Living in Waltham Forest
Police recorded 83 crimes per 1,000 residents in Waltham Forest in the year to April 2026, close to the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £6,605 per m², well above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 21.5% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 12.4% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 66% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Waltham Forest at a glance
| Measure | Waltham Forest | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 21.5% | UK 17.5% | 64th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 83 | E, W & NI 82 | 114th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 25 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 12.4% | GB 6.9% | 336th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 66% | GB 56% | 72nd of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 74% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £6,605 | E&W council median £3,342 | 15th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 92% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Waltham Forest?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 22,994 crimes in Waltham Forest — 83 per 1,000 residents, close to the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 114th highest of 327 councils. That is 6% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (31%), vehicle crime (11%) and other theft (10%). Police also logged 6,898 incidents of anti-social behaviour (25 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Waltham Forest?
Waltham Forest ranks 64th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 102,864 households, 22,100 are social homes (21.5%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Waltham Forest compare with the UK average?
At +4.0 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Waltham Forest sits above the national level.
How noisy is Waltham Forest?
In Waltham Forest, about 12.4% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Waltham Forest is the 336th quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Waltham Forest?
66% of homes in Waltham Forest are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 74% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Waltham Forest 72nd of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Waltham Forest
What the map's other datasets say about Waltham Forest.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Waltham Forest has 87 schools — 82 state-funded and 5 independent. That includes 50 primary and 16 secondary schools. Of the 26 with a published Ofsted grade, 92% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 143 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Waltham Forest, offering about 6,185 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Waltham Forest sits in decile 4 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 13% of its 146 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £6,605 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Waltham Forest on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).