Shakespeare Road, Bedford, MK40 2DW

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 2DW, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53.6% of residents being female. Several factors can contribute to this. Women generally live longer than men, resulting in a higher proportion of women in neighborhoods with significant elderly populations. Typically, as people grow older, they tend to relocate from city center addresses to suburban areas, smaller towns, and rural locations. Consequently, these areas often have a higher number of females. A higher female population can also be found in areas with industries that employ more women, such as healthcare, education, and retail.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	49.3%	53.6%	4.3%	51.0%	2.6%
Male	50.7%	46.4%	-4.3%	49.0%	-2.6%

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 2DW, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 44.1% 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	54.8%	44.1%	-10.7%	37.9%	6.2%
Married: Opposite sex	18.6%	25.4%	6.8%	44.2%	-18.8%
Married: Same sex	0%	1.7%	1.7%	0.3%	1.4%
Separated	0.5%	3%	2.5%	2.2%	0.8%
Divorced	12.8%	8.9%	-3.9%	9.1%	-0.2%
Widowed	13.3%	16.9%	3.6%	6.1%	10.8%

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 lower percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (65.9%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either an older population or social deprivation in the area.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	42.4%	39.4%	-3.0%	48.4%	-9.0%
Good health	29.6%	26.5%	-3.1%	33.6%	-7.1%
Fair health	20.7%	20.8%	0.1%	12.7%	8.1%
Bad health	5.4%	10.2%	4.8%	4.0%	6.2%
Very bad health	2%	3%	1.0%	1.2%	1.8%

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 2DW this area, 31.4% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly higher than the UK average of 18.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	27.1%	31.4%	4.3%	18.2%	13.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	6.9%	8.5%	1.6%	9.6%	-1.1%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	13.8%	8.1%	-5.7%	13.4%	-5.3%
Apprenticeship	1.6%	5.9%	4.3%	5.3%	0.6%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	8%	9.7%	1.7%	16.9%	-7.2%
Degree or Similar	36.2%	28.4%	-7.8%	33.8%	-5.4%
Other	6.4%	8.1%	1.7%	2.8%	5.3%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 86.7% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	3%	0%	-3.0%	1.1%	-1.1%
Chinese	2%	0.4%	-1.6%	0.7%	-0.3%
Indian	2.5%	3.4%	0.9%	3.1%	0.3%
Pakistani	1%	0.4%	-0.6%	2.7%	-2.3%
Other Asian	0.5%	1.5%	1.0%	1.6%	-0.1%
Black African	1.5%	1.9%	0.4%	2.5%	-0.6%
Black Caribbean	3%	2.7%	-0.3%	1.0%	1.7%
Other Black	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.5%	-0.1%
Mixed White and Asian	0.5%	0.8%	0.3%	0.8%	0.0%
Mixed White and African	1%	0.8%	-0.2%	0.4%	0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.9%	-0.9%
Mixed Other	1.5%	0.4%	-1.1%	0.8%	-0.4%
White	83.3%	86.7%	3.4%	81.4%	5.3%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.1%	0.3%
Roma	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.2%	0.2%

Country of Birth

In this area, 64.2% 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	68%	64.2%	-3.8%	83.2%	-19.0%
European Union	19.2%	22.3%	3.1%	6.1%	16.2%
Rest of Europe	0%	3.4%	3.4%	0.8%	2.6%
Africa	3.4%	3.4%	0.0%	2.7%	0.7%
Middle East and Asia	4.9%	3%	-1.9%	5.6%	-2.6%
The Americas and the Caribbean	3.4%	3.8%	0.4%	1.3%	2.5%
Oceania	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.3%	-0.3%
British Overseas	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.0%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	66%	64.4%	-1.6%	83.2%	-18.8%
10+ Years	4.4%	15.2%	10.8%	9.8%	5.4%
5-10 Years	8.4%	8.7%	0.3%	2.9%	5.8%
2-5 Years	7.9%	8%	0.1%	2.2%	5.8%
Less than 2 years	13.3%	3.8%	-9.5%	1.9%	1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	47.7%	76.7%	-29.0%
Ireland	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Italy	2.6%	0.6%	2.0%
Portugal	1.5%	0.5%	1.0%
Spain	0.8%	0.4%	0.4%
Lithuania	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
Poland	8.3%	1.3%	7.0%
Romania	4.5%	0.9%	3.6%
Other EU countries	2.6%	1.5%	1.1%
Other Europe	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Central and Western Africa	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
Southern Asia	1.1%	1.2%	-0.1%
South-East Asia	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
North America and the Caribbean	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%
Central and South America	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
No passport held	26.7%	13.5%	13.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	33.5%	37.2%	-3.7%
Christian	56.8%	46.2%	10.6%
Buddhist	0.4%	0.5%	-0.1%
Hindu	2.3%	1.7%	0.6%
Muslim	0.4%	6.5%	-6.1%
Sikh	0.8%	0.9%	-0.1%
Other religion	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Not answered	5.3%	6.0%	-0.7%

