Harpur Street, Bedford, MK40 1LA

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 1LA is primarily male, with 53.8% of the population 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	48.6%	46.2%	-2.4%	51.0%	-4.8%
Male	51.4%	53.8%	2.4%	49.0%	4.8%

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 area around MK40 1LA, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 76.5% of the residents. On average, approximately 38% of individuals who responded to the census in the UK were single. Areas with higher single populations are typically urban centers, university towns, regions with dynamic job markets, rich cultural offerings and entertainment facilities. These regions also tend to have a younger demographic.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	70.7%	76.5%	5.8%	37.9%	38.6%
Married: Opposite sex	16.5%	12.8%	-3.7%	44.2%	-31.4%
Separated	3.2%	2.2%	-1.0%	2.2%	0.0%
Divorced	7.4%	7.3%	-0.1%	9.1%	-1.8%
Widowed	2.1%	1.1%	-1.0%	6.1%	-5.0%

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 (91.2%) 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	46.2%	56.3%	10.1%	48.4%	7.9%
Good health	40.1%	34.9%	-5.2%	33.6%	1.3%
Fair health	10.8%	6.8%	-4.0%	12.7%	-5.9%
Bad health	2.8%	2.1%	-0.7%	4.0%	-1.9%

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.

This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 50.3%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	13.8%	16%	2.2%	18.2%	-2.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	11.2%	6.9%	-4.3%	9.6%	-2.7%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	17%	9.7%	-7.3%	13.4%	-3.7%
Apprenticeship	1.6%	4%	2.4%	5.3%	-1.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	22.9%	9.1%	-13.8%	16.9%	-7.8%
Degree or Similar	24.5%	50.3%	25.8%	33.8%	16.5%
Other	9%	4%	-5.0%	2.8%	1.2%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 61.1% of the residents identify as white, which is lower than the UK average of 81.4%, there are significant representations of other ethnic groups.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	1.1%	-1.1%
Chinese	1.4%	2.1%	0.7%	0.7%	1.4%
Indian	5.2%	2.1%	-3.1%	3.1%	-1.0%
Pakistani	1.4%	2.1%	0.7%	2.7%	-0.6%
Other Asian	0.9%	1%	0.1%	1.6%	-0.6%
Black African	3.8%	18.7%	14.9%	2.5%	16.2%
Black Caribbean	3.8%	2.6%	-1.2%	1.0%	1.6%
Mixed White and Asian	0.5%	1%	0.5%	0.8%	0.2%
Mixed White and African	1.9%	0%	-1.9%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1.4%	2.1%	0.7%	0.9%	1.2%
Mixed Other	1.4%	2.1%	0.7%	0.8%	1.3%
White	75.5%	61.1%	-14.4%	81.4%	-20.3%
Arab	0.5%	3.6%	3.1%	0.6%	3.0%
Other	1.4%	1.6%	0.2%	1.6%	0.0%

Country of Birth

In this area, just 43.1% of residents were born in the United Kingdom, meaning that the majority of residents originate from outside the UK.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	64.2%	43.1%	-21.1%	83.2%	-40.1%
European Union	19.3%	28.2%	8.9%	6.1%	22.1%
Rest of Europe	0.9%	3.1%	2.2%	0.8%	2.3%
Africa	5.2%	15.9%	10.7%	2.7%	13.2%
Middle East and Asia	8.5%	7.7%	-0.8%	5.6%	2.1%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.9%	1.5%	-0.4%	1.3%	0.2%
Oceania	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%

Length of Residence

In this area majority of residents originate from outside the UK. Only 43.1% of residents were born in the United Kingdom. 15.4% of residents have lived in the UK for 10 years or more.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	64.2%	43.1%	-21.1%	83.2%	-40.1%
10+ Years	21.2%	15.4%	-5.8%	9.8%	5.6%
5-10 Years	2.8%	12.3%	9.5%	2.9%	9.4%
2-5 Years	7.1%	14.4%	7.3%	2.2%	12.2%
Less than 2 years	4.7%	14.9%	10.2%	1.9%	13.0%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	48.2%	76.7%	-28.5%
France	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%
Italy	4.7%	0.6%	4.1%
Portugal	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Spain	2.6%	0.4%	2.2%
Lithuania	1.6%	0.3%	1.3%
Poland	4.1%	1.3%	2.8%
Romania	5.7%	0.9%	4.8%
Other EU countries	7.8%	1.5%	6.3%
Other Europe	1.6%	0.2%	1.4%
North Africa	1%	0.1%	0.9%
Central and Western Africa	6.2%	0.3%	5.9%
South and Eastern Africa	1.6%	0.2%	1.4%
Eastern Asia	2.1%	0.3%	1.8%
Southern Asia	2.6%	1.2%	1.4%
Central Asia	0.5%	0.0%	0.5%
North America and the Caribbean	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%
No passport held	7.8%	13.5%	-5.7%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	37.3%	37.2%	0.1%
Christian	43%	46.2%	-3.2%
Buddhist	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Hindu	1%	1.7%	-0.7%
Muslim	12.4%	6.5%	5.9%
Other religion	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
Not answered	3.6%	6.0%	-2.4%

