Widford’s story
47 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Widford’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WidfordHertfordshire
With 658 residents, it is a village in Hertfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
658
Census 2021 · East Hertfordshire council
Median home
£565K
23 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.4
26% are 65+ · Hertfordshire 17%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Widford a good place to live?
Widford is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 11% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 47, with 0 at Grade I. The median sale price is £565,000.
What makes Widford stand out
The 3 things Widford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Parish Church of St John the Baptist (Church of England); 29.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 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 Widford.
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Widford: just 10% travel under 5 km, below Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 86% of commuters, above both Hertfordshire’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%). Households take home £73K a year before tax, on average. 6% of commuters who live in Widford also work there. The town counts 0.6 jobs per working resident.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
Train5%
On foot4%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
36%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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 Widford
66% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. 65 pupils attend Widford’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widford SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 65 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Most households in Widford own their home: 77%, more than in Hertfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Council and housing-body homes hold 14% of households. 8% rent privately, below Hertfordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. From September 2023 to August 2026, 23 homes sold inside Widford’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £565,000.
£565Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Widford£565K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £750,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £515,000 | 8 |
| Terraced | £430,000 | 6 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,533
average private rent a month, East Hertfordshire council area
£2,407
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
Widford records less burglary and damage per resident than Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 5.6 per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 20 offences were reported in Widford, along with 2 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime ran at 13.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below Hertfordshire’s towns (21.2) and England’s towns (22) alike. Of all the crimes, 55% were violence and sexual offences.
13.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Drugs3
Other theft2
Burglary2
Public order1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Anti-social2
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.
13.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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
Most people in Widford (82%) report good or very good health
18% of residents in Widford live with a disability. Seeing a GP means leaving Widford: the nearest practice is 1.9 miles away. The nearest A&E to Widford is The Princess Alexandra Hospital, 3.7 miles away.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Widford | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 14% | 17% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
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
More buildings in Widford are listed than in Hertfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 714 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when nearly a third of homes were built. Of Widford’s land, 64% lies in conservation areas, above Hertfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Grade II* covers 2 of them.
47listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II45
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
714
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
Older residents shape Widford: 26% are 65 or over, above Hertfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
7.2% of the population is aged 15 to 24, below Hertfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Under-15s account for 17% of the population. Line up the people of Widford by age and the one in the middle is 47.4.
47.4median age
WidfordHertfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Widford | Hertfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 15% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 39% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Hertfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Henry Moore Foundation and 3 more in and around Widford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Widford. Best known first.
Art galleryHenry Moore Foundation1.7 km outside town, to the northeast
Historic houseFanhams Hall4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumHenry Moore Studios & Gardens1.4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumMuch Hadham Forge Museum2.6 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 (2)
- Henry Moore Foundation: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fanhams Hall: Darren Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Widford
14pages on Widford
The big questions
Safety13.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £565K · rent £1,533 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Benningfield RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.4 (men), 83.1 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Widford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Hadham CrossStanstead AbbottsGreat AmwellRoydonSawbridgeworthWareHarlowWidford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widford | 658 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hadham Cross | 1,275 | 1.9 | — | C− | A− | B |
| Stanstead Abbotts | 3,754 | 3.4 | A− | B− | B− | A− |
| Great Amwell | 1,017 | 3.6 | — | C− | A− | A |
| Roydon | 1,587 | 3.8 | — | C− | C | B+ |
| Sawbridgeworth | 10,471 | 3.9 | A− | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Ware | 19,631 | 3.9 | B+ | C+ | C+ | B |
| Harlow | 93,570 | 4.5 | D | C− | D | C− |
Hadham Cross, Great Amwell and Roydon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Widford
How many listed buildings are there in Widford?
That is 29.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Widford expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £430,000, semi-detached houses £515,000 and detached houses £750,000. Private rents in the East Hertfordshire council area averaged £1,533 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Widford?
Band D council tax in Widford is £2,407 for 2026–27, less than in 57% 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.
About Widford
Village in Hertfordshire, England
Widford is a built-up area of 658 people, in the East Hertfordshire 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
- 658 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Hertfordshire
- County
- Hertfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004303
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.