Safety

Is Shakespeare Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Shakespeare Road was 151.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 1.6% lower than the Harpur average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Shakespeare Road has the 13th highest crime rate of 26 local areas in Harpur and the 77th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 46.5 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -75.2%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly lower level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 61% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£41,800

Income Rank
4/10

Household Income in MK40 2DW, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 8/10 (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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 8/10 (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 - 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 - 9/10 (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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 7/10 (above 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) - 4/10 (below 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) - 6/10 (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 Shakespeare Road are based on 300 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 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, MK40 2DW

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 2DW

Average Price
£194,257

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£286,512

Detached
£1,816,856

Flats/Maisonettes
£99,643

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Shakespeare Road

Average Price
£209,591

Semi-Detached
£494,683

Terraced
£378,836

Detached
£776,222

Flats/Maisonettes
£152,001

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Shakespeare Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
81 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£300,000	2025-08-08	£300,569
16 Beaumont House, 69 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£105,000	2024-11-08	£107,867
23 Beaumont House, 69 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£115,000	2024-07-05	£117,664
81 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£260,000	2021-12-07	£299,368
77 Shakespeare Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£250,000	2020-03-20	£325,031

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 2DW

Employment

MK40 2DW 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.

The percentage of retired residents living in MK40 2DW area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 33% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	93
Retired	79
Self-Employed	15
Other	13
Looking after home or family	12
Long-Term Sick or disabled	12
Part-Time Employee	9
Student (economically inactive)	5
Unemployed	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	0

Employment Industry

Professional, scientific and technical activities	18
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	18
Human health and social work activities	18
Education	14
Manufacturing	7
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7
Other	5
Construction	5
Transport and storage	4
Administrative and support service activities	3
Information and communication	3
Financial and insurance activities	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Accommodation and food service activities	2
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	2,425 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,961 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Edith Cavell Primary School Manton Lane , MK41 7NH	3out of 4	534 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG	3out of 4	583 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Great Ouse Primary Academy Seaforth Gardens , MK40 4TJ	- not rated	587 yd	Free schools	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	1,113 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Academy Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	2out of 4	1,325 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,444 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	2,002 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,342 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	4out of 4	2,499 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,951 yd	Academy converter	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	1,867 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Rushmoor School 58-60 Shakespeare Road , MK45 2RS	- not rated	172 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Modern School Manton Lane , MK41 7NT	- not rated	373 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	751 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	1,566 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	1,750 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
A Different Brew	106 Clapham Road	298 yd
McDonalds	Mcdonalds, Fairhill	449 yd
Dudu Bar Restaurant and Lounge	49 Bromham Road	636 yd
Fancy Bakery	35-37 Roff Avenue	790 yd
Charcoal Grill	75-77 Tavistock Street	898 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Brewpoint	Brewpoint, Fairhill	357 yd
Kalooki Club	2 Spenser Road	573 yd
The Burnaby Arms	The Burnaby Arms, 66 Stanley Street	606 yd
North End Club	60 Roff Avenue	702 yd
The Foresters Arms	The Foresters Arms, 41 Union Street	770 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Le Raj	29 Park Road West	619 yd
Deniz Fish Bar	11 Park Road West	671 yd
Malabar	84 Tavistock Street	792 yd
Coriander	90 Tavistock Street	792 yd
Hoi Tin	86 Tavistock Street	792 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Aldi Stores Ltd	98 Clapham Road	295 yd
J Sainsbury Plc (Main Store)	90 Clapham Road	298 yd
J Sainsbury Plc (Petrol station Shop)	90 Clapham Road	298 yd
Sainsbury's	105-107 Tavistock Street	898 yd
Iceland Foods Ltd	7-11 Midland Road	1,042 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Rushmoor School RUSHMOOR SCHOOL RUSHMOOR SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE ROAD		100 yd
Alexander Sports Centre SIDNEY ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	353 yd
Bedford Modern School MANTON LANE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	381 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Lansdowne Road Campus) (Closed) Lansdowne Road	swimming pool	451 yd
Bedford Girls' School Playing Fields (Closed) Beverley Grove	grass pitches, tennis courts	573 yd
Towers Health And Racquets Club Clapham Road	health and fitness suite, indoor tennis centre, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts	587 yd
Rushmoor School Playing Fields 1 FRANKLIN COTTAGES 1 FRANKLIN COTTAGES CLAPHAM ROAD	grass pitches	698 yd
Pure Gym (Bedford) BEDFORD HEIGHTS BEDFORD HEIGHTS BRICKHILL DRIVE	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	897 yd
Robinson Pool PARK AVENUE	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	995 yd
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	1,009 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	42.5%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	40.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	40.0%

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	75.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	88.1 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	350 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	350 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	17.6 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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