Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2PL

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding LU7 2PL has a slightly higher male population, with 51.4% of residents being male. Several factors can contribute to this, including areas with industries or sectors that predominantly employ men, proximity to universities or technical schools with a higher enrollment of male students, presence of all-male or predominantly male institutions (military academies, boarding schools).

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	50%	48.6%	-1.4%	51.0%	-2.4%
Male	50%	51.4%	1.4%	49.0%	2.4%

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 2PL there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 58.7% 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	25.9%	28%	2.1%	37.9%	-9.9%
Married: Opposite sex	60.3%	58.7%	-1.6%	44.2%	14.5%
Separated	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	2.2%	-2.2%
Divorced	8.2%	7.5%	-0.7%	9.1%	-1.6%
Widowed	4.2%	5.7%	1.5%	6.1%	-0.4%

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.

This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (85.7%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	51.1%	48.1%	-3.0%	48.4%	-0.3%
Good health	38.5%	37.6%	-0.9%	33.6%	4.0%
Fair health	8.5%	11%	2.5%	12.7%	-1.7%
Bad health	1.4%	3.1%	1.7%	4.0%	-0.9%
Very bad health	0.5%	0.2%	-0.3%	1.2%	-1.0%

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	14.9%	15.1%	0.2%	18.2%	-3.1%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	13%	7.3%	-5.7%	9.6%	-2.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	19.2%	18.4%	-0.8%	13.4%	5.0%
Apprenticeship	3.9%	6.3%	2.4%	5.3%	1.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.7%	13%	0.3%	16.9%	-3.9%
Degree or Similar	31.5%	36.6%	5.1%	33.8%	2.8%
Other	4.8%	3.3%	-1.5%	2.8%	0.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 92.3% 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%	1.2%	1.2%	0.7%	0.5%
Indian	2.5%	0.7%	-1.8%	3.1%	-2.4%
Other Asian	0%	0.2%	0.2%	1.6%	-1.4%
Black African	0.2%	0.7%	0.5%	2.5%	-1.8%
Black Caribbean	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	1.0%	-0.8%
Other Black	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.5%	0.0%
Mixed White and Asian	0.5%	1.7%	1.2%	0.8%	0.9%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1.1%	1.4%	0.3%	0.9%	0.5%
Mixed Other	0.7%	1%	0.3%	0.8%	0.2%
White	93.3%	92.3%	-1.0%	81.4%	10.9%
Other	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 94.2% 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	94.7%	94.2%	-0.5%	83.2%	11.0%
European Union	1.8%	1.7%	-0.1%	6.1%	-4.4%
Rest of Europe	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.8%	-0.8%
Africa	1.1%	1.7%	0.6%	2.7%	-1.0%
Middle East and Asia	1.1%	1.2%	0.1%	5.6%	-4.4%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.7%	1.2%	0.5%	1.3%	-0.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	94.5%	94.2%	-0.3%	83.2%	11.0%
10+ Years	0%	5.5%	5.5%	9.8%	-4.3%
5-10 Years	1.4%	0.2%	-1.2%	2.9%	-2.7%
2-5 Years	1.1%	0%	-1.1%	2.2%	-2.2%
Less than 2 years	3%	0%	-3.0%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	86.5%	76.7%	9.8%
Ireland	0.5%	0.6%	-0.1%
Italy	0.2%	0.6%	-0.4%
Spain	0.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Other EU countries	0.5%	1.5%	-1.0%
South-East Asia	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%
No passport held	11.5%	13.5%	-2.0%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	32%	37.2%	-5.2%
Christian	60.7%	46.2%	14.5%
Hindu	1.9%	1.7%	0.2%
Other religion	0.2%	0.6%	-0.4%
Not answered	5.1%	6.0%	-0.9%

Safety

Is Orchard Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Orchard Drive was 16.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 65.5% lower than the Leighton-Linslade West average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Orchard Drive has the 8th lowest crime rate of 33 local areas in Leighton-Linslade West and the 98th lowest crime rate of 871 local areas in Central Bedfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 2.3 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -48.8%.

