Cobden Square, Bedford, MK40 2JE

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK40 2JE has a slightly higher male population, with 51.3% 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	33.9%	48.7%	14.8%	51.0%	-2.3%
Male	66.1%	51.3%	-14.8%	49.0%	2.3%

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 2JE, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 55.4% 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	55.6%	55.4%	-0.2%	37.9%	17.5%
Married: Opposite sex	26.1%	24.7%	-1.4%	44.2%	-19.5%
Married: Same sex	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	4.5%	3.4%	-1.1%	2.2%	1.2%
Divorced	11.2%	12%	0.8%	9.1%	2.9%
Widowed	2.2%	4.5%	2.3%	6.1%	-1.6%

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	41.9%	45.1%	3.2%	48.4%	-3.3%
Good health	37.1%	32.9%	-4.2%	33.6%	-0.7%
Fair health	14.3%	13.2%	-1.1%	12.7%	0.5%
Bad health	5%	8.2%	3.2%	4.0%	4.2%
Very bad health	1.7%	0.6%	-1.1%	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	22.4%	26%	3.6%	18.2%	7.8%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	19.8%	10.2%	-9.6%	9.6%	0.6%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	16.8%	13.6%	-3.2%	13.4%	0.2%
Apprenticeship	3.7%	5.3%	1.6%	5.3%	0.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	11.4%	17.4%	6.0%	16.9%	0.5%
Degree or Similar	15.3%	25.3%	10.0%	33.8%	-8.5%
Other	10.6%	2.3%	-8.3%	2.8%	-0.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 53.3% 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	7.8%	9.5%	1.7%	1.1%	8.4%
Chinese	1.3%	0%	-1.3%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	4.3%	7.6%	3.3%	3.1%	4.5%
Pakistani	4.3%	1.3%	-3.0%	2.7%	-1.4%
Other Asian	2%	3.2%	1.2%	1.6%	1.6%
Black African	4.3%	10.2%	5.9%	2.5%	7.7%
Black Caribbean	3.7%	2.5%	-1.2%	1.0%	1.5%
Other Black	0.2%	1.3%	1.1%	0.5%	0.8%
Mixed White and Asian	1%	0%	-1.0%	0.8%	-0.8%
Mixed White and African	0.3%	1.6%	1.3%	0.4%	1.2%
Mixed White and Caribbean	2.8%	3.8%	1.0%	0.9%	2.9%
Mixed Other	1.2%	1.3%	0.1%	0.8%	0.5%
White	62.9%	53.3%	-9.6%	81.4%	-28.1%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	1.8%	0%	-1.8%	0.1%	-0.1%
Roma	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.2%	0.4%
Arab	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	1.5%	3.8%	2.3%	1.6%	2.2%

Country of Birth

In this area, 62.3% 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	66.7%	62.3%	-4.4%	83.2%	-20.9%
European Union	11.8%	15.2%	3.4%	6.1%	9.1%
Rest of Europe	1%	2.2%	1.2%	0.8%	1.4%
Africa	4.5%	6.3%	1.8%	2.7%	3.6%
Middle East and Asia	11.8%	10.4%	-1.4%	5.6%	4.8%
The Americas and the Caribbean	3.5%	2.8%	-0.7%	1.3%	1.5%
Oceania	0.7%	0.6%	-0.1%	0.3%	0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	66.1%	62.5%	-3.6%	83.2%	-20.7%
10+ Years	3.7%	26.7%	23.0%	9.8%	16.9%
5-10 Years	7%	7%	0.0%	2.9%	4.1%
2-5 Years	7.2%	2.5%	-4.7%	2.2%	0.3%
Less than 2 years	16.1%	1.3%	-14.8%	1.9%	-0.6%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	68.8%	76.7%	-7.9%
France	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Italy	1.3%	0.6%	0.7%
Portugal	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Spain	0.9%	0.4%	0.5%
Lithuania	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Poland	7.9%	1.3%	6.6%
Romania	1.6%	0.9%	0.7%
Other EU countries	1.9%	1.5%	0.4%
Turkey	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Europe	1.3%	0.2%	1.1%
Central and Western Africa	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
South and Eastern Africa	1.3%	0.2%	1.1%
Eastern Asia	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Southern Asia	1.6%	1.2%	0.4%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Oceania	0.6%	0.1%	0.5%
No passport held	10.4%	13.5%	-3.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	25.9%	37.2%	-11.3%
Christian	41.1%	46.2%	-5.1%
Muslim	18.4%	6.5%	11.9%
Sikh	3.2%	0.9%	2.3%
Other religion	3.5%	0.6%	2.9%
Not answered	7.9%	6.0%	1.9%

Safety

Is Cobden Square Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Cobden Square was 191.1 per 1,000 residents, which is 24.4% higher than the Harpur average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Cobden Square has the 8th highest crime rate of 26 local areas in Harpur and the 51st highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 81.9 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -24.5%.

