What's the air quality in Epping Forest? NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
In 2025 the average resident of Epping Forest lived with background NO₂ of 12.3 µg/m³, Very High for England and Wales and 1.2 times the WHO guideline of 10. PM2.5 was 8.9 µg/m³, Very High for England and Wales and 1.8 times the WHO guideline of 5. The typical area in England and Wales has NO₂ of 7.2 and PM2.5 of 7.4 µg/m³.
- PM2.5
- 8.9 µg/m³
- NO₂ for England and Wales
- Very High
- Figures for
- 2025 annual average
Modelled background levels averaged over where residents live (Census 2021), not roadside levels. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025. How we calculate this
All house prices in Epping ForestIs the air quality good in Epping Forest?
Background NO₂ in Epping Forest is 12.3 µg/m³, 1.2 times the WHO guideline of 10, and higher than the typical area (7.2). That puts it in the Very High band. Background PM2.5 in Epping Forest is 8.9 µg/m³, 1.8 times the WHO guideline of 5, and higher than the typical area (7.4). That puts it in the Very High band. Most of England and Wales is above the WHO guideline for PM2.5, so the bands compare places with each other rather than giving a pass or fail.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): 12.3 µg/m³
NO₂ level is Very High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Very High means the highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for NO₂.
| Very Low | up to 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Low | 4.7 to 6.5 |
| Typical | 6.5 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 9.2 |
| Very High | over 9.2 |
WHO guideline: 10 µg/m³ (in the Very High band). UK legal limit: 40 µg/m³.
Fine particles (PM2.5): 8.9 µg/m³
PM2.5 level is Very High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Very High means the highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for PM2.5.
| Very Low | up to 6.0 |
|---|---|
| Low | 6.0 to 7.2 |
| Typical | 7.2 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 8.2 |
| Very High | over 8.2 |
WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³ (in the Very Low band). UK legal limit: 20 µg/m³, with a target of 10 µg/m³ in England by 2040.
The bands split every area we cover into fifths by its level, from Very Low to Very High. The map uses the same colours.
Which part of Epping Forest has the cleanest air?
Willingale has the lowest background NO₂ of the 28 areas of Epping Forest, at 9.3 µg/m³. Theydon Garnon has the highest, at 14.9 µg/m³. Average house prices are shown alongside, so you can weigh air quality against cost.
| Area | NO₂ | PM2.5 | NO₂ band | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WillingaleVery High | 9.3 | 8.4 | Very High | £933,300 |
| Abbess, Beauchamp and Berners RodingVery High | 9.5 | 8.5 | Very High | £885,000 |
| FyfieldVery High | 9.6 | 8.5 | Very High | £695,277 |
| Little LaverVery High | 9.8 | 8.6 | Very High | £2,150,000 |
| MoretonVery High | 9.9 | 8.6 | Very High | £1,005,000 |
| High OngarVery High | 10.1 | 8.6 | Very High | £758,600 |
| BobbingworthVery High | 10.3 | 8.7 | Very High | £475,000 |
| High LaverVery High | 10.4 | 8.7 | Very High | £807,500 |
| Magdalen LaverVery High | 10.5 | 8.7 | Very High | — |
| OngarVery High | 10.7 | 8.7 | Very High | £437,122 |
| Stanford RiversVery High | 10.8 | 8.7 | Very High | £874,833 |
| MatchingVery High | 10.8 | 8.7 | Very High | £815,772 |
| Stapleford AbbottsVery High | 10.9 | 8.8 | Very High | £844,902 |
| Epping UplandVery High | 11.0 | 8.7 | Very High | £527,900 |
| RoydonVery High | 11.1 | 8.7 | Very High | £637,000 |
| NazeingVery High | 11.3 | 8.8 | Very High | £644,446 |
| North Weald BassettVery High | 11.3 | 8.9 | Very High | £536,773 |
| LambourneVery High | 11.8 | 8.8 | Very High | £494,500 |
| SheeringVery High | 12.0 | 8.9 | Very High | £369,600 |
| ChigwellVery High | 12.4 | 8.8 | Very High | £834,175 |
| EppingVery High | 12.4 | 9.0 | Very High | £587,217 |
| Theydon BoisVery High | 12.6 | 9.0 | Very High | £938,377 |
| LoughtonVery High | 12.8 | 8.9 | Very High | £581,565 |
| Stapleford TawneyVery High | 12.8 | 9.1 | Very High | — |
| Buckhurst HillVery High | 12.9 | 8.8 | Very High | £684,932 |
| Waltham AbbeyVery High | 13.2 | 8.9 | Very High | £400,297 |
| Theydon MountVery High | 13.4 | 9.2 | Very High | £1,475,000 |
| Theydon GarnonVery High | 14.9 | 9.3 | Very High | — |
Levels in µg/m³, 2025 annual average.
How does air quality in Epping Forest compare with nearby areas?
Background NO₂ in Epping Forest compared with the 6 nearest other areas in Essex.
Epping Forest vs Harlow
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Harlow
- NO₂ 12.0 µg/m³
Open comparison
Epping Forest vs Brentwood
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Brentwood
- NO₂ 11.4 µg/m³
Open comparison
Epping Forest vs Chelmsford
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Chelmsford
- NO₂ 10.6 µg/m³
Open comparison
Epping Forest vs Basildon
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Basildon
- NO₂ 11.8 µg/m³
Open comparison
Epping Forest vs Uttlesford
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Uttlesford
- NO₂ 9.8 µg/m³
Open comparison
Epping Forest vs Woodham Walter
- Epping Forest
- NO₂ 12.3 µg/m³
- Woodham Walter
- NO₂ 9.0 µg/m³
Open comparison
Does this include busy roads?
No. These are background levels: yearly averages over 1 km squares, away from the immediate influence of roads. Right beside a busy road in Epping Forest, NO₂ can be much higher. Councils publish roadside monitoring in their annual air quality reports.
What else do people ask about Epping Forest?
More quick answers on house prices, sales, areas, green space, crime, air quality and listed buildings in Epping Forest.
- What is the average house price in Epping Forest?
- When did average house prices in Epping Forest reach their peak?
- How many properties are being sold in Epping Forest?
- What type of properties are sold in Epping Forest?
- What price range do most homes sell for in Epping Forest?
- What is the most expensive (and cheapest) area of Epping Forest?
- How many parks and green spaces are in Epping Forest?
- What is the crime rate in Epping Forest?
- How many listed buildings are in Epping Forest?
- How do Epping Forest house prices compare with another area?
Where does this data come from?
Price information is from HM Land Registry, location boundaries are from OpenStreetMap, and households and population are from Nomis Census 2021 postcode estimates (21 March 2021). Parks and green space are from OS Open Greenspace. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Crime is from police.uk street-level data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: police.uk. Listed buildings and scheduled monuments are from Historic England and Cadw, and conservation areas from planning.data.gov.uk. © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: planning.data.gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Air quality is from Defra modelled background pollution maps. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025.
Last updated 11 November 2026 at 01:14 with the latest Land Registry data (September 2026). The Epping Forest dataset covers 5,034 postcodes.
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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