Widecombe Close, Bedford, MK40 3BL

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 3BL, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.3% 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	54.4%	54.3%	-0.1%	51.0%	3.3%
Male	45.6%	45.7%	0.1%	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.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	29.5%	27.4%	-2.1%	37.9%	-10.5%
Married: Opposite sex	50.5%	45.2%	-5.3%	44.2%	1.0%
Separated	1.4%	1%	-0.4%	2.2%	-1.2%
Divorced	6.7%	13.9%	7.2%	9.1%	4.8%
Widowed	11.9%	12.5%	0.6%	6.1%	6.4%

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	40.1%	40.7%	0.6%	48.4%	-7.7%
Good health	37.6%	38.3%	0.7%	33.6%	4.7%
Fair health	19.8%	13.6%	-6.2%	12.7%	0.9%
Bad health	2.1%	6.6%	4.5%	4.0%	2.6%
Very bad health	0.4%	0.8%	0.4%	1.2%	-0.4%

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	22.9%	24.2%	1.3%	18.2%	6.0%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	5.7%	6.3%	0.6%	9.6%	-3.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15.2%	13.5%	-1.7%	13.4%	0.1%
Apprenticeship	6.7%	6.8%	0.1%	5.3%	1.5%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.5%	11.1%	0.6%	16.9%	-5.8%
Degree or Similar	31%	34.8%	3.8%	33.8%	1.0%
Other	8.1%	3.4%	-4.7%	2.8%	0.6%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 90.6% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0.4%	0.8%	0.4%	1.1%	-0.3%
Indian	0%	3.7%	3.7%	3.1%	0.6%
Other Asian	1.7%	2.9%	1.2%	1.6%	1.3%
Black African	3%	0%	-3.0%	2.5%	-2.5%
Black Caribbean	1.3%	0%	-1.3%	1.0%	-1.0%
Other Black	1.3%	0%	-1.3%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.8%	-0.8%
Mixed White and African	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed Other	0.4%	0.8%	0.4%	0.8%	0.0%
White	90.7%	90.6%	-0.1%	81.4%	9.2%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.1%	0.3%
Arab	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0%	0.8%	0.8%	1.6%	-0.8%

Country of Birth

In this area, 77.4% 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	86.1%	77.4%	-8.7%	83.2%	-5.8%
European Union	5.5%	14.4%	8.9%	6.1%	8.3%
Rest of Europe	1.7%	2.1%	0.4%	0.8%	1.3%
Africa	3%	0%	-3.0%	2.7%	-2.7%
Middle East and Asia	2.5%	4.9%	2.4%	5.6%	-0.7%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.3%	1.2%	-0.1%	1.3%	-0.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	84.8%	77.4%	-7.4%	83.2%	-5.8%
10+ Years	0.4%	15.6%	15.2%	9.8%	5.8%
5-10 Years	2.5%	3.3%	0.8%	2.9%	0.4%
2-5 Years	1.7%	2.1%	0.4%	2.2%	-0.1%
Less than 2 years	10.5%	1.6%	-8.9%	1.9%	-0.3%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	77.9%	76.7%	1.2%
Italy	5.7%	0.6%	5.1%
Poland	3.3%	1.3%	2.0%
Romania	2.5%	0.9%	1.6%
Other EU countries	2.9%	1.5%	1.4%
Other Europe	0.4%	0.2%	0.2%
No passport held	7.4%	13.5%	-6.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	31.7%	37.2%	-5.5%
Christian	56.4%	46.2%	10.2%
Hindu	2.9%	1.7%	1.2%
Muslim	3.3%	6.5%	-3.2%
Other religion	1.2%	0.6%	0.6%
Not answered	4.5%	6.0%	-1.5%

Safety

Is Widecombe Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Widecombe Close was 20.8 per 1,000 residents, which is 61.3% lower than the De Parys average. The most reported crime type was Criminal damage and arson.

Widecombe Close has the 14th lowest crime rate of 73 local areas in De Parys and the 72nd lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 0.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -58.7%.

