Commercial Road, Bedford, MK40 1RB

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK40 1RB has a slightly higher male population, with 52.3% 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	44.8%	47.7%	2.9%	51.0%	-3.3%
Male	55.2%	52.3%	-2.9%	49.0%	3.3%

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 1RB, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 54.8% 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	46%	54.8%	8.8%	37.9%	16.9%
Married: Opposite sex	39.2%	31%	-8.2%	44.2%	-13.2%
Married: Same sex	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	3.5%	3.8%	0.3%	2.2%	1.6%
Divorced	6.8%	9%	2.2%	9.1%	-0.1%
Widowed	3.9%	1.4%	-2.5%	6.1%	-4.7%

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 (85.9%) 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	48.6%	42.1%	-6.5%	48.4%	-6.3%
Good health	35.8%	43.8%	8.0%	33.6%	10.2%
Fair health	10.8%	9.8%	-1.0%	12.7%	-2.9%
Bad health	4%	3.8%	-0.2%	4.0%	-0.2%
Very bad health	0.8%	0.4%	-0.4%	1.2%	-0.8%

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.

In the area around MK40 1RB this area, 8.7% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. 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 47.6%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	27.3%	8.7%	-18.6%	18.2%	-9.5%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	10.3%	7.2%	-3.1%	9.6%	-2.4%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	12.9%	8.7%	-4.2%	13.4%	-4.7%
Apprenticeship	0%	6.3%	6.3%	5.3%	1.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9%	16.3%	7.3%	16.9%	-0.6%
Degree or Similar	20.9%	47.6%	26.7%	33.8%	13.8%
Other	19.6%	5.3%	-14.3%	2.8%	2.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 60.6% 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	30.2%	10.6%	-19.6%	1.1%	9.5%
Chinese	1.3%	1.3%	0.0%	0.7%	0.6%
Indian	2.8%	6.8%	4.0%	3.1%	3.7%
Pakistani	1.8%	1.7%	-0.1%	2.7%	-1.0%
Other Asian	9.1%	3%	-6.1%	1.6%	1.4%
Black African	2.5%	5.5%	3.0%	2.5%	3.0%
Black Caribbean	1.3%	3%	1.7%	1.0%	2.0%
Other Black	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.5%	0.3%
Mixed White and Asian	0.8%	2.1%	1.3%	0.8%	1.3%
Mixed White and African	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1%	2.1%	1.1%	0.9%	1.2%
Mixed Other	0.8%	0.4%	-0.4%	0.8%	-0.4%
White	46.1%	60.6%	14.5%	81.4%	-20.8%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.1%	-0.1%
Roma	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Arab	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	1%	1.3%	0.3%	1.6%	-0.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 61% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is lower than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	46.6%	61%	14.4%	83.2%	-22.2%
European Union	20.4%	15.7%	-4.7%	6.1%	9.6%
Rest of Europe	1%	3.4%	2.4%	0.8%	2.6%
Africa	2.5%	5.5%	3.0%	2.7%	2.8%
Middle East and Asia	28.5%	11.9%	-16.6%	5.6%	6.3%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1%	1.7%	0.7%	1.3%	0.4%
Oceania	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	46.6%	61%	14.4%	83.2%	-22.2%
10+ Years	9.3%	13.1%	3.8%	9.8%	3.3%
5-10 Years	13.1%	13.1%	0.0%	2.9%	10.2%
2-5 Years	14.1%	6.8%	-7.3%	2.2%	4.6%
Less than 2 years	16.9%	5.9%	-11.0%	1.9%	4.0%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	65.4%	76.7%	-11.3%
Ireland	0.4%	0.6%	-0.2%
France	1.3%	0.3%	1.0%
Italy	3%	0.6%	2.4%
Portugal	0.4%	0.5%	-0.1%
Spain	0.4%	0.4%	0.0%
Poland	3.9%	1.3%	2.6%
Romania	2.6%	0.9%	1.7%
Other EU countries	3.9%	1.5%	2.4%
Other Europe	1.7%	0.2%	1.5%
Central and Western Africa	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
South and Eastern Africa	1.3%	0.2%	1.1%
Eastern Asia	0.9%	0.3%	0.6%
Southern Asia	5.6%	1.2%	4.4%
South-East Asia	0.9%	0.2%	0.7%
Central and South America	0.4%	0.2%	0.2%
Oceania	0.9%	0.1%	0.8%
No passport held	6.5%	13.5%	-7.0%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	31.2%	37.2%	-6.0%
Christian	42.2%	46.2%	-4.0%
Buddhist	1.3%	0.5%	0.8%
Hindu	2.1%	1.7%	0.4%
Muslim	16%	6.5%	9.5%
Sikh	2.1%	0.9%	1.2%
Not answered	5.1%	6.0%	-0.9%

