Observer Drive, Watford, WD18 7GE

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding WD18 7GE has a slightly higher male population, with 53% 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	46.9%	47%	0.1%	51.0%	-4.0%
Male	53.1%	53%	-0.1%	49.0%	4.0%

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 7GE there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 52.2% 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	40.9%	34.8%	-6.1%	37.9%	-3.1%
Married: Opposite sex	46.2%	52.2%	6.0%	44.2%	8.0%
Separated	3.8%	3.1%	-0.7%	2.2%	0.9%
Divorced	8.7%	9.8%	1.1%	9.1%	0.7%
Widowed	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	6.1%	-6.1%

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 (91.6%) 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	60.1%	58.7%	-1.4%	48.4%	10.3%
Good health	30.6%	32.9%	2.3%	33.6%	-0.7%
Fair health	6.6%	5.7%	-0.9%	12.7%	-7.0%
Bad health	2.3%	2%	-0.3%	4.0%	-2.0%
Very bad health	0.4%	0.7%	0.3%	1.2%	-0.5%

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 7GE this area, 3.6% 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 65.8%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	3.4%	3.6%	0.2%	18.2%	-14.6%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	7.2%	8.4%	1.2%	9.6%	-1.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	8.2%	6.2%	-2.0%	13.4%	-7.2%
Apprenticeship	0%	2.7%	2.7%	5.3%	-2.6%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	15.4%	12.9%	-2.5%	16.9%	-4.0%
Degree or Similar	62.5%	65.8%	3.3%	33.8%	32.0%
Other	3.4%	0.4%	-3.0%	2.8%	-2.4%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 51.4% 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	3.5%	0.7%	-2.8%	0.7%	0.0%
Indian	14.3%	30.3%	16.0%	3.1%	27.2%
Pakistani	2.7%	2.7%	0.0%	2.7%	0.0%
Other Asian	4.7%	4.4%	-0.3%	1.6%	2.8%
Black African	2.7%	2.7%	0.0%	2.5%	0.2%
Black Caribbean	0.8%	0.7%	-0.1%	1.0%	-0.3%
Other Black	0.4%	0.7%	0.3%	0.5%	0.2%
Mixed White and Asian	2.3%	1.4%	-0.9%	0.8%	0.6%
Mixed White and African	0.4%	1%	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%
Mixed White and Caribbean	2.3%	0.3%	-2.0%	0.9%	-0.6%
Mixed Other	2.3%	1.4%	-0.9%	0.8%	0.6%
White	60.5%	51.4%	-9.1%	81.4%	-30.0%
Roma	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Arab	1.2%	0%	-1.2%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	1.9%	2%	0.1%	1.6%	0.4%

Country of Birth

In this area, 53.7% 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	66.7%	53.7%	-13.0%	83.2%	-29.5%
European Union	5.8%	10.1%	4.3%	6.1%	4.0%
Rest of Europe	1.6%	6.1%	4.5%	0.8%	5.3%
Africa	7%	4.4%	-2.6%	2.7%	1.7%
Middle East and Asia	15.5%	25.3%	9.8%	5.6%	19.7%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.2%	0%	-1.2%	1.3%	-1.3%
Oceania	2.3%	0.3%	-2.0%	0.3%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	65.5%	54.6%	-10.9%	83.2%	-28.6%
10+ Years	4.3%	22%	17.7%	9.8%	12.2%
5-10 Years	7.8%	8.2%	0.4%	2.9%	5.3%
2-5 Years	8.1%	5.5%	-2.6%	2.2%	3.3%
Less than 2 years	14.3%	9.6%	-4.7%	1.9%	7.7%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	64%	76.7%	-12.7%
Ireland	0.7%	0.6%	0.1%
France	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Italy	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Portugal	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Poland	3%	1.3%	1.7%
Romania	3.7%	0.9%	2.8%
Other EU countries	4%	1.5%	2.5%
Other Europe	1.3%	0.2%	1.1%
South and Eastern Africa	1%	0.2%	0.8%
Middle East	1%	0.1%	0.9%
Eastern Asia	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Southern Asia	10.1%	1.2%	8.9%
South-East Asia	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
Oceania	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
No passport held	7.4%	13.5%	-6.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	23.7%	37.2%	-13.5%
Christian	36.9%	46.2%	-9.3%
Hindu	22.4%	1.7%	20.7%
Jewish	1.4%	0.5%	0.9%
Muslim	6.4%	6.5%	-0.1%
Sikh	2%	0.9%	1.1%
Other religion	2%	0.6%	1.4%
Not answered	5.1%	6.0%	-0.9%

Safety

Is Observer Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Observer Drive was 31.9 per 1,000 residents, which is 43.0% lower than the Nascot average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Observer Drive has the 16th lowest crime rate of 47 local areas in Nascot and the 46th lowest crime rate of 275 local areas in Watford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 7.1 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 82.9%.