🔎 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 3BL, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 1/10 (very low )
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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 1/10 (very low )
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 - 3/10 (low )
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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 5/10 (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 - 3/10 (low )
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) - 3/10 (low )
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 Widecombe Close are based on 10 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 Widecombe Close, Bedford, MK40 3BL

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 3BL

Average Price
£390,500

Semi-Detached
£333,691

Terraced
£351,394

Detached
£432,718

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Widecombe Close

Average Price
£436,555

Semi-Detached
£347,792

Terraced
£256,362

Detached
£487,657

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Widecombe CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
7 Widecombe Close, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£432,500	2025-01-24	£456,311
11 Widecombe Close, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£400,000	2024-11-26	£423,719
3 Widecombe Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£350,000	2023-09-28	£368,476
18 Widecombe Close, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£450,000	2022-09-08	£470,536
23 Widecombe Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£317,000	2022-08-26	£337,667

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 3BL

Employment

MK40 3BL area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 0% 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 3BL area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 43% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	88
Full-Time Employee	59
Part-Time Employee	22
Self-Employed	20
Long-Term Sick or disabled	7
Student (economically inactive)	5
Looking after home or family	3
Unemployed	1
Other	0
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	0

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	24
Human health and social work activities	16
Education	13
Professional, scientific and technical activities	11
Construction	7
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7
Transport and storage	6
Information and communication	5
Manufacturing	5
Accommodation and food service activities	4
Other	3
Real estate activities	2
Administrative and support service activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2
Financial and insurance activities	1

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	2,561 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	2,787 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DQ	4out of 4	215 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Goldington Road , MK40 3EP	4out of 4	572 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Hazeldene School Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT	3out of 4	821 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
The Hills Academy Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT	4out of 4	847 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Green Academy Goldington Green , MK41 0DP	3out of 4	1,511 yd	Academy converter	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	386 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	395 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	1,883 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX	3out of 4	2,200 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	4out of 4	2,468 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	1,876 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	837 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	1,104 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Brickhill Drive , MK41 7QZ	- not rated	1,171 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ	- not rated	1,302 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	1,608 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Courtside Cafe	Riverside Lawn Tennis Club, Goldington Road	468 yd
La Rotonda Pizzeria	10 Wendover Drive	591 yd
Papillon Coffee House & Beloved Brownies	133 Castle Road	848 yd
2likeus	127a Castle Road	848 yd
Peng	51a Pembroke Street	906 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Fox & Hounds	The Fox And Hounds, 178 Goldington Road	306 yd
The White Horse	The White Horse, 84 Newnham Avenue	506 yd
Russell Park Social Club	69 Goldington Road	649 yd
The Park	The Park Pub And Kitchen, 98 Kimbolton Road	805 yd
Devonshire Arms	The Devonshire Arms, 32 Dudley Street	812 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Big Pans People	238 Castle Road	595 yd
Chai Rasoi	167 Castle Road	733 yd
The Denmark St Fish & Chip Shop	34 Denmark Street	829 yd
Lee's Takeaway	131 Castle Road	848 yd
The New Golden Lion Chinese Takeaway	53 York Street	866 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Village Choice Ltd T/A Budgens	Budgens, 82 Kimbolton Road		932 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School POLHILL AVENUE	grass pitches	251 yd
Goldington Academy HAYLANDS WAY	grass pitches	307 yd
Bedford And County Badminton Club BRADGATE ROAD		418 yd
Riverside Tennis Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor tennis centre, tennis courts	422 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Bedford Campus) POLHILL AVENUE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite	433 yd
Castle Newnham School (Polhill Avenue Site) Polhill Avenue	grass pitches	490 yd
La Fitness (Bedford Park) (Closed) 81-83 81-83 Kimbolton Road	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	766 yd
Goldington Road (Bedford Blues Rufc) GOLDINGTON ROAD	grass pitches	879 yd
St Andrew'S School KIMBOLTON ROAD		956 yd
Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor bowls	959 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	45 Mbit/s
Average download speed	130.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	7.1 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	13.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	40 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 3BL