Essex Gardens, Bedford, MK42 0EQ

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 0EQ, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53.4% 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	57.1%	53.4%	-3.7%	51.0%	2.4%
Male	42.9%	46.6%	3.7%	49.0%	-2.4%

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 area around MK42 0EQ, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 45.5% 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	45.7%	45.5%	-0.2%	37.9%	7.6%
Married: Opposite sex	32.5%	37%	4.5%	44.2%	-7.2%
Separated	4.9%	3.1%	-1.8%	2.2%	0.9%
Divorced	11.9%	9.3%	-2.6%	9.1%	0.2%
Widowed	4.9%	5.1%	0.2%	6.1%	-1.0%

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	45.8%	43.1%	-2.7%	48.4%	-5.3%
Good health	37.8%	35.4%	-2.4%	33.6%	1.8%
Fair health	9.5%	15.3%	5.8%	12.7%	2.6%
Bad health	4.3%	4.2%	-0.1%	4.0%	0.2%
Very bad health	2.6%	2%	-0.6%	1.2%	0.8%

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.

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 19.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	34.6%	24.9%	-9.7%	18.2%	6.7%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	21.8%	19.5%	-2.3%	9.6%	9.9%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15.2%	16.7%	1.5%	13.4%	3.3%
Apprenticeship	0.4%	4.3%	3.9%	5.3%	-1.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9.9%	12.8%	2.9%	16.9%	-4.1%
Degree or Similar	12.3%	19.5%	7.2%	33.8%	-14.3%
Other	5.8%	2.3%	-3.5%	2.8%	-0.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 54.2% 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	17.6%	22.9%	5.3%	1.1%	21.8%
Chinese	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	4%	2.9%	-1.1%	3.1%	-0.2%
Pakistani	0.3%	0.9%	0.6%	2.7%	-1.8%
Other Asian	0%	2%	2.0%	1.6%	0.4%
Black African	1.7%	6.3%	4.6%	2.5%	3.8%
Black Caribbean	3.2%	2.3%	-0.9%	1.0%	1.3%
Other Black	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	0.8%	-0.5%
Mixed White and African	0%	0.9%	0.9%	0.4%	0.5%
Mixed White and Caribbean	4.6%	3.4%	-1.2%	0.9%	2.5%
Mixed Other	0.9%	0.9%	0.0%	0.8%	0.1%
White	65.1%	54.2%	-10.9%	81.4%	-27.2%
Roma	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Arab	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0%	2.9%	2.9%	1.6%	1.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 72% 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	76.1%	72%	-4.1%	83.2%	-11.2%
European Union	8.6%	9.6%	1.0%	6.1%	3.5%
Rest of Europe	0.9%	0.8%	-0.1%	0.8%	0.0%
Africa	1.4%	6.5%	5.1%	2.7%	3.8%
Middle East and Asia	11%	9.6%	-1.4%	5.6%	4.0%
The Americas and the Caribbean	2%	1.1%	-0.9%	1.3%	-0.2%
Oceania	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	75.2%	72.2%	-3.0%	83.2%	-11.0%
10+ Years	2%	17.9%	15.9%	9.8%	8.1%
5-10 Years	4.9%	4.8%	-0.1%	2.9%	1.9%
2-5 Years	4.6%	2.3%	-2.3%	2.2%	0.1%
Less than 2 years	13.3%	2.8%	-10.5%	1.9%	0.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	65.5%	76.7%	-11.2%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
France	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Italy	1.4%	0.6%	0.8%
Lithuania	1.7%	0.3%	1.4%
Poland	2.3%	1.3%	1.0%
Romania	2.3%	0.9%	1.4%
Other EU countries	4.3%	1.5%	2.8%
Central and Western Africa	1.7%	0.3%	1.4%
South and Eastern Africa	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Southern Asia	2.3%	1.2%	1.1%
Oceania	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
No passport held	17.4%	13.5%	3.9%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	27.4%	37.2%	-9.8%
Christian	39.4%	46.2%	-6.8%
Muslim	27.7%	6.5%	21.2%
Sikh	0.6%	0.9%	-0.3%
Other religion	0.9%	0.6%	0.3%
Not answered	4%	6.0%	-2.0%

Safety

Is Essex Gardens Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Essex Gardens was 69.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 57.6% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Essex Gardens has the 28th lowest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 212th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 43.4 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -33.3%.

