Northaw’s story
13 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Northaw’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
NorthawHertfordshire
Walking, cycling and public transport carry 12% of commuters. A village of 636 in Hertfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
636
Census 2021 · Welwyn Hatfield council
Median home
£962K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.9
19% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Northaw a good place to live?
There are no grades for Northaw: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. Homes sell for a median £962,000. 13 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I.
What makes Northaw stand out
The 3 things Northaw does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.5 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Parish Church of St Thomas a Becket; 8.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Northaw.
Work & commute
Only 24% of Northaw’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns
12%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Among 16 to 64s, 3.7% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. 83% of commuters drove, above Hertfordshire’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Households take home £72K a year before tax, on average. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
Train5%
On foot4%
Underground, tram2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
3.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
The schools around Northaw
Key Stage 2 results at the 6 primary schools within 3 km: 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. 101 pupils attend Northaw’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northaw Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 101 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Few households rent privately in Northaw: 12%, fewer than in Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
£962Kmedian sale
Home ownership stands at nearly three quarters of households. 14% live in social housing, below both Hertfordshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,512 a month across the Welwyn Hatfield council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Northaw£962K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,150,000 | 11 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,512
average private rent a month, Welwyn Hatfield council area
£2,481
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
Violence is recorded less often in Northaw than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 14.2 per 1,000 residents a year
14.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences accounted for 22% of recorded crime. Homes saw 12.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, above Hertfordshire’s towns (11.3) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. Police figures for Northaw’s built-up area: 9 crimes and 8 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Damage & arson3
Violence & sexual2
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Anti-social8
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.
14.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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
Bad health is less common in Northaw than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.5% of residents
88%good or very good health
Just over one in ten residents in Northaw live with a disability. At the census, 88% of people in Northaw called their health good or very good, above Hertfordshire’s towns (85%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 1.1 miles off.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Northaw | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 14% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.5
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
Northaw is rich in listed buildings: 204 per 10,000 residents, more than Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns
13listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 8% of the total. Of Northaw’s land, 25% lies in conservation areas, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (7%). Grade II* covers 1 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II12
Among them · Grade II*
- Parish Church of St Thomas a Becket Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
204
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
Children make up only 16% of Northaw, fewer than in Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
46.9median age
The 15-to-24 age group makes up 13% of residents. At 46.9, the median resident of Northaw sits in the middle of the age range. Graduates make up two in five adults.
NorthawHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Northaw | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Northaw
13pages on Northaw
The big questions
Safety14.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £962K · rent £1,512 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Coopers LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83.8 (men), 86.5 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wrotham Park and 4 more in and around Northaw
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Northaw. Best known first.
Historic houseWrotham Park4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumTrent Park House of Secrets4.4 km outside town, to the south
MuseumPotters Bar Museum2.9 km outside town, to the westPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustMorven Park1.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumWhitewebbs Museum of Transport3.7 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Wrotham Park: British Library HMNTS 10349.ppp.21., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Trent Park House of Secrets: Poliphilo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Potters Bar Museum: Graham Hale, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Northaw
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Northaw is a built-up area of 636 people, in the Welwyn Hatfield 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
- 636 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Welwyn Hatfield
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004548
Northaw’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CuffleyPotters BarBrookmans ParkGoff's OakWelham GreenCheshuntColney HeathNorthaw
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northaw | 636 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cuffley | 4,350 | 1.5 | A | D | B | A+ |
| Potters Bar | 23,394 | 1.7 | B+ | C− | C | B+ |
| Brookmans Park | 4,033 | 2.1 | A | D | B | A+ |
| Goff's Oak | 3,503 | 2.6 | B+ | D | C | A |
| Welham Green | 2,962 | 3.5 | C+ | C− | C+ | B |
| Cheshunt | 43,694 | 4.4 | C | D | C | C+ |
| Colney Heath | 1,059 | 4.8 | — | C | C+ | B |
Colney Heath has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Northaw
How many listed buildings are there in Northaw?
That is 8.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Northaw?
Band D council tax in Northaw is £2,481 for 2026–27, more than in 60% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
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.