The three most expensive districts for house prices in the Eastern England are all in south west Hertfordshire after lockdown caused "significant lifestyle changes”.
May figures, from Zoopla, show that St Albans has the highest average house price in the region with an average of £606,900, followed by Three Rivers at £573,800, and Hertsmere at £526,1000.
Homeowners in the areas have also experienced recent price growth, with average rates year on year between 5.4% and 6.1% across the districts.
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Rickmansworth estate agent Trend and Thomas sells property in Watford but primarily in the surrounding areas.
Sales manager Joseph Freeth said: “I’m not surprised by this data at all, there have been significant lifestyle changes and people need more space and bigger gardens.
“There is normally a steady stream of families moving out of London, but we are seeing people move out much sooner.
“Where they were going into the office five days a week, they are now going in two or three days a week.”
Zoopla said the data highlights how localised the housing market across England and Wales is, with prices often reflecting the housing stock available in an area.
Head of research at Zoopla Gráinne Gilmore said: "The impact of the pandemic, the reassessment of home that followed and the supply and demand imbalance is still being felt in a wide range of locations across the country, with pockets across many regions in the UK still recording double digit house price growth."
Mr Freeth added: “There is demand across the board, but the bigger properties, circa £1million are maybe the most popular and it might be a little harder to sell flats.
“We also see pockets of concentrated demand around school catchment areas and stations, as London is still a big part of people’s lives.”
Within Watford, the number of homes sold rose from 884 in 2020 to 1,252 last year, according to the ONS.
However, there are signs the market may be beginning to slow.
Ms Gilmore added: “Factors including the increasing cost of living, increasing mortgage rates for buyers and a cloudier economic outlook will act as a brake on house price growth throughout the rest of the year."
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