Observer Drive, Watford, WD18 7GA

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around WD18 7GA is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 48.6%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	46.4%	51.4%	5.0%	51.0%	0.4%
Male	53.6%	48.6%	-5.0%	49.0%	-0.4%

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 7GA there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 52.3% 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	29.4%	34.1%	4.7%	37.9%	-3.8%
Married: Opposite sex	57.5%	52.3%	-5.2%	44.2%	8.1%
Married: Same sex	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	1.6%	2.7%	1.1%	2.2%	0.5%
Divorced	7.1%	8.7%	1.6%	9.1%	-0.4%
Widowed	3.6%	2.3%	-1.3%	6.1%	-3.8%

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 (88.7%) 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	61.2%	54.4%	-6.8%	48.4%	6.0%
Good health	29.7%	34.3%	4.6%	33.6%	0.7%
Fair health	7%	8.1%	1.1%	12.7%	-4.6%
Bad health	1.5%	2.6%	1.1%	4.0%	-1.4%
Very bad health	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%	1.2%	-0.6%

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 7GA this area, 9.8% 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 56.8%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	12.3%	9.8%	-2.5%	18.2%	-8.4%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	8.3%	6.8%	-1.5%	9.6%	-2.8%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	9.5%	11.7%	2.2%	13.4%	-1.7%
Apprenticeship	2.8%	0%	-2.8%	5.3%	-5.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.7%	12.5%	1.8%	16.9%	-4.4%
Degree or Similar	50%	56.8%	6.8%	33.8%	23.0%
Other	6.3%	2.3%	-4.0%	2.8%	-0.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 40.6% 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)
Bangladeshi	1.5%	1.5%	0.0%	1.1%	0.4%
Chinese	2.1%	3.2%	1.1%	0.7%	2.5%
Indian	13.9%	19.3%	5.4%	3.1%	16.2%
Pakistani	12.4%	16.4%	4.0%	2.7%	13.7%
Other Asian	3.6%	5.8%	2.2%	1.6%	4.2%
Black African	0.9%	2%	1.1%	2.5%	-0.5%
Black Caribbean	0.9%	2.3%	1.4%	1.0%	1.3%
Other Black	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Mixed White and Asian	0.9%	2.9%	2.0%	0.8%	2.1%
Mixed White and African	0%	0.9%	0.9%	0.4%	0.5%
Mixed Other	2.1%	1.5%	-0.6%	0.8%	0.7%
White	60.3%	40.6%	-19.7%	81.4%	-40.8%
Arab	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Other	1.2%	2.9%	1.7%	1.6%	1.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 62.8% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is lower than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	74.8%	62.8%	-12.0%	83.2%	-20.4%
European Union	7%	12.2%	5.2%	6.1%	6.1%
Rest of Europe	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%	0.8%	-0.2%
Africa	3.6%	6.1%	2.5%	2.7%	3.4%
Middle East and Asia	12.7%	16.6%	3.9%	5.6%	11.0%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.2%	1.7%	0.5%	1.3%	0.4%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	74.5%	62.2%	-12.3%	83.2%	-21.0%
10+ Years	2.4%	25.9%	23.5%	9.8%	16.1%
5-10 Years	5.8%	5.5%	-0.3%	2.9%	2.6%
2-5 Years	4.2%	4.9%	0.7%	2.2%	2.7%
Less than 2 years	13%	1.4%	-11.6%	1.9%	-0.5%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	74.3%	76.7%	-2.4%
Ireland	0.9%	0.6%	0.3%
Italy	2%	0.6%	1.4%
Portugal	1.2%	0.5%	0.7%
Spain	2%	0.4%	1.6%
Lithuania	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Poland	4%	1.3%	2.7%
Romania	2.6%	0.9%	1.7%
Other EU countries	1.7%	1.5%	0.2%
Eastern Asia	0.9%	0.3%	0.6%
Southern Asia	3.5%	1.2%	2.3%
South-East Asia	1.2%	0.2%	1.0%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
No passport held	5.2%	13.5%	-8.3%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	22.2%	37.2%	-15.0%
Christian	27.4%	46.2%	-18.8%
Hindu	16.7%	1.7%	15.0%
Jewish	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Muslim	21.3%	6.5%	14.8%
Sikh	1.7%	0.9%	0.8%
Other religion	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Not answered	9.8%	6.0%	3.8%

Safety

Is Observer Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Observer Drive was 16.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 70.8% lower than the Nascot average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Observer Drive has the 6th lowest crime rate of 47 local areas in Nascot and the 17th lowest crime rate of 275 local areas in Watford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 2.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -43.6%.

