West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JW

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding AL5 2JW, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.6% 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	52.5%	54.6%	2.1%	51.0%	3.6%
Male	47.5%	45.4%	-2.1%	49.0%	-3.6%

Partnership Status

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	23.7%	29.5%	5.8%	37.9%	-8.4%
Married: Opposite sex	56.3%	48.8%	-7.5%	44.2%	4.6%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Civil partnership: Same sex	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Separated	1%	1.9%	0.9%	2.2%	-0.3%
Divorced	9.2%	10.6%	1.4%	9.1%	1.5%
Widowed	9.9%	8.4%	-1.5%	6.1%	2.3%

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 (89.1%) 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	56.4%	60.2%	3.8%	48.4%	11.8%
Good health	36.2%	28.9%	-7.3%	33.6%	-4.7%
Fair health	6.1%	9.8%	3.7%	12.7%	-2.9%
Bad health	1.1%	0.3%	-0.8%	4.0%	-3.7%
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 AL5 2JW this area, 6.3% 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 63.6%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	8.9%	6.3%	-2.6%	18.2%	-11.9%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	5.9%	2.8%	-3.1%	9.6%	-6.8%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	12.8%	8.5%	-4.3%	13.4%	-4.9%
Apprenticeship	3%	3.4%	0.4%	5.3%	-1.9%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	8.2%	12.9%	4.7%	16.9%	-4.0%
Degree or Similar	58.9%	63.6%	4.7%	33.8%	29.8%
Other	2.3%	2.5%	0.2%	2.8%	-0.3%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 90.2% 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	0.8%	1.6%	0.8%	0.7%	0.9%
Indian	0.8%	2.4%	1.6%	3.1%	-0.7%
Pakistani	0%	0.5%	0.5%	2.7%	-2.2%
Black African	2.2%	1.4%	-0.8%	2.5%	-1.1%
Black Caribbean	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	1.0%	-1.0%
Other Black	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%	0.0%
Mixed White and African	0.6%	0.5%	-0.1%	0.4%	0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	1.4%	1.1%	0.9%	0.5%
Mixed Other	0.8%	0.3%	-0.5%	0.8%	-0.5%
White	93.6%	90.2%	-3.4%	81.4%	8.8%
Arab	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0%	0.8%	0.8%	1.6%	-0.8%

Country of Birth

In this area, 78.1% 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	87.6%	78.1%	-9.5%	83.2%	-5.1%
European Union	4.1%	10.1%	6.0%	6.1%	4.0%
Rest of Europe	0.8%	0.8%	0.0%	0.8%	0.0%
Africa	5%	3%	-2.0%	2.7%	0.3%
Middle East and Asia	0.8%	4.1%	3.3%	5.6%	-1.5%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.7%	2.5%	0.8%	1.3%	1.2%
Oceania	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.3%	1.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	86.7%	77.7%	-9.0%	83.2%	-5.5%
10+ Years	3.6%	10.1%	6.5%	9.8%	0.3%
5-10 Years	2.5%	3.8%	1.3%	2.9%	0.9%
2-5 Years	1.9%	3.3%	1.4%	2.2%	1.1%
Less than 2 years	5.2%	5.2%	0.0%	1.9%	3.3%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	82.8%	76.7%	6.1%
Ireland	1.9%	0.6%	1.3%
France	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
Germany	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Spain	0.8%	0.4%	0.4%
Poland	0.8%	1.3%	-0.5%
Romania	1.1%	0.9%	0.2%
Other EU countries	3.6%	1.5%	2.1%
Other Europe	0.5%	0.2%	0.3%
Central and Western Africa	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
South and Eastern Africa	1.1%	0.2%	0.9%
Eastern Asia	1.1%	0.3%	0.8%
Southern Asia	0.5%	1.2%	-0.7%
South-East Asia	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Central and South America	0.5%	0.2%	0.3%
Oceania	0.8%	0.1%	0.7%
No passport held	1.9%	13.5%	-11.6%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	30.2%	37.2%	-7.0%
Christian	56.7%	46.2%	10.5%
Hindu	2.5%	1.7%	0.8%
Jewish	1.4%	0.5%	0.9%
Muslim	1.4%	6.5%	-5.1%
Not answered	7.9%	6.0%	1.9%

Safety

Is West Common Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around West Common was 38.5 per 1,000 residents, which is 57.8% lower than the Harpenden West average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

West Common has the 10th highest crime rate of 24 local areas in Harpenden West and the 183rd lowest crime rate of 430 local areas in St Albans .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 7.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -12.5%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a much higher level of wealth compared to the average household in England and Wales. 97% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£72,500

Income Rank
10/10

Household Income in AL5 2JW, 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 - 3/10 (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 - 5/10 (average )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 5/10 (average )
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) - 5/10 (average )
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) - 2/10 (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 West Common are based on 132 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 West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JW