🔎 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 2JE, 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 - 10/10 (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 - 10/10 (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 - 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 - 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) - 8/10 (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 Cobden Square are based on 17 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 Cobden Square, Bedford, MK40 2JE

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 2JE

Average Price
£202,337

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£217,703

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£151,118

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Cobden Square

Average Price
£175,000

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£212,939

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£141,277

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Cobden SquareStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
17 Cobden Square, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£200,000	2023-09-29	£210,558
46 Cobden Square, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£225,000	2021-12-21	£259,069
38 Cobden Square, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£250,000	2021-09-30	£290,066
32 Cobden Square, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£185,000	2021-06-01	£221,958
25 Cobden Square, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£137,500	2019-11-22	£157,143

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 2JE

Employment

MK40 2JE area has a high unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 8% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. High levels of unemployment lead to more frequent crime and reduce the quality of life in this area.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	96
Other	26
Part-Time Employee	25
Retired	25
Unemployed	22
Long-Term Sick or disabled	22
Student (economically inactive)	21
Self-Employed	15
Looking after home or family	12
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	35
Accommodation and food service activities	30
Human health and social work activities	30
Manufacturing	23
Transport and storage	19
Construction	17
Administrative and support service activities	13
Professional, scientific and technical activities	11
Education	10
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9
Other	8
Information and communication	7
Financial and insurance activities	4
Real estate activities	3
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	1
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	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	1,970 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,273 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG	3out of 4	405 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	624 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Edith Cavell Primary School Manton Lane , MK41 7NH	3out of 4	807 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Goldington Road , MK40 3EP	4out of 4	1,334 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Great Ouse Primary Academy Seaforth Gardens , MK40 4TJ	- not rated	1,497 yd	Free schools	Yes	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	1,255 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	1,485 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	2,041 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,041 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	4out of 4	2,422 yd	Academy converter	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	1,134 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	482 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	583 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	820 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Rushmoor School 58-60 Shakespeare Road , MK45 2RS	- not rated	854 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Modern School Manton Lane , MK41 7NT	- not rated	1,011 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Charcoal Grill	75-77 Tavistock Street	174 yd
Indian Summer	69 Tavistock Street	174 yd
Pasticceria Amalfi Limited	87-91 Tavistock Street	174 yd
The Cochin	76 Tavistock Street	198 yd
Fireaway	68a-70 Tavistock Street	199 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Wellington Arms PH	The Wellington Arms, 40-42 Wellington Street	89 yd
The Balloon	The Balloon, 52 Foster Hill Road	176 yd
The Flowerpot	The Flowerpot, 25 Tavistock Street	201 yd
Lucky 11	3a The Broadway	274 yd
The Bedford Club	11 De Parys Avenue	294 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Halal Dixy	55 Tavistock Street	159 yd
Shanghai Kitchen	61 Tavistock Street	160 yd
King Kebab	59 Tavistock Street	160 yd
New Delicacies of China	67 Tavistock Street	163 yd
KFC	63 Tavistock Street	174 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Sainsbury's	105-107 Tavistock Street	174 yd
BQUALITY AFRICA MINI MARKET	Flat D, Broadway Apartments, 30 The Broadway	308 yd
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	15-19 Greenhill Street	508 yd
Lidl Food Stores	5-9 St Peters Street	513 yd
Essential Supermarket	10-11 Thurlow Street	628 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET	artificial grass pitch	329 yd
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	339 yd
Robinson Pool PARK AVENUE	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	374 yd
Bedford School DE PARYS AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts	457 yd
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	607 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Lansdowne Road Campus) (Closed) Lansdowne Road	swimming pool	655 yd
St Andrew'S School KIMBOLTON ROAD		714 yd
Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor bowls	755 yd
Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET		755 yd
Goldington Road (Bedford Blues Rufc) GOLDINGTON ROAD	grass pitches	832 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	100.0%

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	73.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	86.8 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	500 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	500 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	10.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 2JE