Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a town in Essex, England, with a population of around 16,610. It has 3 schools, around 2 GP surgeries, 2 pharmacies, and around 15 restaurants and cafés, with 42 bus stops and Audley End Miniature Railway station 2 km away. The average sold house price is around £546,404, and there were around 80 recorded street crimes in June 2026, most commonly violence & sexual offences. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Saffron Walden area — all from official UK open data.
On deprivation, the Uttlesford area is among the least deprived areas in England (IoD2025). The wider council area has around 91,341 residents at roughly 142 people per km².
- Council
- Uttlesford
- County
- Essex
- Constituency
- Saffron Walden
- Police force
- Essex
My Area Score
Excellent
Ranked 10th of 294 English council areas — better than 97% of them.
A percentile blend of eight open measures (100 = best in England); bars show this area’s England-wide percentile on each. See the rankings · methodology
Weather
8°CPatchy rain nearby
- Today: 12° / 6° · 57% rain
- Tomorrow: 11° / 7° · Patchy rain nearby
Source: WeatherAPI
Daylight
Sunrise 06:54Sunset 16:31
9h 37m of daylight today
Next bank holiday: Christmas Day, Fri 25 Dec
Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk
Air quality
48US AQI · Good
Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)
Source: WAQI · Bexley - Belvedere West, United Kingdom
Air pollution (PM2.5)
- 6.9 µg/m³ average fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration
- 5.2% of adult (30+) deaths estimated attributable to fine-particle pollution
Lower is better for both figures.
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2024
Crime
78 reported · August 2026▲ 8% YoY
- Violence & sexual offences32
- Anti-social behaviour14
- Criminal damage & arson7
- Shoplifting7
Neighbourhood team: Saffron Walden · Essex
Local policing priorities
- Concerns from residents about vehicle nuisance in hotspot locations across the district, including town centres and retail/leisure parks,…
- Concerns about antisocial behaviour and shoplifting in key hotspot locations including town centres, retail areas and public spaces acros…
Source: data.police.uk (within ~1 mile)
Road safety
157 reported road collisions (2025)
62 killed or seriously injured · 205 casualties · 17.2 collisions per 10,000 residents
Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)
Food hygiene
147 food businesses within 2 miles
- 108 rated 4–5 ★ (97 top)
- 1 rated 0–2 (poor)
Source: Food Standards Agency
Flood risk
Buses & trains
- Nearest station: Audley End Miniature Railway (1.8 km)
- 28 bus stops within ~½ mile
Live trains from Audley End (3.2 km):
Loading live departures…
Source: OpenStreetMap, National Rail
House prices
£468,166 average▲ 0.1% YoY
Across Uttlesford · to 2026-08
Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)
Private rents
£1,289 average monthly rent▲ 0.4% YoY
- 1 bed £905
- 2 bed £1,142
- 3 bed £1,442
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents · to 2026-08
Affordability
11.7× house price to earnings
A typical home costs 11.7 times median annual pay (12.2× for cheaper homes vs lower pay).
Source: ONS house price to workplace earnings ratio · 2025
Property sales
1,300 property sales in the last 12 months
12 months to May 2026
A busier or quieter market is not by itself good or bad. Monthly counts are small and volatile, so only the annual total is shown.
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI, 12 months to 2026-05
EV charging
10 charging locations within ~8 km
- 3 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
- Fastest nearby: 50 kW
- Nearest: The Common Car Park, Common Hill (0.1 km)
Source: Open Charge Map
Sport & leisure
- Sports centres1
- Gyms1
- Swimming pools5
- Sports pitches33
- Golf courses1
- Playgrounds9
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Population
91,341 residents in Uttlesford · 142/km²
- Under 16: 20%
- 16–64: 60%
- 65+: 20%
Source: ONS Census 2021 (local authority)
Internal migration
- Moves in from elsewhere in the UK7,298
- Moves out to elsewhere in the UK5,498
- Net moves+1,800
Residential moves between local authorities (counts of moves, not people) · ONS Internal migration, YE Jun 2025
Deprivation
Among the least deprived areas in England
Ranked 269 of 296 English local authorities (1 = most deprived)
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Council tax
£2,334 a year · Band D, 2026-27
Most homes here are Band C (22% of 40,760)
Source: VOA council-tax stock · MHCLG band levels 2026-27
Schools
44 schools · 13,200 pupils
37 primary · 3 secondary · 4 other
Ofsted: 18 of 19 graded schools rated Good or Outstanding (95%)
41 inspected under Ofsted’s 2024+ framework (graded by area, no single overall grade)
Secondary schools:
- Saffron Walden County High SchoolOutstanding
- Forest Hall SchoolGood
- Joyce Frankland Academy, NewportGood
Source: DfE Get Information about Schools · Ofsted · Uttlesford
Care & health services
1,574 CQC-registered services
- Care homes408
- GP practices229
- Dentists312
- Homecare agencies474
