Watford: population and statistics
Watford has a population of 107,658 (2025) across 21.4 km², or 5,024 people per km². It ranks 276 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 107,658 residents
- 21.4 km²
- 5,024 people/km²
Watford in numbers
Population of Watford over time
Watford had 99,449 residents in 2015 and 107,658 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 102,322 |
| 2021 | 102,507 |
| 2022 | 103,186 |
| 2023 | 105,214 |
| 2024 | 106,799 |
| 2025 | 107,658 |
All indicators for Watford
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 13.3% | 20.3% | 20.4% | ranked 330 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 20.6% | 18.4% | 17.4% | ranked 25 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 43,440 dwellings | 2,888,720 | 27,429,300 | ranked 272 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 44.4% | 23.4% | 31.6% | ranked 56 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 22.2% | 21.0% | 18.1% | ranked 82 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 39,629 households | 65,170 | 61,440 | ranked 275 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 63.4% | 81.7% | 84.7% | ranked 288 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 36.5% | 17.7% | 14.8% | ranked 31 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 56.2% | 66.1% | 67.3% | ranked 270 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 28.2% | 18.3% | 17.6% | ranked 36 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 15.6% | 15.5% | 14.3% | ranked 123 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £404,299 | £353,838 | £272,474 | ranked 75 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −0.7% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 282 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | ranked 63 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 73.8% | 70.3% | 76.7% | ranked 200 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 13.9% | 9.5% | 7.8% | ranked 16 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 5,875 sites | 315,875 | 3,232,440 | ranked 217 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 54.6 per 1,000 | 47.8 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 68 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 5,095 businesses | 276,720 | 2,786,975 | ranked 210 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £43,219 | £41,339 | £38,490 | ranked 83 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 72.6% | 78.4% | 76.3% | ranked 262 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.6% | 3.3% | 3.2% | ranked 57 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Watford | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 22.4% | 16.9% | 18.5% | ranked 108 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 45 local authorities in East, Watford ranks 31 by population.
Households heated by oil only: 0.1% in Watford, compared with an average of 7.0% in East and 3.4% across the UK.
Share of residents aged under 16: 20.6% in Watford, compared with an average of 18.4% in East and 17.7% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 17.9% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in East for “Households living in a flat or maisonette”.
- Number 1 in East for “Households heated by electricity only”.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Share of residents aged under 16”: higher than in 93% of local authorities.
- “Households living in a house or bungalow”: lower than in 91% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,001 football pitches.
- 17.7 times denser than the UK average.
Business sectors: Watford
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade17.9% ×1.1
- Professional, scientific and technical15.5% ×1.1
- Construction14.2% ×1.1
- Information and communication9.6% ×1.6
- Administrative and support services8.8% ×1.1
- Accommodation and food services6.2% ×0.9
- Health and social work5.3% ×0.9
- Other service activities4.2% ×1.0
Where is Watford?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Watford?
Watford has 107,658 residents (2025), ranking 276 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Watford?
Watford covers 21.4 km², with a density of 5,024 people per km².
Is the population of Watford growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Watford went from 99,449 to 107,658, a change of +8.3%.
Where is Watford?
Watford is in East (region). Latitude 51.669, longitude −0.403.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Watford?
In Watford, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 0.1% (2021), ranking 246 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Share of residents aged under 16: what is the figure for Watford?
In Watford, “Share of residents aged under 16” stands at 20.6% (2025), ranking 25 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 17.4%.
Which local authorities border Watford?
The nearest to Watford are Three Rivers (5.7 km), Hertsmere (9.2 km), Harrow (10 km), St Albans (14 km), Dacorum (14 km).