North Hertfordshire vs Welwyn Hatfield: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £42,500 (11%) more in Welwyn Hatfield than in North Hertfordshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Welwyn Hatfield: it takes 9.1× median annual pay, against 7.5× in North Hertfordshire.
At a glance
| North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Low | About average |
Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.
What the numbers say
Median full-time pay in Welwyn Hatfield (£45,145) is 8% lower than in North Hertfordshire (£49,224), while a typical terraced house costs 11% more (£412,500 against £370,000). Set against local pay, North Hertfordshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 7.5× annual pay in North Hertfordshire and 9.1× in Welwyn Hatfield. Renting one takes 34% of pay in North Hertfordshire and 41% in Welwyn Hatfield. Both are harder in Welwyn Hatfield, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, North Hertfordshire is the 116th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Welwyn Hatfield is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, North Hertfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (130th most expensive) and Welwyn Hatfield is the 83rd most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in North Hertfordshire would need about £44,500 in Welwyn Hatfield to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £44,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Welwyn Hatfield would leave you worse placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 49.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Hertfordshire and 77.7 in Welwyn Hatfield, so recorded crime per resident is 57% higher in Welwyn Hatfield. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 2.9 per 1,000 in North Hertfordshire against 5.3 in Welwyn Hatfield.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £49,224 | £45,145 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.5× | 9.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 67% | 55% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 34% | 41% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £694,000 | £793,500 | +14% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Semi-detached | £499,975 | £531,250 | +6% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Terraced | £370,000 | £412,500 | +11% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Flat | £222,750 | £245,000 | +10% in Welwyn Hatfield |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,939 | £1,922 | -1% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Semi-detached | £1,550 | £1,669 | +8% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Terraced | £1,379 | £1,527 | +11% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Flat | £1,158 | £1,198 | +3% in Welwyn Hatfield |
Crime
Police recorded 49.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Hertfordshire and 77.7 in Welwyn Hatfield, so recorded crime per resident is 57% higher in Welwyn Hatfield.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 49.5 | 77.7 | +57% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Violence against the person | 20.7 | 30.6 | +48% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Sexual offences | 2.4 | 3.1 | +32% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Robbery | 0.4 | 1.2 | +205% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.3 | 7.6 | +76% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Vehicle offences | 2.9 | 5.3 | +84% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 1.1 | +209% in Welwyn Hatfield |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.9 | 6.0 | +23% in Welwyn Hatfield |
Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.
How prices have changed in each area
Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.
Show the figures
| Year | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 107 | 104 |
| 2007 | 114 | 112 |
| 2008 | 112 | 111 |
| 2009 | 103 | 102 |
| 2010 | 112 | 114 |
| 2011 | 112 | 114 |
| 2012 | 115 | 116 |
| 2013 | 116 | 119 |
| 2014 | 130 | 131 |
| 2015 | 145 | 146 |
| 2016 | 164 | 168 |
| 2017 | 171 | 174 |
| 2018 | 178 | 177 |
| 2019 | 171 | 177 |
| 2020 | 175 | 179 |
| 2021 | 182 | 186 |
| 2022 | 193 | 200 |
| 2023 | 196 | 197 |
| 2024 | 194 | 193 |
| 2025 | 201 | 193 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 203 | 196 |
In 2005 the average home cost £204,727 in North Hertfordshire and £226,726 in Welwyn Hatfield. Now it is £416,551 and £444,673: North Hertfordshire is up 103% and Welwyn Hatfield is up 96%. Prices have risen faster in North Hertfordshire, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
Buying a home against local pay, over time
Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.
Show the figures
| Year | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.8 years of pay | 8.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.4 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.6 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.0 years of pay | 11.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.4 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.8 years of pay in North Hertfordshire and 8.9 years in Welwyn Hatfield. In 2025 it was 8.4 years and 9.7 years.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | North Hertfordshire | Welwyn Hatfield |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 104 |
| 2017 | 115 | 108 |
| 2018 | 117 | 109 |
| 2019 | 118 | 111 |
| 2020 | 118 | 111 |
| 2021 | 122 | 113 |
| 2022 | 132 | 117 |
| 2023 | 139 | 124 |
| 2024 | 154 | 132 |
| 2025 | 162 | 142 |
| August 2026 | 171 | 149 |
In 2015 the average rent was £838 a month in North Hertfordshire and £1,018 in Welwyn Hatfield. Now it is £1,434 and £1,512: up 71% in North Hertfordshire and up 49% in Welwyn Hatfield. Rents have risen faster in North Hertfordshire.
What your salary is worth in each area
Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.
Moving from North Hertfordshire to Welwyn Hatfield
| Earning in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Welwyn Hatfield | Equivalent to rent in Welwyn Hatfield |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,500 | £33,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,500 | £44,500 |
| £50,000 | £55,500 | £55,500 |
| £60,000 | £67,000 | £66,500 |
Moving from Welwyn Hatfield to North Hertfordshire
| Earning in Welwyn Hatfield | Equivalent to buy in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to rent in North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,000 | £27,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,000 | £36,000 |
| £50,000 | £45,000 | £45,000 |
| £60,000 | £54,000 | £54,000 |
All North Hertfordshire figures · All Welwyn Hatfield figures