🔎 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 7GE, 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 7GE

Estimated Average Property Prices for WD18 7GE

Average Price
£356,348

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£356,348

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 9 Knightsbridge Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£345,000	2024-11-26	£356,164
Flat 13 Knightsbridge Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£365,000	2022-07-28	£362,071
Flat 17 Knightsbridge Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£358,000	2022-05-03	£362,768
Flat 5 Knightsbridge Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£328,000	2021-12-09	£339,322
Flat 8 Knightsbridge Court Observer Drive, Watford, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£335,000	2021-09-28	£349,488

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for WD18 7GE

Employment

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	112
Self-Employed	25
Part-Time Employee	20
Student (economically inactive)	15
Unemployed	15
Looking after home or family	12
Other	11
Retired	9
Long-Term Sick or disabled	6
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	31
Professional, scientific and technical activities	23
Education	19
Financial and insurance activities	16
Construction	15
Human health and social work activities	14
Information and communication	13
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	11
Transport and storage	10
Administrative and support service activities	9
Other	7
Accommodation and food service activities	7
Manufacturing	6
Real estate activities	2

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	2,384 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Kingswood Nursery School Briar Road , WD25 0DX	4out of 4	4,316 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	709 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School Croxley View , WD18 6BW	4out of 4	903 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Chater Infant School Southsea Avenue , WD18 7RD	3out of 4	911 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Lanchester Primary School Hempstead Road , WD17 3HD	3out of 4	1,184 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Chater Junior School Addiscombe Road , WD18 0WN	4out of 4	1,300 yd	Community school	No	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	432 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School
Croxley Danes School Baldwins Lane , Croxley Green WD3 3LR	- not rated	938 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Westfield Academy Tolpits Lane , WD18 6NS	3out of 4	1,015 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Watford Grammar School for Girls Lady's Close , WD18 0AE	4out of 4	1,724 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
The Watford UTC 18 Colonial Way , WD24 4PT	3out of 4	2,665 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	1,157 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	910 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Merchant Taylors' School Sandy Lodge , HA6 2HT	- not rated	2,568 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Merchant Taylors' Prep School Moor Farm , Sandy Lodge Road WD3 1LW	- not rated	2,876 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Boys	More About School
York House School Sarratt Road , Croxley Green WD3 4LW	- not rated	3,105 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Longwood School Bushey Hall Drive , WD23 2QG	- not rated	3,393 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	440 yd
The Cafe In The Park	3 Cassiobury Park, Watford	531 yd
Rising Sun, Brewers Fayre	Brewers Fayre And Travel Inn, 2 Ascot Road	574 yd
Med Cakes	308 Whippendell Road, Watford	605 yd
Costa Coffee	153 High Street, Rickmansworth	618 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Pangea Spirit	1 Metropolitan Station Approach, Watford	270 yd
The Shamrock	510 Whippendell Road, Watford	440 yd
West Herts Sports Club	W H Sports Club Limited, 8 Park Avenue	940 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
BloomsYard	70 Cassiobury Park Avenue, Watford	362 yd
New Happy Place Chinese Takeaway	500 Whippendell Road, Watford	440 yd
Yummy Yummy Take Away	104 Princes Avenue, Watford	541 yd
Pizza And Kebab Corner	288 - 290 Whippendell Road, Watford	605 yd
BVRGR CO	310 Whippendell Road, Watford	605 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Budgens	1 Printers Avenue, Watford		500 yd
Tesco	170 Whippendell Road, Watford		839 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Watford Grammar School For Boys RICKMANSWORTH ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, tennis courts	314 yd
Cassiobury Park PARK PARK CASSIOBURY PARK	grass pitches, tennis courts	680 yd
Westfield Community Sports Centre WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE WESTFIELD COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, health and fitness suite	761 yd
Westfield Academy TOLPITS LANE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, swimming pool	904 yd
West Herts Golf Club ROUSEBARN LANE	golf	934 yd
West Herts Sports Club PARK AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, tennis courts	968 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	74.8 Mbit/s
Average download speed	149.8 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	76 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	900 Mbit/s

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

Overview of WD18 7GE