Is Bishop's Stortford a good place to live?

Living in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire: house prices, crime, schools and the practical details to check before you move.

On this page
  1. Bishop's Stortford at a glance
  2. Location and population
  3. Sold prices
  4. Crime and safety
  5. Schools
  6. Flood mapping
  7. Broadband
  8. Energy performance
  9. Planning and heritage
  10. Air quality and deprivation
  11. Nearby towns
  12. Questions
  13. Data sources

Bishop's Stortford at a glance

Bishop's Stortford is in Hertfordshire, East of England. Its recorded local authority is East Hertfordshire. Flats sold for a median £250,000, compared with £425,000 across all property types (12 months to July 2026). Gigabit-capable broadband was available to 88.6% of premises (January 2026). Whether it suits you comes down to the home and neighbourhood: compare the property you can afford, the schools relevant to your household and the checks needed at the exact address.

Median sold price
£425,000
505 recorded sales
Recorded incidents
82.2
per 1,000 residents
Gigabit availability
88.6%
of premises

Sources and periods vary by measure. See the source register · How we use the data

Where is Bishop's Stortford, and who lives here?

Bishop's Stortford is in Hertfordshire, East of England. Its recorded local authority is East Hertfordshire.

Bishop's Stortford: regional locator mapApproximate location of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, using the stored town centroid and a generalised land outline. This is not a town-boundary or flood-risk map.Bishop's Stortford
Approximate town location · not a boundary or flood mapMap sources

The mapped town had 40,916 residents in Census 2021. This describes the town area, rather than the wider council area.

Location and geography
County / areaHertfordshire
RegionEast of England
Local authorityEast Hertfordshire
Population40,916 · Census 2021

Office for National Statistics · ONS BUA 2024 / LAD December 2025 / hierarchy April 2025. Source details

Office for National Statistics · Census 2021, BUA24 geography; released May 2026. Source details

View population and age groups
Age distribution · Census 2021
Under 1619.8%
16–249.7%
25–6455.1%
65 and over15.4%

ONS best-fits the Census counts to the built-up-area geography. The population displayed here must not silently replace the denominator used in the crime rate.

How much do homes sell for in Bishop's Stortford?

The median recorded sold price in Bishop's Stortford is £425,000, based on 505 transactions in the published 12-month window. This is not a current asking-price estimate or a measure of affordability relative to income.

For a nearby reference, Stansted Mountfitchet’s median was £435,000 across 95 sales—£10,000 above Bishop's Stortford in the same source period. These are different mixes of homes, not a like-for-like valuation. See nearby comparisons

Median recorded sale
£425,000
Recorded sales in the period
505
Median sold price by property type
Detached£650,000
Semi-detached£445,000
Terraced£372,250
Flat / maisonette£250,000
View recorded price changes
Changes in the recorded median, not like-for-like home values
One-year change-3.4%
Five-year change2.2%

A change in the mix of properties sold can move the median. These are nominal comparisons, not a forecast or an inflation-adjusted price index.

See recent sales

Scroll sideways to see all columns.

Recent registered transactions
DateProperty typePostcodePrice
24 July 2026DetachedCM23 4GF£500,000
17 July 2026Semi-detachedCM23 2RN£725,000
16 July 2026Semi-detachedCM23 2ZJ£393,500
14 July 2026TerracedCM23 4HN£500,000
13 July 2026DetachedCM23 4BP£555,000
10 July 2026Semi-detachedCM23 2ZL£383,000
10 July 2026FlatCM23 2AY£260,000
9 July 2026TerracedCM23 4DR£378,000
9 July 2026DetachedCM23 4HQ£525,000
8 July 2026Semi-detachedCM23 5BL£415,000

Property-type samples may be smaller still. The mix of homes sold affects medians; these are not like-for-like valuations.

HM Land Registry · 12 months to July 2026. Source details

Is Bishop's Stortford safe? What the crime data shows

Kerbside does not classify Bishop's Stortford as safe or unsafe. The published 12-month Police.uk dataset records 82.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, including antisocial behaviour. Reporting, policing, visitor numbers and the source coverage all affect the figure.

Police-recorded incidents and antisocial behaviour
Total incidents in the period3,392
Incidents per 1,000 residents82.2
Population denominator41,250
Violence and sexual offences per 1,00029.4
Antisocial behaviour per 1,00018.8
Burglary per 1,0002.8
Vehicle crime per 1,0003.6
Robbery per 1,0000.7

The categories shown are a selection, not the whole total. The rate uses the recorded source denominator above, not the newer Census count. Town-wide rates hide differences between streets and neighbourhoods.

