AREA DECISION REPORT

Waltham Forest area decision report

Proceed with trade-off checks

Median affordability sits at 11.9x in 2025, which reads as high-cost. Gigabit availability is 93.9% with median download at Unavailable. 4G strong coverage reaches 100% and 5G reaches 91.6% in the current area summary. Nearby planning activity is quiet in the current area radius. 3 featured postcodes are ready for deeper due-diligence follow-up.

Live across price, affordability, connectivity, planning, and postcode follow-up | Sold prices through 26 Jun 2026 · Affordability year 2025 · Broadband source year 2024 · Mobile source year 2025

  • Median sold price, last 5 years £500,000Based on 15,968 sales · Latest sale in data: 26 Jun 2026
  • Affordability High-costMedian ratio 11.9x in 2025
  • Gigabit availability 93.9%Ofcom source year 2024
  • 4G strong coverage 100%Area-level mobile source year 2025
  • Nearby planning QuietCurrent applications plus recent decisions linked to the area radius

Area summary

Use this summary to decide whether this shortlist survives, then move into postcode-level due diligence where the evidence looks strongest.

Affordability and price

High-cost at 11.9x

Median house-price-to-earnings ratio is 11.9x in 2025, with a median house price of £538,010 and residence earnings of £45,350.

Broadband

Gigabit 93.9%

Gigabit availability is 93.9%, with median download at Unavailable and below-USO share at 0.1%.

Mobile

4G 100% · 5G 91.6%

4G strong-coverage share is 100%, with 5G at 91.6% in the current area-level summary.

Planning watch

No nearby matches

No nearby planning rows matched Waltham Forest in the current live coverage yet.

Schools

63 nearby school rows

63 nearby school rows matched postcode area E17 3GY for Waltham Forest. Use the schools flow to compare them in more detail.

Transport

571 mapped stops

Waltham Forest currently links 571 mapped transport stops, including 531 local bus or tram access points and 27 rail or metro stops. Where NaPTAN status is present, 571 stops are marked active and 0 inactive. Top localities include Walthamstow (82), Leyton (67), Leytonstone (57).

Local business

Score 100/100

Waltham Forest currently links 1,648 mapped local businesses across 8 tracked categories. Top amenity groups include 637 food and drink, 340 grocery, 289 personal services. The current amenity availability signal scores 100/100.

Jobs

106,342 online job adverts observed

Waltham Forest sits in London. These are online job adverts for London as a whole, the smallest published geography covering Waltham Forest, so the figure describes the region rather than Waltham Forest itself. · Jun 2026. Same geography one year earlier: 133,444 online job adverts observed in Jun 2025.

Postcode follow-up

3 featured postcodes

3 featured postcodes are ready for deeper due-diligence follow-up under Waltham Forest.

Crime

Latest month 2,513

Waltham Forest recorded 2,513 crimes in Jun 2026. Rolling twelve month context shows 29,597, with a 5.6% fall against the prior twelve months and violence and sexual offences as the top recorded type. Metropolitan Police Service contributes the largest matched force share in the latest month.

Local business

This area-level OSM snapshot shows the amenity mix currently mapped around Waltham Forest, so you can judge everyday convenience before you spend more time on postcode-level checks.

Amenity availability

Convenience score 100/100

Basis: nearest matching geography. Area local-business counts use postcode tags first and nearest-postcode fallback when the OSM record has no usable postcode tag.

  • Scope: Area rollup for Waltham Forest
  • Freshness: Source seen 20 Apr 2026
  • Methodology: Open source notes

Amenity group

Food and drink

637 mapped places currently map into this amenity group, led by restaurant (232), cafe (220), fast food (185).

  • Restaurant: 232 mapped places
  • Cafe: 220 mapped places
  • Fast Food: 185 mapped places

Amenity group

Grocery

340 mapped places currently map into this amenity group, led by convenience (232), supermarket (54), bakery (26).

  • Convenience: 232 mapped places
  • Supermarket: 54 mapped places
  • Bakery: 26 mapped places

Amenity group

Personal services

289 mapped places currently map into this amenity group, led by hairdresser (206), beauty (83).

  • Hairdresser: 206 mapped places
  • Beauty: 83 mapped places

Amenity group

Retail

131 mapped places currently map into this amenity group, led by clothes (61), mobile phone (25), electronics (20).

  • Clothes: 61 mapped places
  • Mobile Phone: 25 mapped places
  • Electronics: 20 mapped places

Compare against another area

Keep at least one alternative area in view while you weigh cost, connectivity, planning pressure, and postcode follow-up coverage.

Featured area

Birmingham

Birmingham has 63,331 recorded sales with a median sold price of £220,400.

Open area research

Featured area

Leeds

Leeds has 60,832 recorded sales with a median sold price of £225,000.

Open area research

Featured area

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire has 59,996 recorded sales with a median sold price of £260,000.

Open area research

Postcodes worth checking next

These are the best current postcode follow-up routes from the live area brief, so use them to move from early shortlist thinking into deeper due diligence.

Featured postcode

E17 3GY

E17 3GY has 103 recorded sales with a median sold price of £500,000.

Open postcode research

Featured postcode

E17 7FQ

E17 7FQ has 82 recorded sales with a median sold price of £390,000.

Open postcode research

Featured postcode

E17 4PZ

E17 4PZ has 70 recorded sales with a median sold price of £318,000.

Open postcode research

School comparison

Compare nearby schools

Open side-by-side school comparison for Waltham Forest before you shortlist homes.

Open school comparison

Recommended tool

Check sold prices

Use the sold price comparator to pressure-test what local sales mean for your budget.

Open sold price comparator

Recommended tool

Check affordability

Use the affordability checker to see whether Waltham Forest still fits your income and deposit.

Open affordability checker

Recommended tool

Check planning nearby

Open planning watch for a faster view of live nearby applications and recent decisions.

Open planning watch

Recommended guide

Read area guides

Open move guides that help you compare neighbourhoods, trade-offs, and local risks.

Browse area guides

Recommended guide

Use area planners and templates

Open planners and templates like the area comparison sheet, school visit checklist, and before you move checklist while you narrow your shortlist.

Open planners and templates

Follow up action

Ask vetted agents

We can route your enquiry to vetted partner estate agents covering Waltham Forest.