What it's like to live in Cheshunt

Families are well served for schools. Burleigh Primary School is about 0.2 miles away, with Dewhurst St Mary C E Primary, Millbrook School, Bonneygrove Primary School and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School all within 0.6 miles.

For older children, Goffs Academy and St Mary's High School are both under a mile, Haileybury Turnford is just under a mile, and Lea Valley Academy and Orchardside School are within two miles. That is an unusually tight cluster, so a family can often keep the same routine after a move within the town. Always check current admissions and Ofsted reports yourself.

Broxbourne skews slightly younger than England overall, with 19.7% of residents under 16, so there are plenty of children about. Cheshunt Library and Waltham Cross Library are both close for homework and rainy afternoons.

Trains are Cheshunt's strong card. Cheshunt station and Theobalds Grove are both about three quarters of a mile from the centre, with Waltham Cross a little over a mile away and Turkey Street and Enfield Lock within about two and a half miles. Having several stations to choose from gives you options if one line is disrupted.

Buses run from stops around the town, including at Cheshunt Police Station and outside both Theobalds Grove and Cheshunt stations, so you can pick up a service without a long walk from most parts of town.

On foot, the centre is walkable if you live close in: shops, library, pharmacies and parks are all within half a mile or so of each other. If you drive, the shopping centres at Brookfield and Pavilions have parking. Check your exact street, because Cheshunt spreads out and some pockets are further from a station than others.

Green space is easy to find. Whit Hern Park is just 0.2 miles from the centre, Grundy Park is 0.4 miles, and Moxom Avenue Open Space, Penton Drive Open Space and Flamstead End Recreation Ground are all within a short walk or a quick bus ride. None of them are grand, but they are the kind of everyday parks that get used.

For sport and fitness, Cheshunt Community Sports Park sits close to the centre, alongside Target Fitness, Lifestyle Fitness Cheshunt and Theobalds Health Club.

Shopping is a real feature: Brookfield Shopping Centre and Pavilions Shopping Centre are both about 1.2 miles out. For eating and drinking there are local pubs and places like the Crocodile, The Old English Gentleman and Reyna Brasserie. Late-night options are thinner and mostly a couple of miles away, such as Belini Lounge and The River Garden.

Broxbourne is a working borough. Census figures for the council area show 60.8% of adults in work, above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment at 3.4%, just under the national 3.5%. By August 2026, 3.3% of 16 to 64 year olds were claiming unemployment-related benefits, compared with 4% across England.

Locally, the shopping centres, supermarkets, schools, health services and gyms in and around the town are visible sources of jobs. Plenty of people also commute, and the choice of stations makes travelling to work by train realistic without a car.

The age profile is solidly working-age, with 27.2% aged 25 to 44 and 26.1% aged 45 to 64, which gives the town its busy, weekday feel.

Cheshunt's housing is mostly owner-occupied. Across the Broxbourne council area, 68.6% of homes are owned, 16% are privately rented and 14.3% are social rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Council housing is a small slice at 3.5%, with housing associations holding 10.7%.

That means most social tenants here have a housing association landlord. B3 Living Limited is by far the biggest with 4,143 homes, followed by Peabody Trust with 813, Paradigm Homes with 392, Metropolitan Housing Trust with 264 and Sanctuary Housing Association with 145.

Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £120 for a one bed, £139 for two beds and £159 for three beds. Because social stock is relatively tight, swaps in Cheshunt can be worth holding out for.