13% of population in this area is self-employed, while the average in the UK is 9.7%. High number of entrepreneurs usually leads to relatively high economic growth, higher paid jobs and better quality of life in the area.
| Full-Time Employee | 109 |
| Self-Employed | 34 |
| Retired | 34 |
| Part-Time Employee | 23 |
| Student (economically inactive) | 12 |
| Looking after home or family | 12 |
| Long-Term Sick or disabled | 10 |
| Unemployed | 9 |
| Other | 5 |
| Full-Time Student (with or without job) | 4 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles | 31 |
| Human health and social work activities | 22 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 20 |
| Information and communication | 16 |
| Education | 16 |
| Construction | 14 |
| Manufacturing | 9 |
| Other | 8 |
| Transport and storage | 8 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 7 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 5 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 4 |
| Real estate activities | 3 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 3 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 1 |
| Mining and quarrying | 1 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muriel Green Nursery School Church Crescent , AL3 5JB | 3out of 4 | 1,948 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandeville Primary School Mandeville Drive , AL1 2LE | 3out of 4 | 586 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School Watling View , AL1 2PB | 3out of 4 | 756 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Peter's School Cottonmill Lane , AL1 1HL | 3out of 4 | 765 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans Grove Road , AL1 1DQ | 4out of 4 | 1,095 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Cunningham Hill Junior School Cell Barnes Lane , AL1 5QJ | 4out of 4 | 1,585 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Marlborough Science Academy Watling Street , AL1 2QA | 3out of 4 | 1,139 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Loreto College Hatfield Road , AL1 3RQ | 4out of 4 | 1,592 yd | Academy converter | No | Girls | More About School |
| Verulam School Brampton Road , AL1 4PR | 3out of 4 | 2,313 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Boys | More About School |
| Beaumont School Austen Way , AL4 0XB | 4out of 4 | 3,217 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School Colney Heath Lane , AL4 0TT | 3out of 4 | 3,546 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oaklands College Oaklands Campus , Hatfield Road AL4 0JA | - not rated | 3,921 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Ryder Academy Drakes Drive , AL1 5AR | 3out of 4 | 1,767 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watling View School Watling View , AL1 2NU | 3out of 4 | 818 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Albans Independent College 69 London Road , AL1 1LN | - not rated | 1,072 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Columba's College King Harry Lane , AL3 4AW | - not rated | 1,272 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Albans School Abbey Gateway , AL3 4HB | - not rated | 1,560 yd | Other independent school | No | Boys | More About School |
| St Albans High School for Girls Townsend Avenue , St Albans AL1 3SJ | - not rated | 2,064 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonmill Community & Cycling Centre | 12 Old Oak, Cottonmill Lane | 169 yd | |
| McDonald's | Unit 6, St Albans Retail Park | 692 yd | |
| Caffe Carluccio's | Sainsburys, Everard Close | 919 yd | |
| BaxterStorey @ Premier Foods, Premier House | Centrium, Griffiths Way | 930 yd | |
| Samrat | 156 London Road, St Albans | 1,052 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verulam Golf Club | London Road, St Albans | 633 yd | |
| St Albans Sub Aqua Club | Cottonmill Swimming Pool, Cottonmill Lane | 841 yd | |
| The Hare And Hounds Ph | 104 Sopwell Lane, St Albans | 1,051 yd | |
| The Farmers Boy Ph | 134 London Road, St Albans | 1,070 yd | |
| The Great Northern Ph | 172 London Road, St Albans | 1,070 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chikizza | 34B Abbots Avenue West, St Albans | 326 yd | |
| Costa Coffee | 3 Graham Close, St Albans | 553 yd | |
| Cheong's Chinese | 35 Vesta Avenue, St Albans | 887 yd | |
| Smoky Boys | 33 Vesta Avenue, St Albans | 887 yd | |
| Sunlight Fish and Chips | 35 Vesta Avenue, St Albans | 887 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Stores Ltd. | 5 Graham Close, St Albans | 630 yd | |
| The Range Home and Leisure & Iceland | Unit 1, Griffiths Way | 692 yd | |
| Sainsbury's | Sainsburys, Everard Close | 919 yd |
| Facility Name | Sport Objects | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Marlborough Open Space Cottonmill Lane | grass pitches | 266 yd |
| Verulam Golf Club Ltd LONDON ROAD | golf | 633 yd |
| Mandeville Primary School MANDEVILLE DRIVE | grass pitches | 652 yd |
| Sopwell House Country Club & Viverano Spa COTTONMILL LANE | health and fitness suite, swimming pool | 712 yd |
| Quality Hotel Leisure Club (St Albans) (Closed) 232-236 232-236 London Road | health and fitness suite, swimming pool | 834 yd |
| Cottonmill Swimming Pool COTTON MILL SWIMMING POOL COTTON MILL SWIMMING POOL COTTONMILL LANE | swimming pool | 836 yd |
| St Peter'S School COTTONMILL LANE | athletics tracks, grass pitches | 839 yd |
This statistics are based on Active Places Data - Contains Data © Sport England
| Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband | 100.0% |
| Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband | 100.0% |
| Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband | 100.0% |
| Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband | 100.0% |
| Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s | 0.0% |
| Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s | 0.0% |
| Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s | 0.0% |
| Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s | 0.0% |
| Median download speed | 80 Mbit/s |
| Average download speed | 131.4 Mbit/s |
| Minimum download speed | 600 Mbit/s |
| Maximum download speed | 600 Mbit/s |
| Median upload speed | 20 Mbit/s |
| Average upload speed | 18.5 Mbit/s |
| Maximum upload speed | 40 Mbit/s |
Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.