Union Street, Bedford, MK40 2SF

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 2SF is primarily male, with 58.2% 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	50.2%	41.8%	-8.4%	51.0%	-9.2%
Male	49.8%	58.2%	8.4%	49.0%	9.2%

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 2SF, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 59.1% 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	42.6%	59.1%	16.5%	37.9%	21.2%
Married: Opposite sex	27.2%	15.4%	-11.8%	44.2%	-28.8%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
Civil partnership: Opposite sex	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.1%	0.7%
Separated	3.6%	4.9%	1.3%	2.2%	2.7%
Divorced	17.9%	13.4%	-4.5%	9.1%	4.3%
Widowed	8.7%	5.7%	-3.0%	6.1%	-0.4%

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	37.3%	47.6%	10.3%	48.4%	-0.8%
Good health	36.4%	33.3%	-3.1%	33.6%	-0.3%
Fair health	18.7%	13.3%	-5.4%	12.7%	0.6%
Bad health	7.2%	5.1%	-2.1%	4.0%	1.1%
Very bad health	0.5%	0.7%	0.2%	1.2%	-0.5%

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	23.6%	20.5%	-3.1%	18.2%	2.3%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	7.2%	6.4%	-0.8%	9.6%	-3.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	10.8%	12.4%	1.6%	13.4%	-1.0%
Apprenticeship	2.6%	8%	5.4%	5.3%	2.7%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	11.8%	14.5%	2.7%	16.9%	-2.4%
Degree or Similar	35.9%	35.3%	-0.6%	33.8%	1.5%
Other	8.2%	2.8%	-5.4%	2.8%	0.0%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 73.3% 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	0%	1%	1.0%	1.1%	-0.1%
Chinese	4.3%	0.3%	-4.0%	0.7%	-0.4%
Indian	5.3%	1.4%	-3.9%	3.1%	-1.7%
Pakistani	0.5%	0.7%	0.2%	2.7%	-2.0%
Other Asian	2.4%	1.7%	-0.7%	1.6%	0.1%
Black African	7.2%	8.1%	0.9%	2.5%	5.6%
Black Caribbean	1.4%	2.7%	1.3%	1.0%	1.7%
Other Black	1%	0.7%	-0.3%	0.5%	0.2%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	1.7%	1.7%	0.8%	0.9%
Mixed White and African	0.5%	2%	1.5%	0.4%	1.6%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1%	2.7%	1.7%	0.9%	1.8%
Mixed Other	1.9%	0.7%	-1.2%	0.8%	-0.1%
White	72.2%	73.3%	1.1%	81.4%	-8.1%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Roma	0%	2.7%	2.7%	0.2%	2.5%
Arab	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	1.9%	0%	-1.9%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 55.4% 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	70.8%	55.4%	-15.4%	83.2%	-27.8%
European Union	8.6%	26.9%	18.3%	6.1%	20.8%
Rest of Europe	0.5%	2.4%	1.9%	0.8%	1.6%
Africa	6.2%	6.8%	0.6%	2.7%	4.1%
Middle East and Asia	9.6%	2.7%	-6.9%	5.6%	-2.9%
The Americas and the Caribbean	3.3%	5.4%	2.1%	1.3%	4.1%
Oceania	1%	0.3%	-0.7%	0.3%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	70.8%	55.4%	-15.4%	83.2%	-27.8%
10+ Years	4.3%	16.7%	12.4%	9.8%	6.9%
5-10 Years	8.1%	12.6%	4.5%	2.9%	9.7%
2-5 Years	9.6%	7.1%	-2.5%	2.2%	4.9%
Less than 2 years	7.2%	8.2%	1.0%	1.9%	6.3%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	48.5%	76.7%	-28.2%
Ireland	1%	0.6%	0.4%
Italy	4.1%	0.6%	3.5%
Portugal	0.7%	0.5%	0.2%
Lithuania	3.4%	0.3%	3.1%
Poland	14.9%	1.3%	13.6%
Romania	2%	0.9%	1.1%
Other EU countries	3.4%	1.5%	1.9%
Turkey	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Europe	1.7%	0.2%	1.5%
Central and Western Africa	1.7%	0.3%	1.4%
South and Eastern Africa	2%	0.2%	1.8%
Middle East	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Southern Asia	1.4%	1.2%	0.2%
North America and the Caribbean	1%	0.3%	0.7%
Central and South America	1.7%	0.2%	1.5%
Oceania	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
No passport held	11.5%	13.5%	-2.0%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	41.2%	37.2%	4.0%
Christian	45.6%	46.2%	-0.6%
Buddhist	1.7%	0.5%	1.2%
Muslim	5.4%	6.5%	-1.1%
Other religion	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Not answered	5.8%	6.0%	-0.2%

Safety

Is Union Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Union Street was 32.1 per 1,000 residents, which is 79.1% lower than the Harpur average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Union Street has the lowest crime rate of 26 local areas in Harpur and the 138th lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 16.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -70.9%.

