Ford End Road, Bedford, MK40 4LA

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK40 4LA has a slightly higher male population, with 50.9% 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	51.2%	49.1%	-2.1%	51.0%	-1.9%
Male	48.8%	50.9%	2.1%	49.0%	1.9%

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 4LA there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 51.9% 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	29.2%	33.9%	4.7%	37.9%	-4.0%
Married: Opposite sex	54%	51.9%	-2.1%	44.2%	7.7%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Separated	6.3%	2.5%	-3.8%	2.2%	0.3%
Divorced	4.1%	5.6%	1.5%	9.1%	-3.5%
Widowed	6.3%	5.8%	-0.5%	6.1%	-0.3%

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	43.8%	51%	7.2%	48.4%	2.6%
Good health	36.3%	30%	-6.3%	33.6%	-3.6%
Fair health	12.6%	11.1%	-1.5%	12.7%	-1.6%
Bad health	5.9%	6.1%	0.2%	4.0%	2.1%
Very bad health	1.4%	1.8%	0.4%	1.2%	0.6%

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 4LA this area, 33.9% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly higher than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its low percentage of residents with higher education degree. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 17.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	38.1%	33.9%	-4.2%	18.2%	15.7%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	14%	15.6%	1.6%	9.6%	6.0%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	13.7%	13.3%	-0.4%	13.4%	-0.1%
Apprenticeship	1.3%	3.1%	1.8%	5.3%	-2.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	5.7%	12.5%	6.8%	16.9%	-4.4%
Degree or Similar	13.7%	17.5%	3.8%	33.8%	-16.3%
Other	13.7%	4.2%	-9.5%	2.8%	1.4%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 27.6% 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	14.7%	17.6%	2.9%	1.1%	16.5%
Indian	9%	5.9%	-3.1%	3.1%	2.8%
Pakistani	33.2%	30.6%	-2.6%	2.7%	27.9%
Other Asian	8.8%	5.7%	-3.1%	1.6%	4.1%
Black African	3.2%	1.8%	-1.4%	2.5%	-0.7%
Black Caribbean	1.1%	1.4%	0.3%	1.0%	0.4%
Other Black	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0.7%	0%	-0.7%	0.8%	-0.8%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	0.9%	-0.7%
Mixed Other	0.2%	1.2%	1.0%	0.8%	0.4%
White	26.4%	27.6%	1.2%	81.4%	-53.8%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.1%	1.3%
Arab	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.6%	0.8%
Other	2.3%	5.1%	2.8%	1.6%	3.5%

Country of Birth

In this area, 52.6% 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	50.1%	52.6%	2.5%	83.2%	-30.6%
European Union	12%	16.3%	4.3%	6.1%	10.2%
Rest of Europe	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.8%	-0.8%
Africa	2.3%	1.6%	-0.7%	2.7%	-1.1%
Middle East and Asia	34.3%	28.9%	-5.4%	5.6%	23.3%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.7%	0.6%	-0.1%	1.3%	-0.7%
British Overseas	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	0.0%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	48.5%	52.4%	3.9%	83.2%	-30.8%
10+ Years	7.9%	28.3%	20.4%	9.8%	18.5%
5-10 Years	6.5%	10.3%	3.8%	2.9%	7.4%
2-5 Years	7.4%	4.7%	-2.7%	2.2%	2.5%
Less than 2 years	29.6%	4.3%	-25.3%	1.9%	2.4%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	62.1%	76.7%	-14.6%
Ireland	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
Italy	3%	0.6%	2.4%
Portugal	0.6%	0.5%	0.1%
Spain	1.2%	0.4%	0.8%
Lithuania	2.4%	0.3%	2.1%
Poland	4.3%	1.3%	3.0%
Romania	7.1%	0.9%	6.2%
Other EU countries	2.2%	1.5%	0.7%
Eastern Asia	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
Southern Asia	6.7%	1.2%	5.5%
South-East Asia	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%
No passport held	8.3%	13.5%	-5.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	6.9%	37.2%	-30.3%
Christian	22.1%	46.2%	-24.1%
Muslim	59.3%	6.5%	52.8%
Sikh	6.1%	0.9%	5.2%
Other religion	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Not answered	4.9%	6.0%	-1.1%

Safety

Is Ford End Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Ford End Road was 18.6 per 1,000 residents, which is 94.0% lower than the Greyfriars average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Ford End Road has the 2nd lowest crime rate of 22 local areas in Greyfriars and the 66th lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 16.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have remained broadly unchanged year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -93.1%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a similar level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 55% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£43,600

Income Rank
5/10

Household Income in MK40 4LA, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 7/10 (above average )
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 - 7/10 (above average )
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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 5/10 (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 - 6/10 (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 - 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 - 6/10 (average )
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) - 7/10 (above 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) - 9/10 (very 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 Ford End Road are based on 48 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 Ford End Road, Bedford, MK40 4LA