Home Office / Police.uk · July 2025 to June 2026 · 12 months. Source details

How are schools rated in Bishop's Stortford?

12 of 12 schools with a recorded overall grade have a Good or Outstanding grade (100%). These are historical grades from inspections between 2018 and 2024, not new inspections in the source-download year.

View all 15 school records

Scroll sideways to see all columns.

Schools and their recorded historical overall grades
SchoolPhaseHistorical grade
Windhill21Academy converter · CM23 2NEPrimaryAges 3–11Outstanding24 October 2018
The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeAcademy converter · CM23 5NJSecondaryAges 11–18Outstanding14 November 2023
All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Bishop's StortfordVoluntary aided school · CM23 5BEPrimaryAges 3–11Good14 March 2023
Hillmead Primary SchoolCommunity school · CM23 4PWPrimaryAges 3–11Good21 March 2024
Manor Fields Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led · CM23 4LEPrimaryAges 3–11Good15 March 2022
Northgate Primary SchoolAcademy converter · CM23 2RLPrimaryAges 3–11Good28 November 2023
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/SAcademy converter · CM23 2NLPrimaryAges 3–11Good7 December 2022
St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school · CM23 3SNPrimaryAges 3–11Good10 December 2019
Thorley Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school · CM23 3NHPrimaryAges 3–11Good27 March 2024
Thorn Grove Primary SchoolCommunity school · CM23 5LDPrimaryAges 3–11Good9 May 2019
Hockerill Anglo-European CollegeAcademy converter · CM23 5HXSecondaryAges 11–18Good14 June 2022
White Trees Independent SchoolOther independent special school · CM23 5NAAges 11–18Good16 May 2024
Richard Whittington Primary SchoolAcademy converter · CM23 3NPPrimaryAges 3–11No usable overall gradeDate not supplied
St Mary's Catholic SchoolAcademy converter · CM23 2NQSecondaryAges 11–18No usable overall gradeDate not supplied
Bishop's Stortford CollegeOther independent school · CM23 2PQAges 3–18No usable overall gradeDate not supplied

A historical grade does not establish catchment eligibility, available places or suitability for a particular child. Source extraction dates are not inspection dates.

Department for Education · Historical overall grades 2009–2024 · GIAS 2026-09-01 + Ofsted 2026-07-31. Source details

What flood risk is mapped in Bishop's Stortford?

2.59% of Bishop's Stortford’s mapped land is in Flood Zone 3. Flood Zone 2 excluding Zone 3 covers 4.20%. Separately, 10.63% has at least a 1% annual chance of surface-water flooding in the source model. These are land-area measures, not a property-level assessment; do not add the two models together.

River and sea planning zones

Share of mapped town land · Flood Map for Planning
Flood Zone 32.59%
Flood Zone 2, excluding Zone 34.20%

Environment Agency · Flood Map for Planning Flood Zones, revision 20 May 2026. Source details

Surface-water flooding

Share of mapped town land · present-day RoFSW model
High modelled likelihood7.21%
Medium modelled likelihood3.42%
Low modelled likelihood7.73%

Environment Agency · NaFRA2 RoFSW v202509. Source details

Land coverage is not the percentage of homes expected to flood. Areas outside mapped bands are not guaranteed flood-free. Check the actual address before a purchase.

What broadband is available?

88.6%

of premises have gigabit-capable broadband available.

Fixed broadband availability
Gigabit-capable88.6%
Full fibre82.8%
Superfast · 30 Mbps or more99.2%
Premises without decent broadband0.0%
Premises in the dataset19,929

Availability is not measured speed or a guarantee of a particular package. Ofcom’s “decent broadband” measure is at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.

Ofcom · January 2026. Source details

Check broadband at your address

Compare available plans before you move.

Compare broadband →

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How energy-efficient are homes in Bishop's Stortford?

The dataset includes 11,386 domestic properties with a usable latest certificate. 69.3% are rated C or above.

Domestic EPC records
Mean energy-efficiency score74 · Band C
Rated C or above69.3%
Mean recorded CO₂ emissions2.8 tonnes / year
Properties represented11,386
View the EPC band distribution
Share of included properties by EPC band
Band A4.8%
Band B31.6%
Band C33.0%
Band D25.4%
Band E4.9%
Band F0.3%
Band G<0.1%

The latest certificate per property within the source’s ten-year validity window is used. These are assessed properties, not every home. Emissions are estimates, not measured household use.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · MHCLG domestic EPC register August 2026. Source details

Planning activity and local heritage

What do planning figures show?

The East Hertfordshire local planning authority received 1,300 applications in the published annual period. 81.2% of recorded decisions were approvals.