🔎 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. 57% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£43,000

Income Rank
5/10

Household Income in MK42 0EQ, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 9/10 (very 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 - 9/10 (very 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 - 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 - 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 - 9/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 5/10 (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) - 9/10 (very high )
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) - 10/10 (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 Essex Gardens are based on 6 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 Essex Gardens, Bedford, MK42 0EQ

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 0EQ

Average Price
£144,603

Semi-Detached
£170,209

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£93,389

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Essex Gardens

Average Price
£159,983

Semi-Detached
£172,694

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£96,426

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Essex GardensStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
9 Essex Gardens, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£184,000	2020-01-17	£233,184
5 Essex Gardens, Bedford, Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£63,500	2006-12-21	£125,115
1 Essex Gardens, Bedford, Bedfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£61,500	2006-02-10	£96,426
9 Essex Gardens, Bedford, Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£119,000	2005-05-27	£252,251
9 Essex Gardens, Bedford, Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£89,000	2002-11-15	£248,079

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 0EQ

Employment

MK42 0EQ area has a high unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 9% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. High levels of unemployment lead to more frequent crime and reduce the quality of life in this area.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	77
Part-Time Employee	40
Long-Term Sick or disabled	25
Unemployed	22
Looking after home or family	21
Self-Employed	20
Retired	18
Student (economically inactive)	18
Other	11
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	5

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	25
Human health and social work activities	16
Transport and storage	15
Accommodation and food service activities	12
Construction	11
Administrative and support service activities	7
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	7
Manufacturing	6
Education	6
Professional, scientific and technical activities	4
Financial and insurance activities	4
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	3
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2
Other	1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1
Information and communication	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	191 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	969 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	149 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	824 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	974 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Elstow School Abbeyfields Road Abbeyfields , Elstow MK42 9GP	3out of 4	1,277 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	1,841 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	853 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	1,200 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	2,061 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,888 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,923 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	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	1,325 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	794 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	1,159 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	1,607 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	2,242 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	2,351 yd	Academy special converter	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
AMA’S Palace (E&G Kitchen)	Unit 1, Windsor Road	308 yd
THE HUNTERS' GRILL	Unit 1, Windsor Road	308 yd
Lagos Lounge	Unit 1, Windsor Road	308 yd
Bedford Sweets & Snacks	70 Elstow Road	383 yd
Joyes Boba Bedford Bubble Tea	35A Elstow Road	437 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Meltis Sports and Social Club	Meltis Sports And Social Club, Miller Road	517 yd
The Bull	The Bull, 259 London Road	648 yd
Gardeners Arms	The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road	828 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Wok Inn	159 London Road	303 yd
Golden Star	204 London Road	379 yd
Joyes Chicken	33 Elstow Road	473 yd
Golden Fish Bar	26 London Road	613 yd
Pizza Hut	24 London Road	613 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
SAS Supermarket	Unit 2, 82 Ampthill Road	871 yd
Morrisons Service Station Shop	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	959 yd
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	959 yd
Aldi	Aldi, Westville Road	969 yd
Tesco	13 Beauvais Square	1,016 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Harrowden Middle School (Closed) Oak Road	grass pitches	616 yd
Meltis Sports And Social Club MILLER COURT	grass pitches	752 yd
Bedford Academy (Closed) Mile Road	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	753 yd
The Gym (Bedford) London Road	health and fitness suite	780 yd
Moor Lane Recreation Ground Moor Lane	grass pitches	813 yd
John Bunyan Health And Fitness MILE ROAD	health and fitness suite, squash courts	846 yd
Bedford Academy MILE ROAD	artificial grass pitch	885 yd
Jubilee Park SOUTH LODGE SOUTH LODGE CANVIN WAY	grass pitches	929 yd
Abbey Middle School (Closed) Mowbray Road	grass pitches, swimming pool	934 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	73.2 Mbit/s
Average download speed	85.4 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	350 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	350 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10.8 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	14.2 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK42 0EQ