Explorer Drive, Watford, WD18 6GL

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding WD18 6GL has a slightly higher male population, with 50.4% of residents being male. Several factors can contribute to this, including areas with industries or sectors that predominantly employ men, proximity to universities or technical schools with a higher enrollment of male students, presence of all-male or predominantly male institutions (military academies, boarding schools).

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	46.7%	49.6%	2.9%	51.0%	-1.4%
Male	53.3%	50.4%	-2.9%	49.0%	1.4%

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 WD18 6GL there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 56.9% 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	59.7%	37.2%	-22.5%	37.9%	-0.7%
Married: Opposite sex	28.5%	56.9%	28.4%	44.2%	12.7%
Separated	3.2%	0.5%	-2.7%	2.2%	-1.7%
Divorced	8.1%	4.1%	-4.0%	9.1%	-5.0%
Widowed	0.5%	1.4%	0.9%	6.1%	-4.7%

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 (91.3%) 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	53.7%	60.2%	6.5%	48.4%	11.8%
Good health	38.3%	31.1%	-7.2%	33.6%	-2.5%
Fair health	7.5%	8%	0.5%	12.7%	-4.7%
Bad health	0.5%	0.8%	0.3%	4.0%	-3.2%

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 WD18 6GL this area, 8.7% 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 55.7%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	7%	8.7%	1.7%	18.2%	-9.5%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	9.1%	5.9%	-3.2%	9.6%	-3.7%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	14%	6.8%	-7.2%	13.4%	-6.6%
Apprenticeship	2.2%	5.5%	3.3%	5.3%	0.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	15.6%	14.2%	-1.4%	16.9%	-2.7%
Degree or Similar	42.5%	55.7%	13.2%	33.8%	21.9%
Other	9.7%	3.2%	-6.5%	2.8%	0.4%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 48.1% of the residents identify as white, which is lower than the UK average of 81.4%, there are significant representations of other ethnic groups.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	0%	1.1%	1.1%	0.7%	0.4%
Indian	6.5%	24.6%	18.1%	3.1%	21.5%
Pakistani	3.7%	3.4%	-0.3%	2.7%	0.7%
Other Asian	7.9%	3.4%	-4.5%	1.6%	1.8%
Black African	11.2%	3.4%	-7.8%	2.5%	0.9%
Black Caribbean	1.4%	4.2%	2.8%	1.0%	3.2%
Other Black	1.9%	1.5%	-0.4%	0.5%	1.0%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	3%	3.0%	0.8%	2.2%
Mixed White and African	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1.9%	1.1%	-0.8%	0.9%	0.2%
Mixed Other	1.4%	0.8%	-0.6%	0.8%	0.0%
White	63.1%	48.1%	-15.0%	81.4%	-33.3%
Arab	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.6%	-0.2%
Other	0%	4.9%	4.9%	1.6%	3.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, just 42.4% of residents were born in the United Kingdom, meaning that the majority of residents originate from outside the UK.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	63.6%	42.4%	-21.2%	83.2%	-40.8%
European Union	9.3%	22%	12.7%	6.1%	15.9%
Rest of Europe	0.9%	1.1%	0.2%	0.8%	0.3%
Africa	12.1%	4.5%	-7.6%	2.7%	1.8%
Middle East and Asia	12.6%	28.4%	15.8%	5.6%	22.8%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.4%	1.1%	-0.3%	1.3%	-0.2%
Oceania	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%

Length of Residence

In this area majority of residents originate from outside the UK. Only 42.4% of residents were born in the United Kingdom. 20.1% of residents have lived in the UK for 10 years or more.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	63.6%	42.4%	-21.2%	83.2%	-40.8%
10+ Years	3.7%	20.1%	16.4%	9.8%	10.3%
5-10 Years	11.7%	14%	2.3%	2.9%	11.1%
2-5 Years	11.2%	13.3%	2.1%	2.2%	11.1%
Less than 2 years	9.8%	10.2%	0.4%	1.9%	8.3%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	41.2%	76.7%	-35.5%
Ireland	0.4%	0.6%	-0.2%
France	2.3%	0.3%	2.0%
Germany	0.4%	0.2%	0.2%
Italy	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Portugal	1.1%	0.5%	0.6%
Spain	0.4%	0.4%	0.0%
Lithuania	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
Poland	2.7%	1.3%	1.4%
Romania	11.1%	0.9%	10.2%
Other EU countries	5.3%	1.5%	3.8%
Other Europe	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Central and Western Africa	1.9%	0.3%	1.6%
Eastern Asia	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
Southern Asia	23.7%	1.2%	22.5%
South-East Asia	1.1%	0.2%	0.9%
Oceania	0.4%	0.1%	0.3%
No passport held	5.3%	13.5%	-8.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	21.2%	37.2%	-16.0%
Christian	53.8%	46.2%	7.6%
Buddhist	0.4%	0.5%	-0.1%
Hindu	8.7%	1.7%	7.0%
Jewish	1.9%	0.5%	1.4%
Muslim	6.8%	6.5%	0.3%
Sikh	1.9%	0.9%	1.0%
Other religion	0.4%	0.6%	-0.2%
Not answered	4.9%	6.0%	-1.1%

Safety

Is Explorer Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Explorer Drive was 0.0 per 1,000 residents, matching the Holywell average.

