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Central

Interactive map displaying Central

About

Central ward is a densely populated residential area located directly north of Watford's town centre. It is primarily characterised by Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing, with some modern apartment developments near the main transport links. The ward includes the neighbourhoods of Holywell and parts of Oxhey, providing homes for a significant portion of the town's population.

The area is well-connected by the Watford Junction railway station and major bus routes along St Albans Road. Cassiobury Park, one of the largest public parks in Hertfordshire with its historic avenues and the Grand Union Canal, forms a large green boundary to the west. Local commerce is focused along the main arterial roads, serving the everyday needs of the community.

Area overview

On average Central has high deprivation and high crime levels, with around 245 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, roughly 3.0× the East of England average of 82 per 1,000. Approximately 13.9% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Central is £54,093 per year. There are 5 schools in Central: 4 primary (1 Outstanding and 2 Good) and 1 secondary (1 Outstanding and 0 Good). Central is home to around 10,472 people, with a population density of about 6,363.2 per km².

Crime rate
8/10
Crimes per 1k residents
245
Deprivation level
7/10
Income level
4/10
Social housing
13.9%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Central Population
10,472
Population density
6,363.2 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
104.28(+231%)
Anti-social behaviour
75.15(+550%)
Shoplifting
48.41(+608%)
Other theft
26.17(+378%)
Public order
22.73(+344%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
3,608
34.45%
Other White
2,403
22.94%
Indian
974
9.3%
Pakistani
670
6.4%
Other Asian
620
5.92%
Total population: 10,474

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4 qualifications or above
4,063
47.29%
No qualifications
1,312
15.27%
Level 3 (A level)
1,068
12.43%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
862
10.03%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
661
7.69%
Total 16+ residents: 8,592

Housing

Housing tenure

Private landlord or letting agency
2,507
52.8%
Owns with a mortgage
851
17.92%
Owns outright
684
14.41%
Other social rented
441
9.29%
Other forms of private rent
101
2.13%
Total households: 4,748

Property prices in Central

Median price£317,500
Price per sq ft£475
Sales (last 12 months)89
Typical range (middle 50%)£215K – £400K

Based on 89 recent sales, the median property price is £317,500 (about £475 per square foot) in Central area, with individual transactions ranging from £105,000 up to £850,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Central over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Semi-Detached5£590,000£480
Terraced33£400,000£534
Flats51£228,000£429

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Central

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Central.
YearFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£260,025£593,000£352,500
2017£270,000£425,000£350,000
2018£255,000£488,750£346,000
2019£275,000£373,000£347,500
2020£217,500£550,000£368,000
2021£262,500£428,000£362,000
2022£315,000£540,000£408,000
2023£268,000£625,000£391,500
2024£298,900£565,000£413,000
2025£257,000£460,000£398,750
2026£215,000—£410,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Central.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Central.
YearFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£455£451£477
2017£501£401£484
2018£454£418£439
2019£419£503£467
2020£407£491£482
2021£514£421£498
2022£495£526£495
2023£453£531£478
2024£594£405£493
2025£462£480£538
2026£400—£489
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Central.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Central in the last year.

All postcodes in Central

WD180GJ

Cambridge Road

WD180BS

George Street

WD172RU

Central

WD172JP

Local Board Road

WD172QB

Sotheron Road

WD172NH

Water Lane

WD180BH

Watford Field Road

WD180LL

Central

WD172TN

Beechen Grove

WD172RB

Gladstone Road

WD172NU

Lower High Street

WD172PA

Loates Lane

WD171JZ

Clarendon Road

WD172TE

Central

WD171HP

Clarendon Road

WD172DJ

High Street

WD171JA

Clarendon Road

WD171DQ

Central

WD180PA

Market Street

WD180FQ

Wilmington Close

WD172RT

Beechen Grove

WD180EG

Church Street

WD180BW

King Street

WD172QG

Sutton Road

WD172DH

High Street

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/07/2026. Read more about how our statistics are calculated.