Berkhamsted
Town · 20,427 residents
71Very good
Very good · better than 7 in 10 towns
Check Local Score out of 100 · 60 is typical for the country
Each arc is a topic, coloured by its score
What’s good
- Less recorded crime than is typical: 60 per 1,000 people a year against 100
- Environment scores 71, well above the typical 60
Check before you view
- Radon: part of the area is in an affected zone, and a home test is cheap
The essentials
Everyday life
The area
Around Berkhamsted
Northchurch70DudswellWoodcockhillShootersway58Gossom's End59Potten End59Bourne End60Hemel Hempstead58Chenies68Haresfoot ParkAshley Green69Norcott Hill
See all 13 in the guide ↓Map outline: Official built-up area
Is Berkhamsted a good place to live?
Berkhamsted scores 71/100 overall, which the scorecard rates as very good — 60 is typical for the country.
It stands out for safety (79) and environment (71).
Scores come from official data on safety, schools, transport, prices, health, food & drink and the local environment, for Berkhamsted in East of England, each measured against the national average.
Summary of Berkhamsted
The high street here runs along the old coaching route with independent shops and cafes rather than chain frontages, backed by streets of Victorian terraces climbing the valley sides — the kind of place that reads as market town first, commuter town second, even though it's now firmly both. You'll notice the mix: parents with pushchairs, older residents who've clearly been here decades, and a steady trickle of people walking briskly towards the station in the morning.
That station is the engine of the place. Berkhamsted Rail Station puts London within reach for daily commuting, and it shows in the age profile — a median of 43 skews a bit older than the national and regional averages, suggesting this is a town for people who've settled rather than just landed. Schooling is a mixed picture rather than a uniform sell: Ashlyns School, the local secondary, is rated Good with solid progress scores, but several of the primaries carry "Requires improvement" judgements, so if schools are your priority, it's worth knowing which catchment a property actually sits in rather than assuming the town's overall reputation covers every gate. Housing itself is dominated by freehold terraces and semis, and the price tag reflects it — a median around £587,000, which is 42% above the wider Dacorum district and comfortably above the regional and national norms. A "for sale" board on one of these streets is usually announcing a Victorian terrace changing hands between professionals, not a first-time buyer's starter flat.