Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, MK40 3RZ

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK40 3RZ has a slightly higher male population, with 51.7% 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	48.9%	48.3%	-0.6%	51.0%	-2.7%
Male	51.1%	51.7%	0.6%	49.0%	2.7%

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 vicinity of MK40 3RZ there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 59.9% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	28%	28.4%	0.4%	37.9%	-9.5%
Married: Opposite sex	57.5%	59.9%	2.4%	44.2%	15.7%
Civil partnership: Opposite sex	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.1%	0.7%
Separated	2%	1.9%	-0.1%	2.2%	-0.3%
Divorced	6.7%	6.2%	-0.5%	9.1%	-2.9%
Widowed	5.9%	2.7%	-3.2%	6.1%	-3.4%

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 high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (92.2%) 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	63.6%	62.3%	-1.3%	48.4%	13.9%
Good health	28%	29.9%	1.9%	33.6%	-3.7%
Fair health	6.5%	5.3%	-1.2%	12.7%	-7.4%
Bad health	1.6%	2.2%	0.6%	4.0%	-1.8%
Very bad health	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	1.2%	-0.9%

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.

In the area around MK40 3RZ this area, 9% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 56.9%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	11.4%	9%	-2.4%	18.2%	-9.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	9.8%	6.3%	-3.5%	9.6%	-3.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	14.2%	11%	-3.2%	13.4%	-2.4%
Apprenticeship	0.8%	3.1%	2.3%	5.3%	-2.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	11.8%	11.8%	0.0%	16.9%	-5.1%
Degree or Similar	48%	56.9%	8.9%	33.8%	23.1%
Other	3.9%	2%	-1.9%	2.8%	-0.8%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 90.1% 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)
Chinese	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	4%	0%	-4.0%	3.1%	-3.1%
Other Asian	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%	1.6%	-1.0%
Black African	0.3%	0.6%	0.3%	2.5%	-1.9%
Black Caribbean	1.6%	0.9%	-0.7%	1.0%	-0.1%
Mixed White and Asian	0.9%	0.3%	-0.6%	0.8%	-0.5%
Mixed White and African	0%	1.2%	1.2%	0.4%	0.8%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	0.6%	0.3%	0.9%	-0.3%
Mixed Other	0.9%	0.6%	-0.3%	0.8%	-0.2%
White	89.7%	90.1%	0.4%	81.4%	8.7%
Arab	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0.6%	4.9%	4.3%	1.6%	3.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 84% 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	88.5%	84%	-4.5%	83.2%	0.8%
European Union	3.4%	10.2%	6.8%	6.1%	4.1%
Rest of Europe	0.3%	1.8%	1.5%	0.8%	1.0%
Africa	3.4%	1.5%	-1.9%	2.7%	-1.2%
Middle East and Asia	2.8%	0.6%	-2.2%	5.6%	-5.0%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.2%	1.2%	0.0%	1.3%	-0.1%
Oceania	0.3%	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	86.6%	85.3%	-1.3%	83.2%	2.1%
10+ Years	0.3%	9.1%	8.8%	9.8%	-0.7%
5-10 Years	0.6%	3.4%	2.8%	2.9%	0.5%
2-5 Years	3.7%	0.9%	-2.8%	2.2%	-1.3%
Less than 2 years	8.7%	1.3%	-7.4%	1.9%	-0.6%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	86.5%	76.7%	9.8%
Ireland	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
France	1.3%	0.3%	1.0%
Italy	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Spain	0.3%	0.4%	-0.1%
Lithuania	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Poland	0.6%	1.3%	-0.7%
Romania	0.9%	0.9%	0.0%
Other EU countries	1.3%	1.5%	-0.2%
Turkey	1.3%	0.1%	1.2%
South and Eastern Africa	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Southern Asia	0.3%	1.2%	-0.9%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Central and South America	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
No passport held	3.8%	13.5%	-9.7%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	38.9%	37.2%	1.7%
Christian	54.8%	46.2%	8.6%
Hindu	1.2%	1.7%	-0.5%
Jewish	0.6%	0.5%	0.1%
Not answered	4.4%	6.0%	-1.6%

Safety

Is Shaftesbury Avenue Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Shaftesbury Avenue was 166.7 per 1,000 residents, which is 20.6% lower than the Castle & Newnham average. The most reported crime type was Public order.

