Merton Road, Bedford, MK40 3AE

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 3AE, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.7% 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	49.5%	54.7%	5.2%	51.0%	3.7%
Male	50.5%	45.3%	-5.2%	49.0%	-3.7%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	34.1%	36%	1.9%	37.9%	-1.9%
Married: Opposite sex	24.7%	27.8%	3.1%	44.2%	-16.4%
Separated	3%	1.7%	-1.3%	2.2%	-0.5%
Divorced	11.2%	11%	-0.2%	9.1%	1.9%
Widowed	27%	23.5%	-3.5%	6.1%	17.4%

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.

This area has a lower percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (60.6%) 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	34%	32.4%	-1.6%	48.4%	-16.0%
Good health	27.8%	28.2%	0.4%	33.6%	-5.4%
Fair health	26.1%	24.3%	-1.8%	12.7%	11.6%
Bad health	9.3%	10.2%	0.9%	4.0%	6.2%
Very bad health	2.7%	5%	2.3%	1.2%	3.8%

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.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	29.6%	24.3%	-5.3%	18.2%	6.1%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	8.6%	8.5%	-0.1%	9.6%	-1.1%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	10.9%	11%	0.1%	13.4%	-2.4%
Apprenticeship	1.5%	5.6%	4.1%	5.3%	0.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	4.9%	10.2%	5.3%	16.9%	-6.7%
Degree or Similar	36%	35.9%	-0.1%	33.8%	2.1%
Other	8.6%	4.5%	-4.1%	2.8%	1.7%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 83.9% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	1.1%	-0.8%
Chinese	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.7%	-0.2%
Indian	5.8%	4.2%	-1.6%	3.1%	1.1%
Pakistani	0.7%	1%	0.3%	2.7%	-1.7%
Other Asian	0.7%	1%	0.3%	1.6%	-0.6%
Black African	0%	2.6%	2.6%	2.5%	0.1%
Black Caribbean	1%	1.3%	0.3%	1.0%	0.3%
Other Black	0%	1.3%	1.3%	0.5%	0.8%
Mixed White and Asian	1.4%	1%	-0.4%	0.8%	0.2%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	1%	0.7%	0.9%	0.1%
Mixed Other	0.7%	0.8%	0.1%	0.8%	0.0%
White	88.3%	83.9%	-4.4%	81.4%	2.5%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Arab	0.7%	0.3%	-0.4%	0.6%	-0.3%
Other	0%	0.5%	0.5%	1.6%	-1.1%

Country of Birth

In this area, 77.6% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is similar to the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	86.6%	77.6%	-9.0%	83.2%	-5.6%
European Union	4.8%	11.9%	7.1%	6.1%	5.8%
Rest of Europe	1%	1.5%	0.5%	0.8%	0.7%
Africa	3.1%	4.1%	1.0%	2.7%	1.4%
Middle East and Asia	3.8%	4.9%	1.1%	5.6%	-0.7%
Oceania	0.7%	0%	-0.7%	0.3%	-0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	85.6%	77.8%	-7.8%	83.2%	-5.4%
10+ Years	1.4%	15.2%	13.8%	9.8%	5.4%
5-10 Years	2.1%	2.8%	0.7%	2.9%	-0.1%
2-5 Years	2.1%	2.8%	0.7%	2.2%	0.6%
Less than 2 years	8.9%	1.3%	-7.6%	1.9%	-0.6%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	61%	76.7%	-15.7%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Germany	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Italy	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
Portugal	1.3%	0.5%	0.8%
Spain	0.3%	0.4%	-0.1%
Poland	4.7%	1.3%	3.4%
Other Europe	0.5%	0.2%	0.3%
North Africa	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Central and Western Africa	1.3%	0.3%	1.0%
South and Eastern Africa	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Southern Asia	0.5%	1.2%	-0.7%
No passport held	27.2%	13.5%	13.7%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	28.2%	37.2%	-9.0%
Christian	56.9%	46.2%	10.7%
Hindu	3.7%	1.7%	2.0%
Jewish	0.8%	0.5%	0.3%
Muslim	2.1%	6.5%	-4.4%
Other religion	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Not answered	8.1%	6.0%	2.1%

Safety

Is Merton Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Merton Road was 156.3 per 1,000 residents, which is 190.1% higher than the De Parys average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Merton Road has the 5th highest crime rate of 73 local areas in De Parys and the 73rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 57.3 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -54.8%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 65% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£49,300

