Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest is an outer London borough, covering 3,824 postcodes. It ranks 4th highest in London for population density. Every figure below is ranked against the other 32 boroughs.

What stands out

  • Waltham Forest ranks 4th highest of London's 33 boroughs for population density, at 48.7 residents per hectare.

Every measure for Waltham Forest

Averaged across the 3,824 postcodes in the borough, and ranked against the other 32. Borough averages hide a lot — crime and transport can differ street to street.

Every figure is ranked against London’s other 32 boroughs.

Crime

Recorded crimeEvery offence recorded within a mile of each postcode over twelve months, against the number of people living in that same mile.
8515th of 33

offences per 1,000 residents a year · Police.uk · Rolling 12 months

Offences within a mileThe raw count, before any adjustment for how many people live there. Central areas look worst because their daytime population is not counted.
7,76416th of 33

offences a year, within one mile · Police.uk · Rolling 12 months

Transport

Stations within 1kmTube, Overground, DLR and National Rail stations inside a one-kilometre walk.
1.618th of 33

Tube, Overground and rail stations · Transport for London · Current

Bus routesDistinct bus routes calling at stops near the postcode — the part of the network that fills the gaps between stations.
49.517th of 33

distinct routes serving nearby stops · Transport for London · Current

Schools

Schools within a mileEvery school of any phase within a mile, state and independent alike. Choice, not quality.
19.914th of 33

state and independent schools · Ofsted / DfE · Latest inspection data

Rated Good or OutstandingThe share of those schools carrying an Ofsted grade of Good or Outstanding at their most recent inspection.
48.4%7th lowest

% of nearby schools · Ofsted / DfE · Latest inspection data

Green Space

Green space within a mileTotal hectares of park, common, playing field and public garden within a mile.
9723rd of 33

hectares · Ordnance Survey · OS Open Greenspace

Parks within a mileHow many separate green spaces are in reach, rather than how much ground they cover between them.
41.918th of 33

distinct green spaces · Ordnance Survey · OS Open Greenspace

Population

Population densityResidents per hectare. Draws the clearest bullseye of any measure here: dense in the middle, fading to the Home Counties at the edge.
48.74th highest

residents per hectare · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Under 18sThe share of residents who are children — the closest thing here to a map of where families settle.
22.2%11th of 33

% of residents · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Aged 18 to 29Young adults as a share of residents. Almost exactly the inverse of the over-65s map.
15.9%19th of 33

% of residents · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Aged 30 to 44The years when people tend to buy, settle and have children — and the age band that moves furthest out of the centre.
28.1%7th highest

% of residents · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Aged 45 to 64Established households, heaviest in the outer suburbs and thinnest in the renting core.
23.4%20th of 33

% of residents · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Over 65sResidents of retirement age, concentrated in the outer suburbs where people stay put.
10.5%23rd of 33

% of residents · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Education

Degree-level qualificationsResidents over 16 holding a degree or higher. Tracks pay and house prices more closely than anything else we hold.
41.6%21st of 33

% of over-16s · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

A-levelsResidents whose highest qualification is A-level or equivalent. Neutral by design: this is the top of one path and a waypoint on another.
13.0%14th of 33

% of over-16s · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

GCSEResidents whose highest qualification is GCSE or equivalent.
10.8%13th of 33

% of over-16s · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

OtherEveryone else: apprenticeships, vocational and overseas qualifications, and residents with none recorded.
32.9%9th of 33

% of over-16s · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Housing

Owner occupiedHouseholds owning outright or on a mortgage. Deliberately not coloured as good or bad — which it is depends entirely on who is reading.
48.1%14th of 33

% of households · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Private rentalHouseholds renting privately — the map most likely to match where you are actually looking.
27.4%23rd of 33

% of households · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Social rentalHouseholds renting from a council or housing association.
22.5%14th of 33

% of households · ONS Census 2021 · Census 2021

Want the score for a specific address?

These are borough averages. AreaScore weighs crime, transport, schools and green space into a single 1-10 score for any London postcode — down to the street, not the borough.

Open app (Beta)

Try E17 3DD, near the centre of Waltham Forest.

How to read these figures

Nearby boroughs

Or compare every borough side by side on the London map.