Firs Drive, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LB

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding AL4 8LB, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53.3% 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	51.1%	53.3%	2.2%	51.0%	2.3%
Male	48.9%	46.7%	-2.2%	49.0%	-2.3%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

In the immediate vicinity of AL4 8LB there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 70.9% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	14.7%	16.6%	1.9%	37.9%	-21.3%
Married: Opposite sex	72.2%	70.9%	-1.3%	44.2%	26.7%
Separated	1.7%	0%	-1.7%	2.2%	-2.2%
Divorced	4%	4%	0.0%	9.1%	-5.1%
Widowed	7.4%	8.6%	1.2%	6.1%	2.5%

Health

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 (89.5%) 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	55.6%	60.8%	5.2%	48.4%	12.4%
Good health	32.5%	28.7%	-3.8%	33.6%	-4.9%
Fair health	10%	8.4%	-1.6%	12.7%	-4.3%
Bad health	1.7%	1.3%	-0.4%	4.0%	-2.7%
Very bad health	0.3%	0.8%	0.5%	1.2%	-0.4%

Education and Qualifications

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.

In the area around AL4 8LB this area, 4.3% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. 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 59.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	8%	4.3%	-3.7%	18.2%	-13.9%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	6.4%	4.9%	-1.5%	9.6%	-4.7%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	14.7%	14.8%	0.1%	13.4%	1.4%
Apprenticeship	1.3%	2.3%	1.0%	5.3%	-3.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9.7%	12.8%	3.1%	16.9%	-4.1%
Degree or Similar	57.5%	59.5%	2.0%	33.8%	25.7%
Other	2.3%	1.3%	-1.0%	2.8%	-1.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 93.9% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.7%	-0.4%
Indian	0%	2.1%	2.1%	3.1%	-1.0%
Other Asian	0%	1.1%	1.1%	1.6%	-0.5%
Black Caribbean	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.0%	-0.7%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	1.9%	1.9%	0.8%	1.1%
Mixed White and African	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.9%	-0.9%
Mixed Other	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.8%	-0.8%
White	99.2%	93.9%	-5.3%	81.4%	12.5%

Country of Birth

In this area, 91.9% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	92.5%	91.9%	-0.6%	83.2%	8.7%
European Union	2.2%	1.3%	-0.9%	6.1%	-4.8%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
Africa	2.8%	2.4%	-0.4%	2.7%	-0.3%
Middle East and Asia	0.8%	3.1%	2.3%	5.6%	-2.5%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.1%	1%	-0.1%	1.3%	-0.3%
Oceania	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.3%	-0.3%
British Overseas	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.0%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	92.5%	92.6%	0.1%	83.2%	9.4%
10+ Years	0.6%	5.6%	5.0%	9.8%	-4.2%
5-10 Years	0.6%	0.5%	-0.1%	2.9%	-2.4%
2-5 Years	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	2.2%	-2.2%
Less than 2 years	6.1%	1.3%	-4.8%	1.9%	-0.6%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	93.4%	76.7%	16.7%
France	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Portugal	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Other Europe	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Southern Asia	1.3%	1.2%	0.1%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
No passport held	4.2%	13.5%	-9.3%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	28.6%	37.2%	-8.6%
Christian	61%	46.2%	14.8%
Hindu	2.4%	1.7%	0.7%
Jewish	1.3%	0.5%	0.8%
Muslim	0.3%	6.5%	-6.2%
Other religion	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Not answered	6.1%	6.0%	0.1%

Safety

Is Firs Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Firs Drive was 21.8 per 1,000 residents, which is 16.7% lower than the Harpenden South average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Firs Drive has the 15th lowest crime rate of 40 local areas in Harpenden South and the 100th lowest crime rate of 430 local areas in St Albans .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 13.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -15.0%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 88% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£59,700

Income Rank
9/10

Household Income in AL4 8LB, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 2/10 (very low )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 1/10 (very low )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 3/10 (low )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 10/10 (very high )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 1/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Firs Drive are based on 4 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for St Albans.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Firs Drive, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, AL4 8LB

Estimated Average Property Prices for AL4 8LB

Average Price
£2,582,750

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£2,582,750

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Firs Drive

Average Price
£2,893,218

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£2,893,218

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Firs DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
The Orchard Firs Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£2,250,000	2021-06-23	£2,541,620
Oak Dell Firs Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,695,000	2016-08-12	£2,008,962
Hyde House Firs Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,375,000	2011-04-01	£2,443,102
The Larches Firs Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,500,000	2011-02-04	£2,587,884
Oak Dell Firs Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,525,000	2010-04-08	£2,813,458

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for AL4 8LB

Employment

AL4 8LB area has a very high level of entrepreneurship. Only 4% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 18% 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.

AL4 8LB area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 1% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. A low level of unemployment in an area indicates a strong job market, where most people who are seeking work can find employment. This generally reflects a healthy economy in the area.

The percentage of retired residents living in AL4 8LB area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 36% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	110
Full-Time Employee	83
Self-Employed	54
Part-Time Employee	22
Looking after home or family	15
Student (economically inactive)	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6
Unemployed	4
Other	3
Long-Term Sick or disabled	0

Employment Industry

Professional, scientific and technical activities	36
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	21
Financial and insurance activities	19
Information and communication	13
Education	12
Construction	10
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9
Human health and social work activities	7
Other	5
Administrative and support service activities	4
Manufacturing	3
Accommodation and food service activities	2
Transport and storage	2
Real estate activities	2

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Batford Nursery School Holcroft Road , AL5 5BQ	4out of 4	2,797 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Kimpton Primary School High Street , Kimpton SG4 8RB	2out of 4	1,987 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Sauncey Wood Primary School Pickford Hill , AL5 5HL	3out of 4	2,734 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Helen's Church of England Primary School Brewhouse Hill , Wheathampstead AL4 8AN	3out of 4	3,004 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery Nurseries Road , Wheathampstead AL4 8TP	1out of 4	3,532 yd	Academy sponsor led	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Crabtree Junior School Crabtree Lane , AL5 5PU	4out of 4	3,649 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Katherine Warington School Lower Luton Road , AL5 5FH	- not rated	3,234 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Sir John Lawes School Manland Way , AL5 4QP	4out of 4	3,582 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St George's School Sun Lane , AL5 4TD	4out of 4	4,128 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Aldwickbury School Aldwickbury School , Wheathampstead Road AL5 1AD	- not rated	3,555 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
The King's School Elmfield , Ambrose Lane AL5 4DU	- not rated	4,673 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Hilda's School 28 Douglas Road , AL5 2ES	- not rated	5,026 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Girls	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Mid-Herts Golf Club	Mid Herts Golf Club, Gustard Wood		204 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Little LLama, Halfway House	Mid Hertfordshire Golf Club, Lower Gustard Wood		1,008 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Mid Herts Golf Club Lower Gustard Wood	golf	1,013 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

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	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	0.0%

Speed Aviability

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%

Download Speed

Median download speed	35.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	34.4 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	44.19 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	44.19 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	6.4 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	6.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	9.23 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.