These are local-authority totals, not applications inside the town boundary. Approval rates use decisions as their denominator, not applications received. They do not predict approval for an individual proposal.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · MHCLG PS1/PS2 year to Mar 2026. Source details

Listed buildings

There are 109 listed-building records mapped to the town.

Mapped Historic England records
Grade I2
Grade II*5
Grade II102

For a particular property, check the official listing and the council’s conservation-area boundaries. A town count does not establish whether an address is designated.

Historic England · Listed buildings Sep 2026; conservation areas Jul 2025. Source details

Air quality and deprivation

What does the air-quality model show?

Area-weighted background concentrations · 2024
PM2.5 annual mean7.2 µg/m³
PM10 annual mean12.1 µg/m³
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) annual mean8.5 µg/m³

An annual background estimate is not today’s air quality or pollution beside a particular road. It cannot establish an individual’s exposure.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Defra PCM 2024. Source details

How should deprivation data be read?

Small-area deprivation context
Population-weighted mean IMD decile9.0
Constituent areas in deciles 1–33.9%
Constituent areas in deciles 8–1080.8%

Lower deciles indicate greater relative deprivation. The town mean is not an official national town rank or a judgement about individual residents; conditions vary within each town.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (corrected v2). Source details

Which towns are near Bishop's Stortford?

Scroll sideways to see all columns.

Nearby places · geographic distance, not travel time
TownDistanceMedian sold priceSales
BirchangerEssex1.6 miles away1.6 miles
SpellbrookHertfordshire2.3 miles away2.3 miles
Little HallingburyEssex2.4 miles away2.4 miles
Bury GreenHertfordshire2.4 miles away2.4 miles
Burton EndEssex2.6 miles away2.6 miles
Stansted MountfitchetEssex2.7 miles away2.7 miles£435,00095
Little HadhamHertfordshire3.2 miles away3.2 miles
ManudenEssex3.5 miles away3.5 miles
SawbridgeworthHertfordshire4.1 miles away4.1 miles£428,500130
SheeringEssex4.7 miles away4.7 miles

Distances describe geographic proximity, not a road journey or a public-transport connection. Price comparisons use the same published source period and require at least 20 sales; a dash means no eligible comparison, not a zero price.

Office for National Statistics · ONS BUA 2024 / LAD December 2025 / hierarchy April 2025. Source details

More questions about living in Bishop's Stortford

Is Bishop's Stortford a good place to live?

Bishop's Stortford is in Hertfordshire, East of England. Its recorded local authority is East Hertfordshire. Flats sold for a median £250,000, compared with £425,000 across all property types (12 months to July 2026). Gigabit-capable broadband was available to 88.6% of premises (January 2026). Whether it suits you comes down to the home and neighbourhood: compare the property you can afford, the schools relevant to your household and the checks needed at the exact address.

Where is Bishop's Stortford?

Bishop's Stortford is in Hertfordshire, East of England. Its recorded local authority is East Hertfordshire.

What is the population of Bishop's Stortford?

Bishop's Stortford has a population of 40,916 on the Census 2021, BUA24 geography; released May 2026 town geography used by Kerbside.

How much do homes sell for in Bishop's Stortford?

The median recorded sold price in Bishop's Stortford is £425,000, based on 505 transactions in the published 12-month window. This is not a current asking-price estimate or a measure of affordability relative to income.

Is Bishop's Stortford safe?

Kerbside does not classify Bishop's Stortford as safe or unsafe. The published 12-month Police.uk dataset records 82.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, including antisocial behaviour. Reporting, policing, visitor numbers and the source coverage all affect the figure.

How are schools rated in Bishop's Stortford?

12 of 12 schools with a recorded overall grade have a Good or Outstanding grade (100%). These are historical grades from inspections between 2018 and 2024, not new inspections in the source-download year.

What broadband coverage is available in Bishop's Stortford?

In Bishop's Stortford, 88.57% of premises have gigabit-capable coverage and 82.76% have full-fibre coverage. Availability at an individual address and the package a provider will sell there may differ.

What do EPC records show for homes in Bishop's Stortford?

Across 11,386 recorded domestic properties in Bishop's Stortford, 69.32% are rated C or above. The source keeps the latest certificate per property within its ten-year window; this does not represent every home or certify current running costs.

What mapped flood risk is shown for Bishop's Stortford?

2.59% of Bishop's Stortford’s mapped land is in Flood Zone 3. Flood Zone 2 excluding Zone 3 covers 4.20%. Separately, 10.63% has at least a 1% annual chance of surface-water flooding in the source model. These are land-area measures, not a property-level assessment; do not add the two models together.

