Birchs Close, Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 9LU

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around LU7 9LU is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 49.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	49.6%	50.6%	1.0%	51.0%	-0.4%
Male	50.4%	49.4%	-1.0%	49.0%	0.4%

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 9LU there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 52.4% 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	30.9%	34.4%	3.5%	37.9%	-3.5%
Married: Opposite sex	50.9%	52.4%	1.5%	44.2%	8.2%
Separated	0.6%	2.2%	1.6%	2.2%	0.0%
Divorced	11.6%	7.4%	-4.2%	9.1%	-1.7%
Widowed	6.1%	3.6%	-2.5%	6.1%	-2.5%

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	44.7%	47.3%	2.6%	48.4%	-1.1%
Good health	36%	35.1%	-0.9%	33.6%	1.5%
Fair health	12.2%	11.6%	-0.6%	12.7%	-1.1%
Bad health	6.4%	4.4%	-2.0%	4.0%	0.4%
Very bad health	0.7%	1.5%	0.8%	1.2%	0.3%

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	26.3%	16.8%	-9.5%	18.2%	-1.4%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	14.7%	12%	-2.7%	9.6%	2.4%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15.3%	12.5%	-2.8%	13.4%	-0.9%
Apprenticeship	4.6%	6.2%	1.6%	5.3%	0.9%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.1%	21.1%	9.0%	16.9%	4.2%
Degree or Similar	23.1%	29.3%	6.2%	33.8%	-4.5%
Other	3.8%	2.2%	-1.6%	2.8%	-0.6%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 92.7% 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)
Bangladeshi	0%	0.6%	0.6%	1.1%	-0.5%
Chinese	0.2%	0.8%	0.6%	0.7%	0.1%
Indian	0.5%	1.2%	0.7%	3.1%	-1.9%
Other Asian	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	1.6%	-1.4%
Black African	1.4%	0.8%	-0.6%	2.5%	-1.7%
Black Caribbean	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	1.0%	-0.8%
Mixed White and Asian	0.9%	1.7%	0.8%	0.8%	0.9%
Mixed White and African	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%	0.0%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.5%	1.2%	0.7%	0.9%	0.3%
Mixed Other	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	0.8%	-0.8%
White	95.5%	92.7%	-2.8%	81.4%	11.3%
Arab	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0%	0.4%	0.4%	1.6%	-1.2%

Country of Birth

In this area, 92% 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	95.5%	92%	-3.5%	83.2%	8.8%
European Union	1.4%	4.6%	3.2%	6.1%	-1.5%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.8%	-0.2%
Africa	2.1%	1.7%	-0.4%	2.7%	-1.0%
Middle East and Asia	0.9%	1%	0.1%	5.6%	-4.6%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0%	0.2%	0.2%	1.3%	-1.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	93.4%	92.3%	-1.1%	83.2%	9.1%
10+ Years	0%	5.9%	5.9%	9.8%	-3.9%
5-10 Years	1.2%	0.8%	-0.4%	2.9%	-2.1%
2-5 Years	2.1%	0.6%	-1.5%	2.2%	-1.6%
Less than 2 years	3.3%	0.4%	-2.9%	1.9%	-1.5%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	82.5%	76.7%	5.8%
Ireland	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Lithuania	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Poland	1%	1.3%	-0.3%
Romania	1.5%	0.9%	0.6%
Other EU countries	0.6%	1.5%	-0.9%
Other Europe	0.6%	0.2%	0.4%
North America and the Caribbean	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
No passport held	12.4%	13.5%	-1.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	45%	37.2%	7.8%
Christian	47.3%	46.2%	1.1%
Hindu	1.1%	1.7%	-0.6%
Muslim	1%	6.5%	-5.5%
Not answered	5.6%	6.0%	-0.4%

Safety

Is Birchs Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Birchs Close was 99.1 per 1,000 residents, which is 62.8% higher than the Eaton Bray average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Birchs Close has the 8th highest crime rate of 31 local areas in Eaton Bray and the 140th highest crime rate of 871 local areas in Central Bedfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 52.2 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 4.6%.

🔎 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 9LU, 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 Birchs Close are based on 19 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 Birchs Close, Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 9LU

Estimated Average Property Prices for LU7 9LU

Average Price
£347,937

Semi-Detached
£345,015

Terraced
£340,730

Detached
£396,540

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Birchs Close

Average Price
£375,679

Semi-Detached
£364,828

Terraced
£248,722

Detached
£472,256

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Birchs CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
22 Birchs Close, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£330,000	2025-02-14	£338,209
20 Birchs Close, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£295,000	2024-10-31	£315,749
1 Birchs Close, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£333,000	2024-09-16	£357,616
1C Birchs Close, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£285,000	2024-07-17	£304,829
39 Birchs Close, Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£390,000	2023-05-12	£417,857

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for LU7 9LU

Employment

LU7 9LU area has a high level of entrepreneurship. Only 23% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 12% of population in this area is self-employed, while the average in the UK is 9.7%. High number of entrepreneurs usually leads to relatively high economic growth, higher paid jobs and better quality of life in the area.

LU7 9LU area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 3% 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	176
Retired	62
Part-Time Employee	51
Self-Employed	50
Long-Term Sick or disabled	22
Student (economically inactive)	21
Unemployed	14
Looking after home or family	13
Other	6
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	35
Construction	27
Manufacturing	21
Education	20
Information and communication	15
Human health and social work activities	14
Transport and storage	14
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	13
Administrative and support service activities	13
Other	13
Accommodation and food service activities	13
Professional, scientific and technical activities	10
Financial and insurance activities	6
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	4
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2
Mining and quarrying	1
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Hockliffe Lower School Woburn Road , Hockliffe LU7 9LL	4out of 4	478 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Stanbridge Lower School Tilsworth Road , Stanbridge LU7 9HY	3out of 4	2,602 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Beaudesert Lower School Appenine Way , LU7 3DX	3out of 4	4,092 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Toddington St George Church of England School Manor Road , Toddington LU5 6AJ	4out of 4	4,205 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Leedon Lower School Highfield Road , LU7 3LZ	2out of 4	4,843 yd	Community school	No	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	4,604 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Parkfields Middle School Park Road , Toddington LU5 6AB	- not rated	4,446 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Gilbert Inglefield Academy Vandyke Road , LU7 3FU	3out of 4	4,766 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Brooklands Middle School Brooklands Drive , LU7 3PF	3out of 4	4,985 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The White Hart	Watling Street, Hockliffe		107 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
McDonald's Restaurants Ltd	Watling Street, Hockliffe		113 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Hockliffe Football Pitches KILBY ROAD	grass pitches	156 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	52.6%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	52.6%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	52.6%

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	54.9 Mbit/s
Average download speed	91.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	11.6 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	16.4 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	115 Mbit/s

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