Howard Street is in Bedford and in Bedford district. MK40 3HS is located in the Castle & Newnham electoral ward, within the English Parliamentary constituency of Bedford. This postcode has been in use since 1980-01-01.
StreetScan combines information about Howard Street, Bedford, MK40 3HS and displays a report on the quality of life in this place and its surroundings.
Nearby postcodes are: MK40 3HR, MK40 3HD, MK40 3EU, MK40 3HP, MK40 1NE, MK40 3HY, MK40 3JD, MK40 1NT, MK40 1RZ.
In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK40 3HS is primarily male, with 54.5% 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 | 48.6% | 45.5% | -3.1% | 51.0% | -5.5% |
| Male | 51.4% | 54.5% | 3.1% | 49.0% | 5.5% |
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 3HS, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 66.8% 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 | 70.7% | 66.8% | -3.9% | 37.9% | 28.9% |
| Married: Opposite sex | 16.5% | 17% | 0.5% | 44.2% | -27.2% |
| Married: Same sex | 0% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Separated | 3.2% | 7.2% | 4.0% | 2.2% | 5.0% |
| Divorced | 7.4% | 6.4% | -1.0% | 9.1% | -2.7% |
| Widowed | 2.1% | 1.5% | -0.6% | 6.1% | -4.6% |
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 high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (87.7%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very good health | 46.2% | 53.2% | 7.0% | 48.4% | 4.8% |
| Good health | 40.1% | 34.5% | -5.6% | 33.6% | 0.9% |
| Fair health | 10.8% | 8.1% | -2.7% | 12.7% | -4.6% |
| Bad health | 2.8% | 4.2% | 1.4% | 4.0% | 0.2% |
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 | 13.8% | 15.9% | 2.1% | 18.2% | -2.3% |
| 1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent | 11.2% | 6.1% | -5.1% | 9.6% | -3.5% |
| 5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels | 17% | 9.5% | -7.5% | 13.4% | -3.9% |
| Apprenticeship | 1.6% | 9.8% | 8.2% | 5.3% | 4.5% |
| HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels | 22.9% | 14% | -8.9% | 16.9% | -2.9% |
| Degree or Similar | 24.5% | 38.3% | 13.8% | 33.8% | 4.5% |
| Other | 9% | 6.4% | -2.6% | 2.8% | 3.6% |
This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 75% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladeshi | 0.9% | 0.6% | -0.3% | 1.1% | -0.5% |
| Chinese | 1.4% | 0.3% | -1.1% | 0.7% | -0.4% |
| Indian | 5.2% | 2.3% | -2.9% | 3.1% | -0.8% |
| Pakistani | 1.4% | 0.3% | -1.1% | 2.7% | -2.4% |
| Other Asian | 0.9% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| Black African | 3.8% | 6.2% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Black Caribbean | 3.8% | 1.6% | -2.2% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Other Black | 0% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Mixed White and Asian | 0.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Mixed White and African | 1.9% | 0.6% | -1.3% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mixed White and Caribbean | 1.4% | 1% | -0.4% | 0.9% | 0.1% |
| Mixed Other | 1.4% | 0.3% | -1.1% | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| White | 75.5% | 75% | -0.5% | 81.4% | -6.4% |
| Roma | 0% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 0.2% | 4.0% |
| Arab | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Other | 1.4% | 1.9% | 0.5% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
In this area, just 41.9% of residents were born in the United Kingdom, meaning that the majority of residents originate from outside the UK.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 64.2% | 41.9% | -22.3% | 83.2% | -41.3% |
| European Union | 19.3% | 41.6% | 22.3% | 6.1% | 35.5% |
| Rest of Europe | 0.9% | 4.2% | 3.3% | 0.8% | 3.4% |
| Africa | 5.2% | 6.8% | 1.6% | 2.7% | 4.1% |
| Middle East and Asia | 8.5% | 3.6% | -4.9% | 5.6% | -2.0% |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.0% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
In this area majority of residents originate from outside the UK. Only 41.9% of residents were born in the United Kingdom. 15.6% of residents have lived in the UK for 10 years or more.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born in the UK | 64.2% | 41.9% | -22.3% | 83.2% | -41.3% |
| 10+ Years | 21.2% | 15.6% | -5.6% | 9.8% | 5.8% |
| 5-10 Years | 2.8% | 18.8% | 16.0% | 2.9% | 15.9% |
| 2-5 Years | 7.1% | 13% | 5.9% | 2.2% | 10.8% |
| Less than 2 years | 4.7% | 10.7% | 6.0% | 1.9% | 8.8% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 35.6% | 76.7% | -41.1% |
| France | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Italy | 6.2% | 0.6% | 5.6% |
| Portugal | 2.6% | 0.5% | 2.1% |
| Spain | 0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| Lithuania | 1.6% | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Poland | 13.4% | 1.3% | 12.1% |
| Romania | 9.2% | 0.9% | 8.3% |
| Other EU countries | 9.5% | 1.5% | 8.0% |
| Other Europe | 1.6% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| Central and Western Africa | 2% | 0.3% | 1.7% |
| South and Eastern Africa | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Middle East | 1.6% | 0.1% | 1.5% |
| Southern Asia | 2.6% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| South-East Asia | 1% | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| North America and the Caribbean | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Central and South America | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| No passport held | 10.5% | 13.5% | -3.0% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 34.4% | 37.2% | -2.8% |
| Christian | 48.2% | 46.2% | 2.0% |
| Hindu | 2.3% | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Muslim | 3.9% | 6.5% | -2.6% |
| Other religion | 0.3% | 0.6% | -0.3% |
| Not answered | 10.9% | 6.0% | 4.9% |
Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Howard Street was 1203.5 per 1,000 residents, which is 473.0% higher than the Castle & Newnham average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.
