Elstree’s story
16 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Elstree’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ElstreeHertfordshire
A village in Hertfordshire, East of England, home to 1,737 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robin Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,737
Census 2021 · Hertsmere council
Median home
£466K
46 sales in 3 years
Median age
40
15% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
22%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Elstree a good place to live?
Elstree does especially well on schools: primary results beat four in five towns in England; secondary results beat 75% of towns in England. Fewer journeys need a car: just over a fifth of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The weak point is cost of living (C−) — homes sell for a median £466,000, about 7 times local household income. Safety lags: 26.3 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 16.9 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 14%.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Elstree is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
How Elstree grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Elstree is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Elstree is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Walkability22% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 80% of towns in England; secondary results beat 75% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Cost of livingNear the bottom of the towns comparedC−Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB+Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.3 for men, 85.1 for womenB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryNear typical for the towns comparedBOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 22 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsAOpen →Civic life0.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Elstree stand out
The 3 things Elstree does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Holly Bush Public House; 3.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,829 a month
Average private rent, 33% of what households in the area earn: more than in 98% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Hertsmere council area.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.7 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Elstree.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Elstree is better off than Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: households earn £75K a year
22%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 2.8 jobs in Elstree for each resident in work. 3.2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). For 34% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Of the commuters living in the town, 3% work in the town itself.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving73%
Underground, tram6%
Bus6%
On foot6%
Train3%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£75K
mean household income, before tax
3.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 82% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
The median home in Elstree sells for £466K, against £530K in Hertfordshire’s towns and £308K in England’s towns
£466Kmedian sale
The private rented sector houses just over a fifth of households. 15% live in social housing, below Hertfordshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,829 a month across the Hertsmere council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Elstree£466K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,300,000 | 5 |
| Semi-detached | £531,000 | 18 |
| Terraced | £467,000 | 13 |
| Flat or maisonette | £215,000 | 10 |
61%
of households own their home · England 61%
22%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,829
average private rent a month, Hertsmere council area
£2,440
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Elstree records more crime per resident than 86% of them
26.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
There were 20.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above Hertfordshire’s towns (14.2) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Reported offences in Elstree came to 98 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 43. Of all the crimes, 42% were violence and sexual offences.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 14% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual41
Vehicle crime13
Other theft11
Drugs10
Damage & arson8
Public order8
Burglary6
Weapons1
Anti-social43
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
26.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
20.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
98
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
More people in Elstree say their health is bad than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.7%
82%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
One GP practice serves the town; 78% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. Self-reported good health: just over four fifths of Elstree’s residents. Disability touches 16% of the town’s population.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Elstree | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 14% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
16 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
16listed buildingsBHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Elstree has 92 listed buildings per 10,000 people, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39). Grade II* covers 2 of them. Homes built before 1919 account for 15% of the housing.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II14
Among them · Grade II*
- Holly Bush Public House Grade II*
- The Leys Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
92
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Elstree are 15 to 24: 9.8%, fewer than in both Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
40median age
The age that splits Elstree in two is 40. Children under 15 make up 19%, close to Hertfordshire’s towns (19%) and above England’s towns (18%). Over-65s are 15% of the population.
ElstreeHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
15%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Elstree | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.3% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elstree
14pages on Elstree
The big questions
SafetyC26.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £466K · rent £1,829 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sullivan WaySchoolsA−HealthB+Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 85.1 (women)Work & commuteB+50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bhaktivedanta Manor and 7 more in and around Elstree
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Elstree. Best known first.
Historic houseBhaktivedanta Manor2.8 km outside town, to the northwest
CastleHilfield Castle1.7 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumBushey Museum3.3 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumElstree and Borehamwood Museum1.6 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumBentley Priory Museum2 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumRadlett & District Museum3.5 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Bhaktivedanta Manor: Ilya Mauter, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Hilfield Castle: John Goodall, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bushey Museum: Richard Kelly, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Elstree
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Elstree is a built-up area of 1,737 people, in the Hertsmere council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 1,737 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Hertsmere
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004693
Elstree’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BorehamwoodBusheyRadlettShenleyHarrowWatfordBarnetElstree
Questions about Elstree
How many listed buildings are there in Elstree?
That is 3.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Elstree good?
GCSE results beat 75% of towns in England, and primary results beat 80% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Hertfordshire council.
Is Elstree expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £466,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £215,000, terraced houses £467,000, semi-detached houses £531,000 and detached houses £1,300,000.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.