Safety

Is Commercial Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Commercial Road was 786.7 per 1,000 residents, which is 274.6% higher than the Castle & Newnham average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Commercial Road has the 5th highest crime rate of 52 local areas in Castle & Newnham and the 8th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 400.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -40.7%.

🔎 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 1RB, 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 1RB

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 1RB

Average Price
£203,870

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£232,684

Detached
£2,177

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Commercial Road

Average Price
£215,312

Semi-Detached
£183,845

Terraced
£213,972

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£239,422

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Commercial Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
29 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£157,250	2018-11-07	£199,296
13 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£123,000	2014-09-01	£208,685
15 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£134,000	2014-07-24	£230,681
19 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£130,000	2005-04-28	£272,639
11 Commercial Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building	£142,500	2005-02-18	£295,918

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 1RB

Employment

MK40 1RB 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	104
Retired	26
Part-Time Employee	25
Self-Employed	17
Looking after home or family	10
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	8
Student (economically inactive)	8
Long-Term Sick or disabled	7
Other	5
Unemployed	3

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	43
Administrative and support service activities	24
Human health and social work activities	20
Accommodation and food service activities	19
Manufacturing	16
Education	15
Transport and storage	10
Information and communication	9
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9
Construction	8
Other	6
Professional, scientific and technical activities	4
Financial and insurance activities	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	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	1,071 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,517 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	345 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG	3out of 4	1,033 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	1,104 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Academy Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	2out of 4	1,230 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Joseph's and St Gregory's Catholic Primary School Chester Road , MK40 4HN	3out of 4	1,335 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	607 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,746 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,084 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,487 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,524 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	480 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	717 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	929 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	977 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	1,083 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	1,251 yd	Academy special converter	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
Woolpack Hub	The Woolpack Hub, 1 Commercial Road	88 yd
The Salvation Army	The Salvation Army, Commercial Road	97 yd
Peri Peri Original	67 Commercial Road	97 yd
Vue Entertainment	Bedford Vue Cinema, Riverside Square	145 yd
Olive Tree	Unit 4d, Riverside Square	145 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Pilgrims Progress	42 Midland Road	154 yd
Greyfriars Snooker Centre	Greyfriars Snooker Centre, Greyfriars	220 yd
The Studio Club	32 Alexandra Road	303 yd
Club Polska	29-33 Alexandra Road	379 yd
Bar Citrus	29 Harpur Street	443 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Italian Express Pizza	33 Commercial Road	7 yd
Al Badar	66 Midland Road	154 yd
Domino's Pizza	70 Midland Road	158 yd
Cai ba	80 Midland Road	158 yd
Soprano Kebab House	97 Midland Road	180 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Bedford Fruit and Vegetable Ltd	109 Midland Road	195 yd
Liana International Market	59 Midland Road	223 yd
M-C-N Store Limited	131 Midland Road	272 yd
Essential Supermarket	10-11 Thurlow Street	284 yd
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	15-19 Greenhill Street	401 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	172 yd
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	312 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	464 yd
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	477 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		484 yd
Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET	artificial grass pitch	580 yd
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	589 yd
Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET		658 yd
Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	846 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Lansdowne Road Campus) (Closed) Lansdowne Road	swimming pool	995 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	95.0%

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	90 Mbit/s
Average download speed	160.5 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	18.9 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	40 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 1RB