Howard Street has the 4th highest crime rate of 52 local areas in Castle & Newnham and the 4th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .
Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 561.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -46.0%.

Households in this area have a similar level level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 59% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

| Address | Sale Price | Sale Date | Price Estimate 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Howard Street, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building | £256,000 | 2021-04-19 | £303,963 |
| 8 - 10 Howard Street, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building | £1,610,000 | 2018-05-15 | £1,813,910 |
| 4 Howard Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £156,500 | 2007-04-24 | £280,181 |
| 4 Howard Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire Terraced, an established residential building | £122,000 | 2006-03-17 | £245,187 |
| 2 Howard Street, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £150,000 | 2001-12-19 | £496,667 |
The percentage of student residents living in MK40 3HS area is much higher than the country's average. Usually places with high percentage of students are near Universities and near entertainment places.
| Full-Time Employee | 128 |
| Part-Time Employee | 30 |
| Unemployed | 19 |
| Full-Time Student (with or without job) | 17 |
| Other | 16 |
| Self-Employed | 16 |
| Looking after home or family | 15 |
| Student (economically inactive) | 10 |
| Long-Term Sick or disabled | 10 |
| Retired | 2 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 24 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles | 21 |
| Manufacturing | 15 |
| Transport and storage | 10 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 9 |
| Human health and social work activities | 9 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 8 |
| Education | 8 |
| Construction | 6 |
| Information and communication | 5 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 4 |
| Other | 3 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 3 |
| Real estate activities | 1 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR | 4out of 4 | 1,497 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS | 4out of 4 | 1,661 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD | 4out of 4 | 607 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Livingstone Primary School Clapham Road , MK41 7LG | 3out of 4 | 984 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Castle Newnham School Goldington Road , MK40 3EP | 4out of 4 | 998 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Edith Cavell Primary School Manton Lane , MK41 7NH | 3out of 4 | 1,450 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR | 3out of 4 | 1,534 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD | 3out of 4 | 655 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT | 3out of 4 | 1,479 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX | 3out of 4 | 1,880 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ | 3out of 4 | 2,251 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR | 3out of 4 | 2,547 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford College Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AH | - not rated | 559 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU | - not rated | 504 yd | Other independent school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX | - not rated | 763 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
| St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA | - not rated | 830 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU | - not rated | 830 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE | - not rated | 1,189 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carumbar UK Ltd | 11 Howard Street | 4 yd | |
| YOU FOR COFFEE LIMITED | 7 Howard Street | 4 yd | |
| The Mill Yard Coffee Lounge | 1-2 Mill Yard, Mill Street | 29 yd | |
| Il Basilico | 12 Mill Street | 29 yd | |
| Frescoes Coffee House | 20 Mill Street | 29 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auction Room Ltd | 1 Duke Street | 19 yd | |
| The Mill | The Mill Hotel, 32-34 Mill Street | 29 yd | |
| Executive Snooker Club | 3a Lurke Street | 65 yd | |
| George & Dragon | The George And Dragon, 39 Mill Street | 72 yd | |
| The Cellar Bar | Basement, 75 High Street | 89 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Kebab | 80a High Street | 150 yd | |
| Doorstep Dolci High Street LTD | 94 High Street | 150 yd | |
| BB Tea | 43 High Street | 171 yd | |
| Elevenses | 1 Lime Street | 188 yd | |
| Roosters | 47 St Cuthberts Street | 241 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco | 63 High Street | 127 yd | |
| Lidl Food Stores | 5-9 St Peters Street | 172 yd | |
| BQUALITY AFRICA MINI MARKET | Flat D, Broadway Apartments, 30 The Broadway | 339 yd | |
| Iceland Frozen Foods Plc | 15-19 Greenhill Street | 442 yd | |
| Liana International Market | 59 Midland Road | 452 yd |
| Facility Name | Sport Objects | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bunyan Meeting Church MILL STREET | 117 yd | |
| Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET | health and fitness suite | 151 yd |
| Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street | health and fitness suite | 429 yd |
| Hmp Bedford ST. LOYES STREET | artificial grass pitch | 439 yd |
| Bedford School DE PARYS AVENUE | grass pitches, health and fitness suite, squash courts, swimming pool, tennis courts | 514 yd |
| Trinity Arts & Leisure BROMHAM ROAD | health and fitness suite, swimming pool | 543 yd |
| Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET | health and fitness suite | 556 yd |
| Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD | indoor bowls | 566 yd |
| Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET | 618 yd | |
| Goldington Road (Bedford Blues Rufc) GOLDINGTON ROAD | grass pitches | 634 yd |
This statistics are based on Active Places Data - Contains Data © Sport England
| 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 | 83.3% |
| Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband | 83.3% |
| Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband | 83.3% |
| 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% |
| Median download speed | 76.3 Mbit/s |
| Average download speed | 66.1 Mbit/s |
| Minimum download speed | 80 Mbit/s |
| Maximum download speed | 80 Mbit/s |
| Median upload speed | 20 Mbit/s |
| Average upload speed | 15.9 Mbit/s |
| Maximum upload speed | 20 Mbit/s |
Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.