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in MK40 3AE, 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 - 6/10 (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 - 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 - 6/10 (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 - 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 - 9/10 (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 - 6/10 (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) - 3/10 (low )
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) - 7/10 (above 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 Merton Road are based on 81 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for North Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Merton Road, Bedford, MK40 3AE

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 3AE

Average Price
£172,517

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£174,024

Other
£139,357

Estimated Average Property Prices for Merton Road

Average Price
£197,674

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£763,867

Flats/Maisonettes
£175,898

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Merton Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
7 Charlbury Court Merton Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£200,000	2023-03-28	£203,380
1 Charlbury Court Merton Road, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£134,542	2021-10-29	£144,880
10 Charlbury Court Merton Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£160,000	2020-02-14	£189,664
14 Charlbury Court Merton Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£172,500	2018-12-18	£193,495
18 Charlbury Court Merton Road, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£131,000	2018-11-09	£148,081

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 3AE

Employment

MK40 3AE 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.

The percentage of retired residents living in MK40 3AE area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 41% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	144
Full-Time Employee	69
Long-Term Sick or disabled	53
Self-Employed	28
Part-Time Employee	20
Student (economically inactive)	12
Other	10
Looking after home or family	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6
Unemployed	5

Employment Industry

Education	17
Human health and social work activities	16
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	12
Construction	9
Professional, scientific and technical activities	9
Administrative and support service activities	8
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7
Information and communication	6
Transport and storage	6
Other	5
Accommodation and food service activities	5
Financial and insurance activities	4
Manufacturing	4
Real estate activities	2

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,307 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	2,312 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Castle Newnham School Goldington Road , MK40 3EP	4out of 4	591 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DQ	4out of 4	903 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG	3out of 4	1,257 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Hazeldene School Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT	3out of 4	1,313 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	1,322 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	649 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	1,166 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	1,412 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	4out of 4	2,281 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX	3out of 4	2,697 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	1,356 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	64 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	364 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Brickhill Drive , MK41 7QZ	- not rated	847 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	1,295 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	1,338 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
East London Foundation Outreach	Day Resource Centre, Bedford Health Village, 3 Kimbolton Road	233 yd
Taylors Kitchen	Bedford Rugby Union F C, Goldington Road	374 yd
Three Rooms Fine Indian Dining	4 Kimbolton Road	471 yd
Cater for occasions	6 Rothsay Gardens	491 yd
Courtside Cafe	Riverside Lawn Tennis Club, Goldington Road	500 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Bedford Borough Bowling Club Bar	Bedford Borough Bowling Club, Goldington Road	374 yd
Bedford Rugby (Ground, Bar & Marquee)	Bedford Rugby Union F C, Goldington Road	374 yd
Russell Park Social Club	69 Goldington Road	436 yd
The Park	The Park Pub And Kitchen, 98 Kimbolton Road	542 yd
Ours	38 St Peters Street	561 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Roosters	47 St Cuthberts Street	607 yd
Alia’s treat house		608 yd
Charles Biswell Catering		608 yd
Small Hours		608 yd
Paella Fella Bedford		608 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Village Choice Ltd T/A Budgens	Budgens, 82 Kimbolton Road	159 yd
Lidl Food Stores	5-9 St Peters Street	713 yd
BQUALITY AFRICA MINI MARKET	Flat D, Broadway Apartments, 30 The Broadway	822 yd
Tesco	63 High Street	973 yd
Sainsbury's	105-107 Tavistock Street	1,033 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
St Andrew'S School KIMBOLTON ROAD		196 yd
Goldington Road (Bedford Blues Rufc) GOLDINGTON ROAD	grass pitches	252 yd
Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor bowls	292 yd
Bedford And County Badminton Club BRADGATE ROAD		383 yd
Bedford School DE PARYS AVENUE	grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts	444 yd
Riverside Tennis Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor tennis centre, tennis courts	543 yd
Castle Newnham School (Polhill Avenue Site) Polhill Avenue	grass pitches	561 yd
La Fitness (Bedford Park) (Closed) 81-83 81-83 Kimbolton Road	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	657 yd
Bedford School (Gordon Fields Site) THE LODGE THE LODGE BRICKHILL DRIVE	artificial grass pitch	763 yd
The Pilgrims Centre THE LODGE THE LODGE BRICKHILL DRIVE		764 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	80 Mbit/s
Average download speed	122.1 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	19.5 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	16.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	40 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 3AE