🔎 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. 88% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£59,400

Income Rank
9/10

Household Income in LU7 2PL, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 1/10 (very low )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 8/10 (high )
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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 Orchard Drive are based on 26 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 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2PL

Estimated Average Property Prices for LU7 2PL

Average Price
£436,562

Semi-Detached
£375,458

Terraced
£384,044

Detached
£519,210

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Orchard Drive

Average Price
£437,005

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£393,226

Detached
£496,705

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Orchard DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
7 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£402,500	2025-03-28	£405,254
19 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£400,000	2025-03-14	£402,737
24 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£410,000	2025-03-06	£412,805
34 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£585,000	2023-08-17	£632,792
5 Orchard Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£386,200	2022-03-18	£434,839

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for LU7 2PL

Employment

LU7 2PL area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 2% 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	121
Retired	100
Part-Time Employee	45
Self-Employed	26
Looking after home or family	12
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	9
Unemployed	6
Long-Term Sick or disabled	6
Other	5
Student (economically inactive)	5

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	44
Education	37
Professional, scientific and technical activities	26
Human health and social work activities	21
Manufacturing	19
Construction	18
Administrative and support service activities	16
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	15
Financial and insurance activities	13
Other	11
Transport and storage	11
Information and communication	10
Accommodation and food service activities	8
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	4
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Linslade Lower School Leopold Road , Linslade LU7 2QU	3out of 4	587 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Southcott Lower School Bideford Green , Linslade LU7 2UA	3out of 4	877 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Greenleas School Derwent Road , Linslade LU7 2AB	4out of 4	1,148 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Pulford CofE VA Lower School Pulford Road , LU7 1AB	4out of 4	1,284 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
The Mary Bassett Lower School Bassett Road , LU7 1AR	3out of 4	1,325 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Cedars Upper School Mentmore Road , Linslade LU7 2AE	3out of 4	924 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Vandyke Upper School Vandyke Road , LU7 3DY	3out of 4	3,164 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The Cottesloe School Aylesbury Road , Wing LU7 0NY	3out of 4	3,988 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Linslade School Mentmore Road , Linslade LU7 2PA	3out of 4	694 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Leighton Middle School Church Square , LU7 1EX	3out of 4	1,203 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Brooklands Middle School Brooklands Drive , LU7 3PF	3out of 4	2,592 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Gilbert Inglefield Academy Vandyke Road , LU7 3FU	3out of 4	2,958 yd	Academy converter	No	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	3,194 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	Distance
Amanda Nolan	The Gables Masonic Hall, 132 Wing Road	203 yd
The Raj	5 Old Road, Linslade	661 yd
Golden Star	9 Wing Road, Linslade	661 yd
Indian Ocean Tandoori	13 Wing Road, Linslade	661 yd
Rustico Italian Bistro	7 New Road, Linslade	665 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Hare	10 Southcott Village, Linslade	176 yd
The Ship	90 Wing Road, Linslade	285 yd
The Buckingham Arms	92 Old Road, Linslade	661 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Linslade Fish Bar	43 Old Road, Linslade	661 yd
Turkish Delight	5 Wing Road, Linslade	661 yd
Eagle Pizza	3 Wing Road, Linslade	720 yd
Kebab Ye	24 Leighton Road, Linslade	774 yd
Sky 8	12 Bridge Street, Leighton Buzzard	1,078 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tesco	Vimy Road, Linslade		1,020 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
The Forster Institute WATERLOO ROAD		408 yd
Mentmore Park And Memorial Gardens Mentmore Road	grass pitches, tennis courts	593 yd
Linslade School MENTMORE ROAD	grass pitches	649 yd
Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre MENTMORE ROAD	health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool	666 yd
Cedars Upper School MENTMORE ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	730 yd
Energie Fitness Club (Leighton Buzzard) UNIT 2 UNIT 2 LEIGHTON ROAD	health and fitness suite	846 yd
Southcott Lower School BIDEFORD GREEN	grass pitches	965 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	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	0.0%

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	79 Mbit/s
Average download speed	64.8 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	80 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	80 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	16.6 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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