Shaftesbury Avenue has the 16th highest crime rate of 52 local areas in Castle & Newnham and the 70th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 71.4 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -51.8%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

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.

Average Household Income
£47,300

Income Rank
6/10

Household Income in MK40 3RZ, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 3/10 (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 - 3/10 (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 - 3/10 (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 - 2/10 (very 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 - 4/10 (below average )
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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 4/10 (below 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) - 4/10 (below 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 Shaftesbury Avenue are based on 15 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 Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, MK40 3RZ

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 3RZ

Average Price
£1,093,721

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£1,267,975

Detached
£919,467

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Shaftesbury Avenue

Average Price
£885,286

Semi-Detached
£838,526

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£1,539,935

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Shaftesbury AvenueStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
24A Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£925,000	2024-11-15	£979,849
24A Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£800,000	2018-12-04	£979,326
25 Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£795,000	2015-01-13	£1,329,612
24A Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£390,000	2013-10-09	£718,636
25 Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£450,000	2001-04-27	£1,539,935

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 3RZ

Employment

MK40 3RZ area has a very high level of entrepreneurship. Only 6% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 16% of population in this area is self-employed, while the average in the UK is 9.7%. High number of entrepreneurs usually leads to relatively high economic growth, higher paid jobs and better quality of life in the area.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	87
Retired	50
Self-Employed	42
Part-Time Employee	28
Student (economically inactive)	13
Unemployed	10
Looking after home or family	8
Other	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6
Long-Term Sick or disabled	4

Employment Industry

Education	23
Professional, scientific and technical activities	21
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	14
Human health and social work activities	13
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	11
Administrative and support service activities	11
Construction	10
Information and communication	10
Transport and storage	8
Accommodation and food service activities	8
Real estate activities	8
Other	7
Manufacturing	6
Financial and insurance activities	3
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Mining and quarrying	1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	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	1,732 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	2,128 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	538 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DQ	4out of 4	1,115 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	1,638 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	1,690 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Hazeldene School Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT	3out of 4	1,723 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	1,119 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	1,229 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	1,321 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,116 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX	3out of 4	3,052 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	1,375 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	934 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ	- not rated	985 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	1,177 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	1,203 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	1,684 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
The Kiosk	Russell Park, The Embankment	313 yd
Peng	51a Pembroke Street	325 yd
Pizza Hut	Pizza Hut, Aspects Leisure Centre, Newnham Avenue	333 yd
Papillon Coffee House & Beloved Brownies	133 Castle Road	386 yd
2likeus	127a Castle Road	386 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Devonshire Arms	The Devonshire Arms, 32 Dudley Street	184 yd
Gordon Arms	The Gordon Arms, 118 Castle Road	476 yd
The White Horse	The White Horse, 84 Newnham Avenue	601 yd
Fox & Hounds	The Fox And Hounds, 178 Goldington Road	606 yd
Russell Park Social Club	69 Goldington Road	684 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Denmark St Fish & Chip Shop	34 Denmark Street	230 yd
The New Golden Lion Chinese Takeaway	53 York Street	275 yd
Chai Rasoi	167 Castle Road	289 yd
Lee's Takeaway	131 Castle Road	386 yd
Big Pans People	238 Castle Road	395 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tesco	Tesco, Cardington Road		737 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Russell Park PEMBROKE STREET	grass pitches, tennis courts	304 yd
Fitness First Health Club (Bedford) ASPECTS LEISURE CENTRE ASPECTS LEISURE CENTRE NEWNHAM AVENUE	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	452 yd
Bedford International Athletic Stadium BARKERS LANE	athletics tracks, grass pitches, health and fitness suite	603 yd
Oasis Beach Pool CARDINGTON ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	627 yd
Riverside Tennis Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor tennis centre, tennis courts	653 yd
University Of Bedfordshire (Bedford Campus) POLHILL AVENUE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite	844 yd
Bedford And County Badminton Club BRADGATE ROAD		860 yd
Goldington Road (Bedford Blues Rufc) GOLDINGTON ROAD	grass pitches	982 yd
Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	1,020 yd
Bedford Borough Indoor Bowling Club GOLDINGTON ROAD	indoor bowls	1,038 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%

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