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK40 4LA

Average Price
£259,374

Semi-Detached
£254,041

Terraced
£286,039

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Ford End Road

Average Price
£219,732

Semi-Detached
£245,714

Terraced
£223,342

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£140,865

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Ford End Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
131 Ford End Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£150,000	2024-06-14	£162,862
127 Ford End Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£290,000	2024-01-15	£309,431
139 Ford End Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£250,000	2021-06-25	£298,808
131 Ford End Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£230,000	2019-07-25	£293,718
149 Ford End Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£150,000	2014-07-24	£261,010

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK40 4LA

Employment

MK40 4LA area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 3% 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 student residents living in MK40 4LA area is much higher than the country's average. Usually places with high percentage of students are near Universities and near entertainment places.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	81
Looking after home or family	52
Retired	48
Part-Time Employee	45
Self-Employed	37
Student (economically inactive)	31
Long-Term Sick or disabled	27
Other	25
Unemployed	10
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	6

Employment Industry

Transport and storage	30
Accommodation and food service activities	15
Human health and social work activities	14
Manufacturing	14
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	13
Other	9
Education	8
Administrative and support service activities	7
Professional, scientific and technical activities	6
Financial and insurance activities	4
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	4
Construction	3
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	3
Information and communication	3

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	1,153 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Southway Nursery School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	1,490 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,960 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Marlborough Lower School Marlborough Road , MK40 4LE	- not rated	572 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Joseph's RC Lower School Chester Road , MK40 4HN	- not rated	595 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Joseph's RC Lower School Chester Road , MK40 4HN	- not rated	595 yd	Voluntary aided school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Academy Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	3out of 4	612 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Lower School Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	- not rated	612 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,032 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	4out of 4	1,581 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	- not rated	2,016 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
John Bunyan School Mile Road , MK42 9TR	- not rated	2,909 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Kempston Academy Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	2,953 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Gregory's Catholic Middle School Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AT	- not rated	1,103 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Bede's RC Middle School 112 Bromham Road , MK40 2QR	- not rated	1,289 yd	Voluntary aided school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Robert Bruce Middle School Bedford Road , Kempston MK42 8PU	- not rated	1,625 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Robert Bruce Middle School Bedford Road , Kempston MK42 8PU	- not rated	1,625 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Middle School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	- not rated	2,016 yd	Foundation school	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	1,516 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	- not rated	608 yd	Foundation special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	3out of 4	608 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Grange School Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	- not rated	1,077 yd	Foundation special school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	1,077 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Teaching Service for Excluded Pupils 2nd Floor, Riverside Suite , County Hall MK42 9AP	- not rated	1,333 yd	Miscellaneous	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Royal Sweets	57 Ford End Road	522 yd
Top Slice pizza	49 Ford End Road	522 yd
Top Dessert	43 Ford End Road	543 yd
LIME STREET BUFFET LIMITED	12 Lime Street	802 yd
Starbucks Coffee	Bedford Railway Station, Ashburnham Road	985 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Kempston Park Indoor Bowls Club	290 Hillgrounds Road	545 yd
Sport for Bedford Ltd	The Pavilion, Chester Road	600 yd
Addison Howard Centre	Addison Howard Park, Bedford Road	694 yd
The Queen PH	The Queen, 36 Preston Road	770 yd
T Bar	The Keep, Bedford Road	795 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Holy Grill Ghost Kitchen	2 Westbourne Road	335 yd
Dynamite	66 Iddesleigh Road	472 yd
Hayat Peri Peri & Pizza	39 Ford End Road	522 yd
Tasty Chicken	13 Ford End Road	662 yd
Bedford Fitness Camps		936 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Tesco	8-12 Ford End Road	465 yd
POD ORLEM POLSKI SKLEP	55 Ford End Road	522 yd
Iceland Foods Ltd	7-11 Midland Road	802 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Kempston Rovers Fc HILLGROUNDS ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	442 yd
Kempston Pool HILLGROUNDS ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	511 yd
Allen Park OLD FORD END ROAD	grass pitches, tennis courts	530 yd
Kempston Indoor Bowls Club HILLGROUNDS ROAD	indoor bowls	546 yd
Hillgrounds Playing Fields ODELL CLOSE	grass pitches	654 yd
Westfield School CHESTER ROAD	grass pitches	672 yd
Bedford Sports And Hockey Centre THE PAVILION THE PAVILION CHESTER ROAD	artificial grass pitch	740 yd
Addison Howard Park Bedford Road	grass pitches, tennis courts	897 yd
Biddenham Tennis Club Biddenham Turn	tennis courts	911 yd
Biddenham International School And Sports College BIDDENHAM TURN	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	1,029 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	92.3%
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	92.3%

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	86.8 Mbit/s
Average download speed	144.3 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	500 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	500 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	17.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK40 4LA