North Hertfordshire

North Hertfordshire scores 990 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 130th of 361 local authorities and 10 points below the UK benchmark. It ranks 4th of 10 authorities in Hertfordshire and sits 6 points above the county average. Across all four pillars, the district's strongest relative position is on Investment, where it ranks 94th nationally.

  • Top pillar: Investment
  • Biggest opportunity: Scaling
  • 9,155 active companies

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The composite score combines four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively, drawing on company-level data across 9,155 active companies with corporate groups counted once.

Because each score is averaged across a district's companies rather than summed, it reflects how active those companies are on each measure, not the overall size of the local economy. That makes it a fair basis for comparing North Hertfordshire with much larger or smaller authorities.

The UK benchmark is set at 1,000, so North Hertfordshire's composite of 990 places it just below the national average. The likely range of 976 to 1,004 shows how much the score could shift with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.

East of England

Each dot shows the pillar score on a scale where the UK as a whole scores 1,000, marked by the line. The paler band is the likely range. The composite weights Innovation, Scaling and Investment 30% each and ESG 10%.

  • Innovation 30%1,001Above average nationally
  • Scaling 30%989Average nationally
  • Investment 30%973Above average nationally
  • ESG 10%1,008Average nationally

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Pillar breakdown

How North Hertfordshire's composite score of 990 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

1,001

Above average nationally

+1 points against the UK · Likely range 980–1,022 · 30% of the composite

Innovation captures R&D grant value, patents, academic spinout status, and tagging within innovative sectors and IS-8 sectors. North Hertfordshire scores 1,001 on this pillar, 1 point above the UK benchmark, ranking 109th of 361 authorities and placing it in the top third nationally. That marginal outperformance suggests its companies are broadly in line with, and slightly ahead of, the national picture on innovation activity.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Patents25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Granted patent families filed in the last 20 years, held anywhere in the corporate group (capped, log scale).

  • Academic spinouts25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a university spinout.

  • R&D grant value25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Value of R&D grants received in the last five years: Innovate UK, EU programmes and other grants for R&D (capped, log scale).

  • Innovative sectors15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any industry or buzzword on a curated list of innovative sectors, for example chips, biotechnology, quantum, AI, data, SaaS, FinTech and CleanTech. About 2.5% of companies.

  • IS-8 sectors10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any of the eight IS-8 sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, professional and business services, and defence. About 18% of companies.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Scaling

989

Average nationally

−11 points against the UK · Likely range 965–1,013 · 30% of the composite

Scaling covers scaleup status, headcount growth and accelerator attendance. North Hertfordshire's score of 989 is 11 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 208th of 360 authorities. That places it in the lower half nationally, indicating its companies are adding staff and reaching scaleup thresholds at a somewhat slower rate than the UK average.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Scaleups45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a 20% scaleup (Beauhurst high-growth signal).

  • Headcount growth45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Annualised three-year employee growth rate over the latest four years of accounts, including group accounts, for companies with five or more employees at the start (capped). All other companies count as zero.

  • Accelerator10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company has attended an accelerator.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Investment

973

Above average nationally

−27 points against the UK · Likely range 944–1,002 · 30% of the composite

Investment measures equity raising activity, including first-time raisers and the value of equity raised in the last five years. At 973, North Hertfordshire's Investment score sits 27 points below the UK benchmark, yet it still ranks 94th of 360 authorities, outperforming 73.9% of all local authorities. The score reflects a base of companies with meaningful equity activity relative to most of the country, even if that activity remains below the national average in intensity.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Equity raisers40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company raised equity in the last five years.

  • Equity raised40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Amount of equity raised in the last five years (capped, log scale).

  • First-time raisers20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company's first equity deal ever was in the last five years. A first-time raiser always counts as an equity raiser too.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

ESG

1,008

Average nationally

+8 points against the UK · Likely range 989–1,027 · 10% of the composite

ESG covers clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals, and not-for-profit proxy status. North Hertfordshire scores 1,008 here, 8 points above the UK benchmark, ranking 192nd of 361 authorities. Its companies are performing slightly above the national level on these measures, though the rank suggests the margin over many peers is modest.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Clean energy30%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in clean or renewable energy, or clean technology.

  • Other green activity20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in green buildings and infrastructure, green transport, or sustainable farming and food.

  • Environmental accolades20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has an environmental accolade, including completed Innovate UK clean growth grants.

  • Social and governance15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has a gender pay equality signal from a report in the last five years, a director gender equality signal, or a social accolade.

  • Not-for-profit proxy15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Is limited by guarantee without share capital, a rough indicator of non-profit status.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Compared to Hertfordshire

The chart below shows how North Hertfordshire's composite score and pillar scores compare with neighbouring authorities in Hertfordshire.

Dots share one axis across the site. The line marks the UK benchmark of 1,000; differences are in points.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about North Hertfordshire's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

Read the methodology
What is North Hertfordshire's overall score on the UK Local Growth Index?

North Hertfordshire scores 990, placing it 130th of 361 local authorities and 10 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.

How does North Hertfordshire compare with the rest of Hertfordshire?

It ranks 4th of 10 authorities in Hertfordshire and scores 6 points above the county average of 984. The highest-scoring authority in the county is Stevenage, with a score of 1,030.

How does North Hertfordshire perform on Innovation?

Its Innovation score of 1,001 is 1 point above the UK benchmark, ranking 109th of 361 authorities and placing it in the top third nationally.

What is North Hertfordshire's strongest pillar?

Investment is its strongest pillar by national rank, placing 94th of 360 authorities and outperforming 73.9% of all local authorities, despite its score of 973 sitting 27 points below the UK benchmark.

How many companies are counted in North Hertfordshire's scores?

The scores are based on 9,155 active companies, with corporate groups counted once rather than as individual registered entities.

Why is the likely range shown alongside North Hertfordshire's score?

The likely range, 976 to 1,004 for the composite, shows how much the score could move with a slightly different mix of companies. Scores are only published when this range is narrow enough to rely on.

Explore the data behind the index

Every score on this page is built from real, named company activity, patent filings, fundraisings, spinouts and scaleups. Book a call to see the data behind any authority's score, and how Beauhurst can support your work.

Book a call with Beauhurst