- Hospitals & hospices40
CQC ratings: 88% of rated services Good or Outstanding · 17 Inadequate
Source: Care Quality Commission · Essex
Heritage & planning
- In a conservation area (Saffron Walden 1)
- Not in the Green Belt
- 340 listed buildings within ~1.5 km
Source: planning.data.gov.uk (England)
Planning decisions
279 applications decided
74.9% granted · 209 granted, 70 refused
Source: MHCLG planning statistics (PS2) · 2026 Q2
Your MP
Mrs Kemi Badenoch
Conservative
North West Essex
Recent votes:
- NoWithdrawal Agreement (Windsor Framework and Governance) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- NoDraft Code of Practice on Access and Unfair Practices During the Recognition and Derecognition Process
- NoDraft Railways (Interoperability in Northern Ireland) (Convention on International Carriage by Rail) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- AyeNorthern Ireland Troubles Bill Committee: New Clause 21
Source: UK Parliament
Council control
Independent majority
- Con 12
- LD 3
- Ref 3
- Oth 21
Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)
Amenities nearby
- Schools9
- GPs & clinics2
- Pharmacies2
- Supermarkets4
- Parks & greens38
- Restaurants & cafés17
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local businesses
6,145 active business enterprises in the area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)
Jobs
221 jobs advertised · £38,806 avg
e.g. Electrician, Lifestyle coordinator, FLT Driver- Cambridge
Source: Adzuna
Local economy
£958 median full-time weekly pay
2.1% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits
£33,494 disposable income per head (2024)
Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI
Energy efficiency
52% of homes rated EPC C or above
Most common band: D · 40,772 certificates
9.4% of households were in fuel poverty (2023)
Source: MHCLG EPC statistics · DESNZ sub-regional fuel poverty
Grid electricity
62% low-carbon electricity
Gas 37% · Wind 30% · Nuclear 20% · Biomass 12%
160 gCO₂/kWh · moderate intensity
Latest estimate for East England · National Grid ESO
Health
Life expectancy: 86 yrs women · 82.9 yrs men
Healthy life expectancy (Essex): 62.4 women · 62.7 men
63% of adults overweight or obese
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2025
Wellbeing
- Life satisfaction7.1
- Feeling worthwhile7.5
- Happiness yesterday7.3
- Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)3.5
Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2022-23
Health services
2 GP surgeries · 3 pharmacies in CB10
- Saffron Walden Medical Centre
- The Gold Street Surgery
Source: NHS Organisation Data Service
Local petitions
Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in North West Essex:
- Change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth309 local signatures · 113,305 nationwide
- Protect legal right to support for children with SEND249 local signatures · 111,357 nationwide
- Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills246 local signatures · 111,154 nationwide
- Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks214 local signatures · 127,144 nationwide
- Launch a public inquiry into illegal migration in the UK164 local signatures · 78,478 nationwide
Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05
Notable places nearby
Saffron Walden Town Hall · 0.1 kmSaffron Walden Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Saffron Walden, Essex, England. The structure, which is the headquarters of Saffron Walden Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Barclays Bank, Saffron Walden · 0.1 kmBarclays Bank, Market Place, Saffron Walden, Essex, England has been designated a Grade II* listed building by Historic England. It was first listed in 1972.
Corn Exchange, Saffron Walden · 0.1 kmThe Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Market Place in Saffron Walden, Essex, England. The structure, which is currently used as a library, is a Grade II listed building.
Walden Abbey · 0.1 kmWalden Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Saffron Walden, Essex, England, founded by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex, between 1136 and 1143. Originally a priory, it was elevated to the status of an abbey i…
Saffron Walden · 0.2 kmSaffron Walden is a market town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, 12 miles (19 km) north of Bishop's Stortford, 15 miles (24 km) south of Cambridge and 43 miles (69 km) north of London. It…
Walden Castle · 0.2 kmWalden Castle was a medieval castle in Essex, England, built during the Anarchy of the 12th century. Only the ruined core of the structure remains today.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)
Nearby towns
Compare Uttlesford with nearby areas
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Saffron Walden?
- Saffron Walden is a town in Essex, England, in the Uttlesford local authority.
- What is the population of Saffron Walden?
- Saffron Walden has an approximate settlement population of 16,610.
- How deprived is Saffron Walden?
- The Uttlesford local authority, which includes Saffron Walden, is among the least deprived areas in England on the IoD2025.