Violent and sexual offences accounted for a small share of all recorded crimes .

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 62% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£48,100

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in WD18 6GL, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 5/10 (average )
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 - 5/10 (average )
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 - 4/10 (below average )
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 - 4/10 (below average )
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 - 3/10 (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 - 8/10 (high )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 7/10 (above 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 - 7/10 (above 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) - 6/10 (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) - 5/10 (average )
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 Explorer Drive are based on 160 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Watford.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Explorer Drive, Watford, WD18 6GL

Estimated Average Property Prices for WD18 6GL

Average Price
£216,874

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£216,874

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Explorer Drive

Average Price
£281,200

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£242,903

Other
£6,370,405

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Explorer DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat 8 Thanet House Explorer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£180,000	2022-11-23	£175,217
Flat 14 Thanet House Explorer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£225,000	2022-06-23	£224,094
Flat 7 Thanet House Explorer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£177,000	2022-03-29	£181,214
Flat 5 Thanet House Explorer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£172,000	2021-01-14	£184,299
Flat 8 Thanet House Explorer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£165,000	2016-03-31	£190,860

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for WD18 6GL

Employment

WD18 6GL area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 3% 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	121
Part-Time Employee	29
Self-Employed	25
Looking after home or family	12
Unemployed	7
Retired	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6
Student (economically inactive)	3
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3
Other	2

Employment Industry

Human health and social work activities	25
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	24
Education	14
Manufacturing	12
Information and communication	11
Administrative and support service activities	11
Professional, scientific and technical activities	11
Other	10
Transport and storage	10
Construction	8
Financial and insurance activities	7
Accommodation and food service activities	6
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	5
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	3
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Oxhey Early Years Centre Eastbury Road , Oxhey WD19 4RL	4out of 4	1,612 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Kingswood Nursery School Briar Road , WD25 0DX	4out of 4	5,058 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School Croxley View , WD18 6BW	4out of 4	330 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Holywell Primary School Tolpits Lane , WD18 6LL	3out of 4	493 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Ascot Road Primary School Ascot Road , WD18 8AD	3out of 4	537 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Laurance Haines School Vicarage Road , WD18 0DD	3out of 4	645 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Chater Infant School Southsea Avenue , WD18 7RD	3out of 4	941 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Westfield Academy Tolpits Lane , WD18 6NS	3out of 4	108 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Watford Grammar School for Boys Rickmansworth Road , WD18 7JF	4out of 4	860 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School
Croxley Danes School Baldwins Lane , Croxley Green WD3 3LR	- not rated	1,349 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Watford Grammar School for Girls Lady's Close , WD18 0AE	4out of 4	1,464 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
Rickmansworth School Scots Hill , WD3 3AQ	3out of 4	3,013 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

16 plus

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
West Herts College Watford Campus , Hempstead Road WD17 3EZ	- not rated	1,653 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Chessbrook Education Support Centre Tolpits Lane , WD18 6LJ	4out of 4	65 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Merchant Taylors' School Sandy Lodge , HA6 2HT	- not rated	1,772 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Merchant Taylors' Prep School Moor Farm , Sandy Lodge Road WD3 1LW	- not rated	2,335 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Boys	More About School
Colnbrook School Hayling Road , WD19 7UY	4out of 4	2,900 yd	Community special school	No	Mixed	More About School
Longwood School Bushey Hall Drive , WD23 2QG	- not rated	3,169 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Cafe West @ West Watford Free Church	West Watford Free Church, Tolpits Lane	355 yd
Med Cakes	308 Whippendell Road, Watford	418 yd
League Of Friends Tea Shop And Tea Bar	Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Road	753 yd
Pucka Tucka	506 Whippendell Road, Watford	772 yd
Chicos Parmi N Shakes	158 Whippendell Road, Watford	843 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Shamrock	510 Whippendell Road, Watford	772 yd
The Red Lion	105 Vicarage Road, Watford	931 yd
Bushey Cricket Club	Eastbury Road, Watford	1,085 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Viking	73 Tolpits Lane, Watford	285 yd
Pizza And Kebab Corner	288 - 290 Whippendell Road, Watford	418 yd
BVRGR CO	310 Whippendell Road, Watford	418 yd
Yummy Yummy Take Away	104 Princes Avenue, Watford	492 yd
King Of Pizza	96 Queens Avenue, Watford	519 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Budgens	1 Printers Avenue, Watford		779 yd
Tesco	170 Whippendell Road, Watford		843 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Westfield Academy TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, swimming pool	250 yd
Westfield Community Sports Centre WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, health and fitness suite	257 yd
King George V Playing Fields Tolpits Lane	grass pitches	617 yd
Pump Gyms (Watford) (Closed) PARK HOUSE 15-19 PARK HOUSE 15-19 GREENHILL CRESCENT	health and fitness suite	879 yd
Watford Grammar School For Boys RICKMANSWORTH ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, tennis courts	910 yd
Watford Fc (Vicarage Road Stadium) VICARAGE ROAD STADIUM VICARAGE ROAD STADIUM VICARAGE ROAD	grass pitches	960 yd
Bushey Cricket Club EASTBURY ROAD	grass pitches	1,089 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	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%

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	100 Mbit/s
Average download speed	125.7 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	200 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	200 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	14.3 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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

Overview of WD18 6GL