Smallford’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Smallford’s built-up area.
4% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SmallfordHertfordshire
The village has 328 residents and lies in Hertfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jack Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
328
Census 2021 · St Albans council
Median age
43.5
20% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
35%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Smallford a good place to live?
Smallford is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Its listed buildings number 2, with 0 at Grade I. Just over a third of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport.
What makes Smallford stand out
The 2 things Smallford does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Smallford.
Work & commute
Work is close at hand in Smallford: 58% of commuters travel under 5 km, more than in Hertfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
35%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 35% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (27%). Average household income comes to £74K a year before tax. Of the commuters living in Smallford, 37% work in the town itself. The town counts 3.1 jobs per working resident.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving62%
On foot33%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
58%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£74K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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
Housing
Smallford is a renters’ town: 23% of households rent privately, more than in Hertfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
£0Kmedian sale
57% of households own their home. Social housing holds 20% of households, above Hertfordshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,931 a month across the St Albans council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Smallford£0K
Typical UK town£277K
57%
of households own their home · England 61%
23%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,931
average private rent a month, St Albans council area
£2,516
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
Burglary and damage hit Smallford harder than Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 27.4 per 1,000 residents a year
37.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violent crime ran at 37.6 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (21.2) and England’s towns (22). In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 38 crimes and 10 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Smallford’s built-up area. Violence and sexual offences were 39% of the crimes.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual15
Shoplifting4
Other theft4
Damage & arson3
Burglary3
Drugs3
Vehicle crime2
Theft from person2
Anti-social10
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.
37.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
27.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
31.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
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 more common in Smallford than in Hertfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.4% of residents
81%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Smallford is Barnet General Hospital, 7.4 miles away. 81% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than Hertfordshire’s towns (85%) and near England’s towns (82%). Also worth knowing: this Hertfordshire town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.8 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Smallford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.4% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 14% | 17% |
81.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Most of Smallford is newer: only 4% of homes were built before 1919, below Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
2listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Every one of Smallford’s 2 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. The town has 61 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (55) and England’s towns (39).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
4%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
61
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
Fewer children live in Smallford than in Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 15% are under 15
43.5median age
Degrees are held by 32% of adults. 20% of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Hertfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of Smallford is older than 43.5, half younger.
SmallfordHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Smallford | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Smallford
12pages on Smallford
The big questions
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Albans Cathedral and 9 more in and around Smallford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Smallford. Best known first.
CathedralSt Albans Cathedral4.5 km outside town, to the west
Historic houseHatfield House3.8 km outside town, to the east
MuseumDe Havilland Aircraft Museum4.4 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseTyttenhanger House2.5 km outside town, to the south
MuseumMill Green Museum & Working Mill4.6 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumHatfield Bunker2.3 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- St Albans Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hatfield House: Allan Engelhardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- De Havilland Aircraft Museum: Jack Hill, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tyttenhanger House: Mike Hartley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mill Green Museum & Working Mill: Alexander Curtis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Smallford
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Smallford is a built-up area of 328 people, in the St Albans 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
- 328 (Census 2021)
- Council
- St Albans
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004436
Smallford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Colney HeathHatfieldLondon ColneySandridgeWelham GreenSt AlbansPark Street and FrogmoreSmallford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallford | 328 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Colney Heath | 1,059 | 1.3 | — | C | C+ | B |
| Hatfield | 41,561 | 1.5 | C | C+ | D | C |
| London Colney | 7,932 | 2.4 | B+ | B | C− | B |
| Sandridge | 1,457 | 2.5 | — | C | C | B+ |
| Welham Green | 2,962 | 2.5 | C+ | C− | C+ | B |
| St Albans | 75,544 | 2.6 | A | C | C | A− |
| Park Street and Frogmore | 2,256 | 3.9 | — | B | C− | B |
Colney Heath, Sandridge and Park Street and Frogmore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Smallford
How many listed buildings are there in Smallford?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Smallford?
Band D council tax in Smallford is £2,516 for 2026–27, more than in 68% 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.