Potten End’s story
12 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Potten End’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Potten EndHertfordshire
With 1,270 residents, it is a village in Hertfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Purchase · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,270
Census 2021 · Dacorum council
Median home
£950K
36 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.5
26% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
48%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Potten End a good place to live?
Potten End’s strongest is health (A+): life expectancy 82.7 for men, 87.2 for women. It also does well on jobs & income: the mean household earns £72,193 a year. Buying in is costly (D): a typical home costs £950,000 and rent runs £1,594 a month. Natural hazards are less of a worry than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Potten End has subject grades but no overall one.
How Potten End grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Potten End is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedA+Open →Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £950,000, 14.4 years of area incomeDOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 44% of towns in England; secondary results beat 81% of towns in EnglandB+Open →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →Outdoors73% live within 400 m of a park; 44% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB−Open →Civic life0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Potten End stand out
The 3 things Potten End does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.4 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 Amersfort, With Forecourt Walls, And Linked Terraces and Loggia on South East; 3.9 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 Potten End.
Health
Potten End’s life expectancy beats 93% of UK towns
87%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
There is no GP practice in Potten End: the nearest is 1.6 miles off. At the census, 2.9% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both Hertfordshire’s towns (3.8%) and England’s towns (5.2%), and on top of that a disability affects 13% of people here. Also worth knowing: the nearest A&E to Potten End is Luton and Dunstable Hospital, 8.7 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Potten End | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
SchoolsB+
Potten End’s schools outperform 66% of towns in England on results
B+School Grade
Its one school is below. Secondary results at the 3 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 50.4, with 57% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Three in five pupils at the 11 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potten End CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 205 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Most households in Potten End own their home: 79%, more than in Hertfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£950Kmedian sale
7% rent privately, lower than both Hertfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 14% of households. Half of the 36 standard sales inside Potten End’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £950,000.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Potten End£950K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,098,650 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £873,750 | 11 |
| Terraced | £345,000 | 7 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,594
average private rent a month, Dacorum council area
£2,420
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 Potten End than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 11 per 1,000 residents a year
11violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
There were 4.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Hertfordshire’s towns (14.4) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Burglary and damage come to 7.1 per 1,000 residents a year. 31 crimes and 5 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Potten End’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Potten End has less crime per resident than just over three quarters of them.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 76% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Vehicle crime4
Damage & arson3
Public order2
Other theft2
Burglary2
Weapons2
Shoplifting0
Anti-social5
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.
11
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
31
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
More commuters in Potten End drive than in Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 84%
12%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 54% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Walking, cycling and public transport carried 12% of commuters at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 36%, below both Hertfordshire’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). 1.3% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Work in town: 1% of resident commuters.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
36%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
54%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 38% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
12 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
12listed buildingsBHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Potten End has 94 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39). Before 1919: that is when 17% of homes were built.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II11
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
94
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
Degrees are more common in Potten End than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 48% of adults
50.5median age
One measure of family life: 16% of residents are under 15. People 65 and over make up 26% of the town, above Hertfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: one in ten residents. At 50.5, the median resident of Potten End sits in the middle of the age range.
Potten EndHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level48%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Potten End | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 48% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Potten End
15pages on Potten End
The big questions
SafetyA11 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £950K · rent £1,594 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hempstead LaneSchoolsB+1 state schoolHealthA+Life expectancy 82.7 (men), 87.2 (women)Work & commuteA65% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Berkhamsted Castle and 4 more in and around Potten End
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Potten End. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageBerkhamsted Castle1.5 km outside town, to the west
Abbey or prioryAmaravati Buddhist Monastery1.9 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseAshridge3.4 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumThe Paper Mill Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumDacorum Heritage2 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Berkhamsted Castle: Winstainforth at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Amaravati Buddhist Monastery: Jake Barnes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ashridge: myself, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Paper Mill Museum: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Potten End
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Potten End is a built-up area of 1,270 people, in the Dacorum 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
- 1,270 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dacorum
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004420
Potten End’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BerkhamstedHemel HempsteadBovingdonChipperfieldFlamsteadMarkyateRedbournPotten End
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potten End | 1,270 | — | — | D | A | A+ |
| Berkhamsted | 21,236 | 2.3 | A | D | B | A+ |
| Hemel Hempstead | 95,995 | 2.8 | C− | C | C− | C |
| Bovingdon | 5,313 | 3.5 | A | D | B | A |
| Chipperfield | 1,678 | 4.7 | — | D | B+ | A+ |
| Flamstead | 1,055 | 4.8 | — | D | A | A− |
| Markyate | 3,174 | 5.1 | C+ | C | C+ | A− |
| Redbourn | 5,188 | 5.4 | A | C | B | A |
Chipperfield and Flamstead have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Potten End
Is Potten End expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £950,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £345,000, semi-detached houses £873,750 and detached houses £1,098,650.
How many listed buildings are there in Potten End?
That is 3.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Potten End safe?
Police recorded 31 crimes inside Potten End’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 52% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
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.