🔎 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. 96% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£67,900

Income Rank
10/10

Household Income in WD18 7GA, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 3/10 (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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 9/10 (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 - 5/10 (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) - 3/10 (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 Observer Drive are based on 127 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 Observer Drive, Watford, WD18 7GA

Estimated Average Property Prices for WD18 7GA

Average Price
£375,577

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£375,577

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Observer Drive

Average Price
£401,854

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£703,942

Detached
£709,284

Flats/Maisonettes
£364,144

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Observer DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat 24 Mayfair Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£340,000	2025-01-06	£348,817
Flat 10 Mayfair Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£340,000	2024-08-16	£365,103
Flat 11 Mayfair Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£322,000	2023-11-28	£329,667
Flat 3 Mayfair Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£335,000	2022-11-04	£326,097
Flat 29 Mayfair Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£325,000	2021-10-29	£333,775

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for WD18 7GA

Employment

WD18 7GA area has a high level of entrepreneurship. Only 16% 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.

WD18 7GA 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	115
Self-Employed	35
Retired	32
Part-Time Employee	27
Student (economically inactive)	20
Looking after home or family	15
Unemployed	9
Other	6
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3

Employment Industry

Professional, scientific and technical activities	28
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	27
Human health and social work activities	22
Financial and insurance activities	17
Information and communication	14
Construction	12
Administrative and support service activities	11
Education	10
Accommodation and food service activities	9
Manufacturing	8
Other	7
Transport and storage	7
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	6

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	2,385 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Kingswood Nursery School Briar Road , WD25 0DX	4out of 4	4,352 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Ascot Road Primary School Ascot Road , WD18 8AD	3out of 4	675 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School Croxley View , WD18 6BW	4out of 4	874 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Chater Infant School Southsea Avenue , WD18 7RD	3out of 4	934 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Lanchester Primary School Hempstead Road , WD17 3HD	3out of 4	1,222 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Holywell Primary School Tolpits Lane , WD18 6LL	3out of 4	1,309 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Watford Grammar School for Boys Rickmansworth Road , WD18 7JF	4out of 4	458 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School
Croxley Danes School Baldwins Lane , Croxley Green WD3 3LR	- not rated	904 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Westfield Academy Tolpits Lane , WD18 6NS	3out of 4	995 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Watford Grammar School for Girls Lady's Close , WD18 0AE	4out of 4	1,744 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
The Watford UTC 18 Colonial Way , WD24 4PT	3out of 4	2,703 yd	University technical college	No	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	1,195 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	895 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Merchant Taylors' School Sandy Lodge , HA6 2HT	- not rated	2,537 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Merchant Taylors' Prep School Moor Farm , Sandy Lodge Road WD3 1LW	- not rated	2,839 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Boys	More About School
York House School Sarratt Road , Croxley Green WD3 4LW	- not rated	3,089 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Longwood School Bushey Hall Drive , WD23 2QG	- not rated	3,419 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
Pucka Tucka	506 Whippendell Road, Watford	401 yd
Rising Sun, Brewers Fayre	Brewers Fayre And Travel Inn, 2 Ascot Road	535 yd
The Cafe In The Park	3 Cassiobury Park, Watford	570 yd
Costa Coffee	153 High Street, Rickmansworth	582 yd
Med Cakes	308 Whippendell Road, Watford	601 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Pangea Spirit	1 Metropolitan Station Approach, Watford	305 yd
The Shamrock	510 Whippendell Road, Watford	401 yd
West Herts Sports Club	W H Sports Club Limited, 8 Park Avenue	970 yd
The Harvester	Harvester, Watford Road	1,071 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
BloomsYard	70 Cassiobury Park Avenue, Watford	397 yd
New Happy Place Chinese Takeaway	500 Whippendell Road, Watford	401 yd
Yummy Yummy Take Away	104 Princes Avenue, Watford	540 yd
Pizza And Kebab Corner	288 - 290 Whippendell Road, Watford	601 yd
BVRGR CO	310 Whippendell Road, Watford	601 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Budgens	1 Printers Avenue, Watford		461 yd
Tesco	170 Whippendell Road, Watford		859 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Watford Grammar School For Boys RICKMANSWORTH ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, tennis courts	345 yd
Cassiobury Park PARK PARK CASSIOBURY PARK	grass pitches, tennis courts	717 yd
Westfield Community Sports Centre WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, health and fitness suite	737 yd
Westfield Academy TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, swimming pool	878 yd
West Herts Golf Club ROUSEBARN LANE	golf	919 yd
West Herts Sports Club PARK AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, tennis courts	1,001 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	71.8 Mbit/s
Average download speed	209.1 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	900 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	900 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	149.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	900 Mbit/s

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

Overview of WD18 7GA