Thrift Road, Heath And Reach, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0AX

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around LU7 0AX is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 48.8%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	52.3%	51.2%	-1.1%	51.0%	0.2%
Male	47.7%	48.8%	1.1%	49.0%	-0.2%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

In the immediate vicinity of LU7 0AX there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 53.4% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	19.1%	23.7%	4.6%	37.9%	-14.2%
Married: Opposite sex	57.4%	53.4%	-4.0%	44.2%	9.2%
Married: Same sex	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	0.3%	-0.3%
Civil partnership: Same sex	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.1%	0.7%
Separated	1.3%	2%	0.7%	2.2%	-0.2%
Divorced	13.2%	13.4%	0.2%	9.1%	4.3%
Widowed	8.1%	6.7%	-1.4%	6.1%	0.6%

Health

Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.

Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	40.5%	35.6%	-4.9%	48.4%	-12.8%
Good health	39.1%	35.9%	-3.2%	33.6%	2.3%
Fair health	16.8%	19%	2.2%	12.7%	6.3%
Bad health	2.2%	6.8%	4.6%	4.0%	2.8%
Very bad health	1.4%	2.7%	1.3%	1.2%	1.5%

Education and Qualifications

During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	31.1%	24.6%	-6.5%	18.2%	6.4%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	12.3%	7.9%	-4.4%	9.6%	-1.7%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	8.5%	15.1%	6.6%	13.4%	1.7%
Apprenticeship	4.7%	9.5%	4.8%	5.3%	4.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9.4%	15.1%	5.7%	16.9%	-1.8%
Degree or Similar	28.5%	25.4%	-3.1%	33.8%	-8.4%
Other	5.5%	2.4%	-3.1%	2.8%	-0.4%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 94.9% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	0%	0.7%	0.7%	0.7%	0.0%
Indian	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	3.1%	-3.1%
Pakistani	0%	0.7%	0.7%	2.7%	-2.0%
Other Asian	0.4%	1%	0.6%	1.6%	-0.6%
Other Black	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Mixed White and Asian	0.7%	0.7%	0.0%	0.8%	-0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.9%	0.5%
White	98.6%	94.9%	-3.7%	81.4%	13.5%
Other	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.6%	-1.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 95.6% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	97.5%	95.6%	-1.9%	83.2%	12.4%
European Union	0.7%	0.7%	0.0%	6.1%	-5.4%
Africa	1.1%	0%	-1.1%	2.7%	-2.7%
Middle East and Asia	0.4%	2.7%	2.3%	5.6%	-2.9%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0%	1%	1.0%	1.3%	-0.3%
British Overseas	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.0%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	97.1%	95.6%	-1.5%	83.2%	12.4%
10+ Years	0%	3.4%	3.4%	9.8%	-6.4%
2-5 Years	0.7%	1%	0.3%	2.2%	-1.2%
Less than 2 years	2.2%	0%	-2.2%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	74.7%	76.7%	-2.0%
Southern Asia	1%	1.2%	-0.2%
South-East Asia	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
No passport held	23.9%	13.5%	10.4%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	35.9%	37.2%	-1.3%
Christian	56.9%	46.2%	10.7%
Buddhist	3.1%	0.5%	2.6%
Jewish	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Muslim	0.7%	6.5%	-5.8%
Not answered	3.1%	6.0%	-2.9%

Safety

Is Thrift Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Thrift Road was 55.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 9.1% lower than the Eaton Bray average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Thrift Road has the 16th lowest crime rate of 31 local areas in Eaton Bray and the 364th highest crime rate of 871 local areas in Central Bedfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 29.5 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -48.4%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 77% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£54,000

Income Rank
8/10

Household Income in LU7 0AX, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below average )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 3/10 (low )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 5/10 (average )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 7/10 (above average )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 5/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 2/10 (very low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Thrift Road are based on 9 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for South Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Thrift Road, Heath And Reach, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0AX

Estimated Average Property Prices for LU7 0AX

Average Price
£353,761

Semi-Detached
£361,953

Terraced
£288,228

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Thrift Road

Average Price
£356,361

Semi-Detached
£364,450

Terraced
£291,646

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Thrift Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
42 Thrift Road, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£385,000	2024-07-24	£420,981
10 Thrift Road, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£260,000	2021-04-12	£317,610
32 Thrift Road, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£261,000	2016-07-20	£349,660
44 Thrift Road, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£227,000	2015-09-04	£340,500
42 Thrift Road, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£246,000	2014-11-04	£407,292

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for LU7 0AX

Employment

LU7 0AX area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 1% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. A low level of unemployment in an area indicates a strong job market, where most people who are seeking work can find employment. This generally reflects a healthy economy in the area.

The percentage of retired residents living in LU7 0AX area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 34% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	87
Full-Time Employee	74
Part-Time Employee	30
Self-Employed	23
Long-Term Sick or disabled	16
Other	8
Looking after home or family	8
Student (economically inactive)	6
Unemployed	2
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	34
Human health and social work activities	15
Manufacturing	12
Education	12
Construction	9
Transport and storage	9
Financial and insurance activities	8
Administrative and support service activities	7
Information and communication	6
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	5
Other	4
Accommodation and food service activities	4
Professional, scientific and technical activities	3
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	3
Real estate activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Mining and quarrying	1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Leonards, Heath and Reach, VA Lower School Thrift Road , Heath and Reach LU7 0AX	4out of 4	181 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Heathwood Lower School Heath Road , LU7 3AU	3out of 4	1,444 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Dovery Down Lower School Heath Road , LU7 3AG	4out of 4	1,679 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
High Ash Church of England Primary School Pound Hill , Great Brickhill MK17 9AS	4out of 4	2,814 yd	Voluntary controlled school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Rushmere Park Academy East Street , LU7 1EW	3out of 4	2,924 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Vandyke Upper School Vandyke Road , LU7 3DY	3out of 4	2,651 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Cedars Upper School Mentmore Road , Linslade LU7 2AE	3out of 4	4,858 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Gilbert Inglefield Academy Vandyke Road , LU7 3FU	3out of 4	2,715 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Leighton Middle School Church Square , LU7 1EX	3out of 4	3,730 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Brooklands Middle School Brooklands Drive , LU7 3PF	3out of 4	3,871 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Linslade School Mentmore Road , Linslade LU7 2PA	3out of 4	4,686 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Oak Bank School Sandy Lane , LU7 3BE	4out of 4	1,240 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tracy's Cafe	Stockgrove Country Park, Brickhill Road		894 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Heath Inn	76 Woburn Road, Heath And Reach	406 yd
The Axe & Compass	23 Leighton Road, Heath And Reach	641 yd
The Dukes	7-9 Leighton Road, Heath And Reach	641 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Thrift Road Playing Field (Closed) Thrift Road	grass pitches	118 yd
Bryants Lane Sports Field WOBURN ROAD	grass pitches, tennis courts	773 yd
Rushmere Country Park LINSLADE ROAD	cycling	861 yd
Oak Bank School SANDY LANE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	1,084 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	100.0%

Speed Aviability

Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s	0.0%

Download Speed

Median download speed	70.6 Mbit/s
Average download speed	96.5 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	18.2 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	49.3 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	1000 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.