Commercial Road, Bedford, MK40 1QS

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 1QS is primarily male, with 53.3% 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	43.3%	46.7%	3.4%	51.0%	-4.3%
Male	56.7%	53.3%	-3.4%	49.0%	4.3%

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 1QS, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 45.6% 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	50.4%	45.6%	-4.8%	37.9%	7.7%
Married: Opposite sex	34.8%	38.6%	3.8%	44.2%	-5.6%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
Separated	4.3%	4.6%	0.3%	2.2%	2.4%
Divorced	5.9%	6.9%	1.0%	9.1%	-2.2%
Widowed	4.7%	3.9%	-0.8%	6.1%	-2.2%

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	49.2%	55.9%	6.7%	48.4%	7.5%
Good health	32.9%	25.3%	-7.6%	33.6%	-8.3%
Fair health	11%	13.1%	2.1%	12.7%	0.4%
Bad health	5%	5%	0.0%	4.0%	1.0%
Very bad health	1.9%	0.6%	-1.3%	1.2%	-0.6%

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	21.1%	19.7%	-1.4%	18.2%	1.5%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	9%	10.8%	1.8%	9.6%	1.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	9.8%	8.9%	-0.9%	13.4%	-4.5%
Apprenticeship	2%	5%	3.0%	5.3%	-0.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	11.3%	9.3%	-2.0%	16.9%	-7.6%
Degree or Similar	34.4%	42.5%	8.1%	33.8%	8.7%
Other	12.5%	3.9%	-8.6%	2.8%	1.1%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 45.2% 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	10%	5%	-5.0%	1.1%	3.9%
Chinese	0.9%	2.2%	1.3%	0.7%	1.5%
Indian	5.6%	12.1%	6.5%	3.1%	9.0%
Pakistani	8.5%	7.5%	-1.0%	2.7%	4.8%
Other Asian	7.2%	1.9%	-5.3%	1.6%	0.3%
Black African	5%	12.8%	7.8%	2.5%	10.3%
Black Caribbean	1.6%	1.2%	-0.4%	1.0%	0.2%
Other Black	0.3%	0.9%	0.6%	0.5%	0.4%
Mixed White and Asian	0.3%	1.2%	0.9%	0.8%	0.4%
Mixed White and African	1.3%	1.9%	0.6%	0.4%	1.5%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	0.9%	-0.6%
Mixed Other	0.9%	0.3%	-0.6%	0.8%	-0.5%
White	54.2%	45.2%	-9.0%	81.4%	-36.2%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.1%	-0.1%
Roma	0%	1.2%	1.2%	0.2%	1.0%
Arab	0%	2.2%	2.2%	0.6%	1.6%
Other	3.4%	4%	0.6%	1.6%	2.4%

Country of Birth

In this area, just 46.4% 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	54.5%	46.4%	-8.1%	83.2%	-36.8%
European Union	16.9%	17.2%	0.3%	6.1%	11.1%
Rest of Europe	1.6%	2.2%	0.6%	0.8%	1.4%
Africa	5.3%	10%	4.7%	2.7%	7.3%
Middle East and Asia	21%	21.9%	0.9%	5.6%	16.3%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.6%	2.2%	1.6%	1.3%	0.9%

Length of Residence

In this area majority of residents originate from outside the UK. Only 46.4% of residents were born in the United Kingdom. 15.6% 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	53.9%	46.3%	-7.6%	83.2%	-36.9%
10+ Years	10.3%	15.6%	5.3%	9.8%	5.8%
5-10 Years	11.9%	13.4%	1.5%	2.9%	10.5%
2-5 Years	11.3%	10.3%	-1.0%	2.2%	8.1%
Less than 2 years	12.5%	14.4%	1.9%	1.9%	12.5%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	47.5%	76.7%	-29.2%
Italy	6.5%	0.6%	5.9%
Portugal	0.9%	0.5%	0.4%
Spain	1.2%	0.4%	0.8%
Lithuania	1.2%	0.3%	0.9%
Poland	4.3%	1.3%	3.0%
Romania	7.1%	0.9%	6.2%
Other EU countries	3.1%	1.5%	1.6%
Turkey	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
North Africa	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Central and Western Africa	3.1%	0.3%	2.8%
South and Eastern Africa	0.9%	0.2%	0.7%
Middle East	0.6%	0.1%	0.5%
Southern Asia	12%	1.2%	10.8%
South-East Asia	0.6%	0.2%	0.4%
Central and South America	0.6%	0.2%	0.4%
Oceania	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
No passport held	9.3%	13.5%	-4.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	19.9%	37.2%	-17.3%
Christian	45.8%	46.2%	-0.4%
Buddhist	1.2%	0.5%	0.7%
Hindu	6.2%	1.7%	4.5%
Jewish	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Muslim	18.7%	6.5%	12.2%
Other religion	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
Not answered	6.2%	6.0%	0.2%

Safety

Is Commercial Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Commercial Road was 62.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 70.2% lower than the Castle & Newnham average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Commercial Road has the 22nd lowest crime rate of 51 local areas in Castle & Newnham and the 250th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 34.8 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -81.5%.