Estimated Average Property Prices for AL5 2JW

Average Price
£1,854,019

Semi-Detached
£1,379,456

Terraced
£626,843

Detached
£4,153,455

Flats/Maisonettes
£720,193

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for West Common

Average Price
£1,223,597

Semi-Detached
£1,039,091

Terraced
£701,793

Detached
£2,734,705

Flats/Maisonettes
£809,577

Other
£3,265,443

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on West CommonStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat 2 42 West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£925,000	2024-05-29	£951,591
44 West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£1,416,000	2023-10-09	£1,482,262
2 Redcote End, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£2,800,000	2023-02-27	£2,853,041
44A West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£1,600,000	2021-11-23	£1,751,489
52 West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£495,000	2021-06-30	£558,020

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for AL5 2JW

Employment

AL5 2JW area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 2% 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 AL5 2JW area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 31% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	109
Retired	100
Self-Employed	26
Part-Time Employee	24
Student (economically inactive)	19
Looking after home or family	19
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	9
Unemployed	8
Other	6
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3

Employment Industry

Professional, scientific and technical activities	41
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	23
Financial and insurance activities	22
Education	17
Human health and social work activities	13
Other	13
Construction	8
Information and communication	8
Manufacturing	7
Administrative and support service activities	6
Transport and storage	6
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	6
Accommodation and food service activities	4
Real estate activities	3

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Batford Nursery School Holcroft Road , AL5 5BQ	4out of 4	2,868 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Dominic Catholic Primary School St Dominic Catholic Primary School , Southdown Road AL5 1PF	4out of 4	810 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Harpenden Academy 25 Vaughan Road , AL5 4EL	3out of 4	1,200 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School Church Green , AL5 2TP	3out of 4	1,324 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Grove Junior School Dark Lane , AL5 1QB	3out of 4	1,454 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Grove Infant and Nursery School Dark Lane , AL5 1QD	4out of 4	1,518 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St George's School Sun Lane , AL5 4TD	4out of 4	1,978 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Roundwood Park School Roundwood Park , AL5 3AE	4out of 4	2,068 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Sir John Lawes School Manland Way , AL5 4QP	4out of 4	2,159 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Katherine Warington School Lower Luton Road , AL5 5FH	- not rated	2,690 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Townsend VA Church of England High Oaks , AL3 6DR	3out of 4	4,050 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Hilda's School 28 Douglas Road , AL5 2ES	- not rated	1,725 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Girls	More About School
Aldwickbury School Aldwickbury School , Wheathampstead Road AL5 1AD	- not rated	2,058 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
The King's School Elmfield , Ambrose Lane AL5 4DU	- not rated	2,868 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Luke's School Crouch Hall Lane , Redbourn AL3 7ET	2out of 4	3,573 yd	Foundation special school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Batchwood School Townsend Drive , AL3 5RP	2out of 4	5,105 yd	Community special school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Rothamsted Restaurant & Conference Centre	Rothamsted Research, West Common	480 yd
Fitt 41	Rothamsted Research, West Common	480 yd
Well Bean Cafe (The Harpenden Trust)	130 Southdown Road, Harpenden	919 yd
Cafe Aroma	135 Southdown Road, Harpenden	919 yd
Lazy Bear	Ground Floor, 122 Southdown Road	931 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The White Horse	Public House, Hatching Green	215 yd
The Queens Head	The Skew Bridge Ph, 59 Southdown Road	656 yd
Harpenden Common Golf Club	Cravells Road, East Common	669 yd
The Engineer Ph	12 St Johns Road, Harpenden	680 yd
The Silver Cup	The Silver Cup Ph, St Albans Road	752 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Regent	123-124 Southdown Road, Harpenden	886 yd
The Burger Box Harpenden	125 Southdown Road, Harpenden	886 yd
Rice & Spice	125 Southdown Road, Harpenden	886 yd
Emilio's	137 Southdown Road, Harpenden	919 yd
BENTOZO	131 Southdown Road, Harpenden	919 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Harpenden Cricket Club WEST COMMON	grass pitches	421 yd
The Acre (Harpenden Rovers Fc) EAST COMMON	grass pitches	442 yd
Rothamsted Research WEST COMMON	grass pitches, tennis courts	449 yd
Harpenden Common Golf Club EAST COMMON	golf	670 yd
Harpenden Sports Centre ROTHAMSTED PARK ROTHAMSTED PARK LEYTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, health and fitness suite, squash courts, tennis courts	880 yd
Harpenden Swimming Pool ROTHAMSTED PARK ROTHAMSTED PARK LEYTON ROAD	swimming pool	880 yd
Rothamstead Park Leyton Road	grass pitches	1,004 yd
Harpenden Town Football Club HARPENDEN TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB HARPENDEN TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB AMENBURY LANE	grass pitches	1,061 yd
Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club AMENBURY LANE	indoor tennis centre, tennis courts	1,061 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	38.5%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	38.5%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	38.5%

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	79.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	74.6 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	80 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	80 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	18.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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

Overview of AL5 2JW