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Living in Watford

Watford is a city in the United Kingdom, and the figures below are its published values. Watford had a population of 131,325 at the end of 2021. At the end of 2024, the regional median gross salary stood at €3,422 per month. Watford's unemployment stood at 4.7% at the end of 2023.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Watford?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Watford.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Watford yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Rent price index, mean2,135 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics14Official

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Watford is 4.7%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–6Watford 4.7%49 cities: 6% to under 8%496–87 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)3,422 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)9Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.7 %31 Dec 2023Office for National Statistics (ONS)10Official · regional context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Watford. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Watford. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count36 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count52 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Mobility and administration

Watford's nearest airport was LHR, 21 km away and offered 171 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count171 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km21 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Nearest Major Airport IataLHR3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

Climate and air quality

Watford's monthly mean temperatures were 5.1°C in January and 18.4°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 62.9 mm in January and 48.6 mm in July. Average monthly sunshine totalled 61.1 hours in January and 217.8 hours in July.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Watford average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND24°2°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Watford average monthly precipitation, mm020406080634942465250495751707163JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Watford average monthly sunshine, hours05511016522061791241772082082182021571157155JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Watford annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.3PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Watford is 8.3 µg/m³. Of 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–9Watford 8.31 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–101 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean8.26 µg/m³31 Dec 2024uk-air.defra.gov.uk15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 8.2 · Feb 8.8 · Mar 11.6 · Apr 14.8 · May 18.1 · Jun 21.2 · Jul 23.5 · Aug 23.1 · Sep 20 · Oct 15.6 · Nov 11.3 · Dec 8.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 2 · Feb 2 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 5.2 · May 8.3 · Jun 11.3 · Jul 13.4 · Aug 13.2 · Sep 10.6 · Oct 7.9 · Nov 4.5 · Dec 2.3 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 5.1 · Feb 5.4 · Mar 7.6 · Apr 10 · May 13.2 · Jun 16.2 · Jul 18.4 · Aug 18.1 · Sep 15.3 · Oct 11.8 · Nov 7.9 · Dec 5.5 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 62.9 · Feb 49.1 · Mar 42.4 · Apr 45.6 · May 51.8 · Jun 50.2 · Jul 48.6 · Aug 56.6 · Sep 51.4 · Oct 70.2 · Nov 71.4 · Dec 63.1 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 61.1 · Feb 78.8 · Mar 124.4 · Apr 176.7 · May 207.5 · Jun 208.4 · Jul 217.8 · Aug 202.1 · Sep 157.1 · Oct 115.2 · Nov 70.7 · Dec 55 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Watford (Watford)131,325 residentsNewport (Newport)130,890 residentsColchester130,245 residentsExeter126,175 residentsBlackburn124,955 residentsPoole141,005 residents

Population and city profile

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population131,325 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics8Official

Is Watford a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker22%strong on work, weak on safety · range 10–34%
Skilled employee40%strong on work, weak on safety · range 29–51%
Student34%strong on education, weak on safety · range 24–44%
Family43%strong on family, weak on safety · range 33–53%
Retirement27%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 14–40%
Population131,325 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Rent price index, mean2,135 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics
Median gross salary (regional)3,422 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate4.7 %31 Dec 2023Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
PM2.5 — annual mean8.26 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · uk-air.defra.gov.uk
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Official source · Office for Students
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Watford under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Is Watford part of London?

Watford is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 24.8 km away by straight-line distance.

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source2

How does Watford compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Watford?

The median gross salary is 3,422 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

What is the unemployment rate in Watford?

The unemployment rate is 4.7 %. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is the air quality good in Watford?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.26 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

How many people live in Watford?

The published population is 131,325 people. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is Watford a good place to live?

Watford may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Watford part of London?

Watford is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 24.8 km away by straight-line distance.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Watford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/watford/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_watford-united-kingdom-rent-salary-jobs-air-quality_6037ab4612e2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Watford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/watford/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Watford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/watford/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
  3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  8. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  9. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  10. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Show 5 more sources
  1. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12
  5. uk-air.defra.gov.uk uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

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