Safety

Is Harpur Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Harpur Street was 1408.5 per 1,000 residents, which is 570.6% higher than the Castle & Newnham average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Harpur Street has the 3rd highest crime rate of 52 local areas in Castle & Newnham and the 3rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 808.5 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -58.0%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a similar level level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 59% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£47,300

Income Rank
6/10

Household Income in MK40 1LA, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 6/10 (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 - 6/10 (average )
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 - 5/10 (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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 7/10 (above average )
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 - 10/10 (very high )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 6/10 (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 - 9/10 (very high )
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) - 7/10 (above average )
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 Harpur Street are based on 57 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Bedford.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Harpur Street, Bedford, MK40 1LA

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 1LA

Average Price
£651,086

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£398,234

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
£714,299

Estimated Average Property Prices for Harpur Street

Average Price
£399,002

Semi-Detached
£514,745

Terraced
£532,308

Detached
£2,897,732

Flats/Maisonettes
£150,355

Other
£455,116

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Harpur Street

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
9 - 11 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£750,000	2022-10-26	£747,059
21 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£320,000	2018-11-28	£359,249
15 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£570,000	2017-05-02	£648,511
45 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£800,000	2014-10-31	£1,195,294
27 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£216,500	2012-09-21	£417,592

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 1LA

Employment

The percentage of student residents living in MK40 1LA area is much higher than the country's average. Usually places with high percentage of students are near Universities and near entertainment places.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	96
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	24
Part-Time Employee	16
Unemployed	13
Self-Employed	11
Other	8
Looking after home or family	7
Student (economically inactive)	6
Retired	3
Long-Term Sick or disabled	0

Employment Industry

Accommodation and food service activities	24
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	21
Manufacturing	15
Transport and storage	10
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9
Human health and social work activities	9
Administrative and support service activities	8
Education	8
Construction	6
Information and communication	5
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	4
Other	3
Professional, scientific and technical activities	3
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	1,449 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,733 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	365 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG	3out of 4	811 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Goldington Road , MK40 3EP	4out of 4	1,232 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Edith Cavell Primary School Manton Lane , MK41 7NH	3out of 4	1,314 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	1,485 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	717 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	1,655 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	2,010 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,096 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,671 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

16 plus

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford College Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AH	- not rated	592 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	607 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	646 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	931 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	979 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Rushmoor School 58-60 Shakespeare Road , MK45 2RS	- not rated	1,177 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Burger King	9-11 Harpur Street	2 yd
Mamma Concetta	35-37 Harpur Street	2 yd
Sandy's Shop	24 Harpur Street	30 yd
NOMAD CAFE	11 Church Arcade	55 yd
ACONCHEGO PORTUGUES	4 Church Arcade	61 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Bar Citrus	29 Harpur Street	2 yd
The Bear	The Bear, 92 High Street	119 yd
The Cellar Bar	Basement, 75 High Street	167 yd
Brewhouse And Kitchen	115-117 High Street	178 yd
Six's	2 Lurke Street	198 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Tops Pizza - Bedford	21 Harpur Street	2 yd
Cakes Re-Volution	35-37 Harpur Street	2 yd
Elevenses	1 Lime Street	91 yd
Millennium Kebab	80a High Street	119 yd
Doorstep Dolci High Street LTD	94 High Street	119 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	15-19 Greenhill Street	200 yd
Tesco	63 High Street	216 yd
Liana International Market	59 Midland Road	239 yd
Essential Supermarket	10-11 Thurlow Street	257 yd
BQUALITY AFRICA MINI MARKET	Flat D, Broadway Apartments, 30 The Broadway	267 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	103 yd
Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET	artificial grass pitch	249 yd
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	335 yd
Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET		347 yd
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	478 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	481 yd
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	517 yd
Bedford School DE PARYS AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts	606 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		639 yd
Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor bowls	751 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	70.6%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	64.7%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	64.7%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	64.7%

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	29.4%

Download Speed

Median download speed	23.9 Mbit/s
Average download speed	29.1 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	66.72 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	66.72 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	1.2 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	4.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	16.23 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 1LA