Where the data comes from

Dates below distinguish the period represented by the data from when the source was collected and published here. How we use these sources

Locator mapStored town centroid · Natural Earth land outline

The point uses the town location retained by the controlled base-geography publication, including its documented legacy-centroid fallbacks. It is approximate and does not delineate the statistical boundary, flood risk or individual properties. Base-geography source

Generalised land outline: Natural Earth 1:50m countries, simplified for display; public domain. The map does not load third-party tiles or tracking.

Built-up areas and administrative geographyOffice for National Statistics · ONS BUA 2024 / LAD December 2025 / hierarchy April 2025
Data version
ONS BUA 2024 / LAD December 2025 / hierarchy April 2025
Source published
29 April 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
annual
Towns with a published result
7,099

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: 57acc0a8-b401-48c6-aab6-bbf71f0f8653. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Understanding towns in England and WalesOffice for National Statistics · Census 2021, BUA24 geography; released May 2026
Data version
Census 2021, BUA24 geography; released May 2026
Source published
15 May 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
3 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
3 September 2026
Refresh cadence
release-based
Towns with a published result
1,266

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: 9c95eeab-00b4-4a59-ba69-482644419c71. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Price Paid DataHM Land Registry · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data 2021-2026 through July 2026
Data version
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data 2021-2026 through July 2026
Source published
28 August 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
1 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
1 September 2026
Refresh cadence
monthly
Towns with a published result
6,150

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: b636c9b0-ad56-425a-864a-6c1c2b7b13ac. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Police.uk street-level crimeHome Office / Police.uk · 2026-06
Data version
2026-06
Source published
29 July 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
1 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
1 September 2026
Refresh cadence
monthly
Towns with a published result
6,260

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: 4d94afb3-682c-4003-9eef-f006b8451ce9. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Get Information About SchoolsDepartment for Education · GIAS 2026-09-01 + Ofsted 2026-07-31
Data version
GIAS 2026-09-01 + Ofsted 2026-07-31
Source published
1 September 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
1 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
1 September 2026
Refresh cadence
monthly
Towns with a published result
5,070

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: bfa454a5-2429-4fcf-9562-02ab8aec64e4. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Connected Nations fixed broadbandOfcom · Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 (January 2026, v2)
Data version
Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2026 (January 2026, v2)
Source published
7 July 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
1 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
1 September 2026
Refresh cadence
annual
Towns with a published result
6,250

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: 1de793a3-4b49-451e-b8e6-a53dabe9ff24. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Energy Performance CertificatesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · MHCLG domestic EPC register August 2026
Data version
MHCLG domestic EPC register August 2026
Source published
1 September 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
quarterly
Towns with a published result
6,336

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: fbe075dd-3890-4075-adcc-1af0da0943e5. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Flood Map for Planning - Flood ZonesEnvironment Agency · Flood Map for Planning Flood Zones, revision 20 May 2026
Data version
Flood Map for Planning Flood Zones, revision 20 May 2026
Source published
20 May 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
as needed
Towns with a published result
6,807

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: e315db85-8651-4532-b88f-b0f6233390a3. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Risk of Flooding from Surface WaterEnvironment Agency · NaFRA2 RoFSW v202509
Data version
NaFRA2 RoFSW v202509
Source published
17 September 2025
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
as needed
Towns with a published result
6,807

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: 5ebbae90-38ab-4f73-abc7-b515beec4ae8. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

District planning application statisticsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · MHCLG PS1/PS2 year to Mar 2026
Data version
MHCLG PS1/PS2 year to Mar 2026
Source published
19 June 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
quarterly
Towns with a published result
7,094

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: ef472acd-f430-4e09-a212-b3576567ee57. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Listed buildings and conservation areasHistoric England · Listed buildings Sep 2026; conservation areas Jul 2025
Data version
Listed buildings Sep 2026; conservation areas Jul 2025
Source published
2 September 2026
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
monthly
Towns with a published result
6,807

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: b6109497-cc70-4816-bd75-8bbd151d2bca. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

Modelled background pollution dataDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Defra PCM 2024
Data version
Defra PCM 2024
Source published
30 September 2025
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
annual
Towns with a published result
6,807

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: a9cb6fbd-3b88-4fc0-90b9-e3f8d751e96e. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.

English Indices of DeprivationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (corrected v2)
Data version
English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (corrected v2)
Source published
17 November 2025
Retrieved by Kerbside
2 September 2026
Published on Kerbside
2 September 2026
Refresh cadence
approximately every five years
Towns with a published result
3,793

Open original source · Open Government Licence v3.0

Publication reference: b9817fd7-2109-4c23-937f-7b5bc28b0d53. A published result is not a guarantee of complete local coverage.