🔎 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 1QS, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 10/10 (very high )
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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 10/10 (very high )
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 - 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 - 8/10 (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) - 9/10 (very high )
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) - 10/10 (very high )
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 Commercial Road are based on 31 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 Commercial Road, Bedford, MK40 1QS

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 1QS

Average Price
£222,087

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£205,952

Detached
£418,473

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
£316,121

Estimated Average Property Prices for Commercial Road

Average Price
£213,424

Semi-Detached
£181,248

Terraced
£212,555

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£234,945

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Commercial Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
22 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£220,000	2023-02-13	£233,528
57 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£188,000	2021-08-20	£218,745
4 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£200,000	2021-02-17	£243,750
41 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£175,000	2021-01-29	£214,273
67 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£275,000	2020-03-23	£319,013

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 1QS

Employment

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	109
Part-Time Employee	28
Self-Employed	25
Retired	19
Other	18
Unemployed	18
Long-Term Sick or disabled	13
Looking after home or family	12
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	11
Student (economically inactive)	8

Employment Industry

Human health and social work activities	30
Education	23
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	22
Accommodation and food service activities	14
Professional, scientific and technical activities	12
Manufacturing	11
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	8
Transport and storage	8
Other	7
Administrative and support service activities	7
Real estate activities	5
Information and communication	4
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Construction	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Southway Nursery School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	866 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	960 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,401 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	- not rated	464 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Raleigh School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	810 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	994 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	- not rated	994 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Drake Lower School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	- not rated	994 yd	Community school	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	4out of 4	518 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,802 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,127 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	- not rated	2,127 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
John Bunyan School Mile Road , MK42 9TR	- not rated	2,377 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Bede's RC Middle School 112 Bromham Road , MK40 2QR	- not rated	675 yd	Voluntary aided school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Gregory's Catholic Middle School Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AT	- not rated	1,610 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Silver Jubilee Middle School Acacia Road , MK42 0HU	- not rated	1,829 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Kingsbrook Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	2,113 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Harrowden Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	2,113 yd	Community school	No	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	401 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Teaching Service for Excluded Pupils 2nd Floor, Riverside Suite , County Hall MK42 9AP	- not rated	274 yd	Miscellaneous	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford High School Bromham Road , MK40 2BS	- not rated	648 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	810 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	835 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Raleigh Education Centre Raleigh and Southway Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	866 yd	Pupil referral unit	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
The Salvation Army	The Salvation Army, Commercial Road	2 yd
Peri Peri Original	67 Commercial Road	2 yd
Woolpack Hub	The Woolpack Hub, 1 Commercial Road	11 yd
Prebend Day Centre	12-14 Prebend Street	110 yd
Desi Delights	86-86a Midland Road	184 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Pilgrims Progress	42 Midland Road	216 yd
Greyfriars Snooker Centre	Greyfriars Snooker Centre, Greyfriars	289 yd
The Studio Club	32 Alexandra Road	301 yd
Club Polska	29-33 Alexandra Road	379 yd
Pride of Poland Limited	20 Ashburnham Road	457 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Italian Express Pizza	33 Commercial Road	102 yd
Domino's Pizza	70 Midland Road	184 yd
Cai ba	80 Midland Road	184 yd
Al Jannat	103 Midland Road	215 yd
Bala Sweet Centre	111 Midland Road	215 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Bedford Fruit and Vegetable Ltd	109 Midland Road	209 yd
M-C-N Store Limited	131 Midland Road	233 yd
Liana International Market	59 Midland Road	311 yd
Essential Supermarket	10-11 Thurlow Street	357 yd
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	15-19 Greenhill Street	479 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	173 yd
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	358 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		522 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	534 yd
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	575 yd
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	657 yd
Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET	artificial grass pitch	660 yd
Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET		754 yd
Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	906 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Lansdowne Road Campus) (Closed) Lansdowne Road	swimming pool	1,017 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	97.7%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	95.3%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	95.3%

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	100 Mbit/s
Average download speed	107.4 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	350 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	350 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	15.5 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 1QS