🔎 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 2SF, 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 - 8/10 (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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 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 - 8/10 (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 - 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) - 6/10 (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) - 8/10 (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 Union Street are based on 38 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 Union Street, Bedford, MK40 2SF

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 2SF

Average Price
£226,819

Semi-Detached
£533,057

Terraced
£564,324

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£134,856

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Union Street

Average Price
£196,987

Semi-Detached
£158,723

Terraced
£394,266

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£167,358

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Union Street

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat D 7 Union Street, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£85,000	2022-12-21	£85,590
Flat C 7 Union Street, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£100,000	2022-12-21	£100,694
9 Union Street, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£280,000	2011-08-11	£561,057
Flat B 7 Union Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, a newly built property	£110,000	2006-11-03	£163,631
Flat A 7 Union Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£110,000	2006-11-02	£163,631

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 2SF

Employment

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	115
Retired	31
Part-Time Employee	23
Self-Employed	17
Unemployed	16
Long-Term Sick or disabled	14
Student (economically inactive)	11
Other	10
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6
Looking after home or family	5

Employment Industry

Education	12
Manufacturing	11
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	11
Human health and social work activities	11
Professional, scientific and technical activities	10
Transport and storage	7
Other	6
Administrative and support service activities	6
Information and communication	6
Construction	4
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	4
Financial and insurance activities	3
Accommodation and food service activities	3
Real estate activities	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	1,766 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,214 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	328 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	367 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Edith Cavell Primary School Manton Lane , MK41 7NH	3out of 4	859 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Great Ouse Primary Academy Seaforth Gardens , MK40 4TJ	- not rated	1,171 yd	Free schools	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Academy Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	2out of 4	1,233 yd	Academy converter	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	1,233 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,614 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	1,912 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,450 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	4out of 4	2,730 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	1,098 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	51 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Rushmoor School 58-60 Shakespeare Road , MK45 2RS	- not rated	607 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Modern School Manton Lane , MK41 7NT	- not rated	958 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	958 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	1,236 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
Flamme Rouge Cycles	62-64 Bromham Road	151 yd
Munch and Mocha at Trinity Arts & Leisure	The Bedford Sixth Form, Bromham Road	248 yd
The Cochin	76 Tavistock Street	260 yd
Charcoal Grill	75-77 Tavistock Street	261 yd
Indian Summer	69 Tavistock Street	261 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Foresters Arms	The Foresters Arms, 41 Union Street	8 yd
The Ship	The Ship, 102 Bromham Road	146 yd
Esquires	60a Bromham Road	151 yd
North End Club	60 Roff Avenue	269 yd
Barley Mow	72 St Loyes Street	362 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Golden Chicken Bar B Q	100a Bromham Road	146 yd
Best Pizza	100b Bromham Road	146 yd
Happy House	96 Bromham Road	162 yd
Best Kebab	100 Bromham Road	171 yd
Malabar	84 Tavistock Street	177 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Sainsbury's	105-107 Tavistock Street	261 yd
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	15-19 Greenhill Street	397 yd
Essential Supermarket	10-11 Thurlow Street	458 yd
BQUALITY AFRICA MINI MARKET	Flat D, Broadway Apartments, 30 The Broadway	523 yd
Bedford Fruit and Vegetable Ltd	109 Midland Road	548 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	248 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Lansdowne Road Campus) (Closed) Lansdowne Road	swimming pool	334 yd
Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET	artificial grass pitch	356 yd
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	586 yd
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	674 yd
Rushmoor School RUSHMOOR SCHOOL RUSHMOOR SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE ROAD		728 yd
Robinson Pool PARK AVENUE	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	730 yd
Bedford School DE PARYS AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts	848 yd
Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET		905 yd
Alexander Sports Centre SIDNEY ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	944 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	92.3%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	71.2%

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	79.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	78.7 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	159.88 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	159.88 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	17.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	30.02 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 2SF