Willow Road, Bedford, MK42 0QS

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 0QS, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 52.8% 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	50.2%	52.8%	2.6%	51.0%	1.8%
Male	49.8%	47.2%	-2.6%	49.0%	-1.8%

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	39.6%	40.6%	1.0%	37.9%	2.7%
Married: Opposite sex	38.2%	43.6%	5.4%	44.2%	-0.6%
Married: Same sex	1%	0%	-1.0%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	3.9%	1.7%	-2.2%	2.2%	-0.5%
Divorced	11.1%	8.5%	-2.6%	9.1%	-0.6%
Widowed	6.3%	5.6%	-0.7%	6.1%	-0.5%

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 (85.5%) 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	44.5%	49.8%	5.3%	48.4%	1.4%
Good health	34.2%	35.7%	1.5%	33.6%	2.1%
Fair health	17.9%	9.5%	-8.4%	12.7%	-3.2%
Bad health	3.4%	4.3%	0.9%	4.0%	0.3%
Very bad health	0%	0.7%	0.7%	1.2%	-0.5%

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	25.1%	22.9%	-2.2%	18.2%	4.7%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	13.5%	11%	-2.5%	9.6%	1.4%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15.9%	14.8%	-1.1%	13.4%	1.4%
Apprenticeship	4.3%	6.4%	2.1%	5.3%	1.1%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	7.2%	14%	6.8%	16.9%	-2.9%
Degree or Similar	24.2%	29.2%	5.0%	33.8%	-4.6%
Other	9.7%	1.7%	-8.0%	2.8%	-1.1%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 65.7% 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	3%	5.6%	2.6%	1.1%	4.5%
Chinese	0%	0.7%	0.7%	0.7%	0.0%
Indian	4.6%	5.2%	0.6%	3.1%	2.1%
Pakistani	0.8%	4.6%	3.8%	2.7%	1.9%
Other Asian	1.1%	1.6%	0.5%	1.6%	0.0%
Black African	3.8%	6.2%	2.4%	2.5%	3.7%
Black Caribbean	2.3%	2%	-0.3%	1.0%	1.0%
Mixed White and Asian	0.8%	0.7%	-0.1%	0.8%	-0.1%
Mixed White and African	1.1%	1%	-0.1%	0.4%	0.6%
Mixed White and Caribbean	2.7%	4.6%	1.9%	0.9%	3.7%
Mixed Other	0.4%	0.3%	-0.1%	0.8%	-0.5%
White	79.5%	65.7%	-13.8%	81.4%	-15.7%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Arab	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Other	0%	1.3%	1.3%	1.6%	-0.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 67.2% 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	80.2%	67.2%	-13.0%	83.2%	-16.0%
European Union	10.6%	16.9%	6.3%	6.1%	10.8%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.8%	-0.2%
Africa	5.3%	5.2%	-0.1%	2.7%	2.5%
Middle East and Asia	2.3%	7.8%	5.5%	5.6%	2.2%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.5%	2.3%	0.8%	1.3%	1.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	79.8%	67.6%	-12.2%	83.2%	-15.6%
10+ Years	0.4%	18%	17.6%	9.8%	8.2%
5-10 Years	4.6%	9.5%	4.9%	2.9%	6.6%
2-5 Years	4.9%	2.9%	-2.0%	2.2%	0.7%
Less than 2 years	10.3%	2%	-8.3%	1.9%	0.1%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	61.8%	76.7%	-14.9%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Italy	3.3%	0.6%	2.7%
Portugal	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Poland	8.8%	1.3%	7.5%
Romania	1.3%	0.9%	0.4%
Other EU countries	2%	1.5%	0.5%
Other Europe	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
Central and Western Africa	2.3%	0.3%	2.0%
Eastern Asia	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Southern Asia	2.9%	1.2%	1.7%
North America and the Caribbean	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Central and South America	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
No passport held	13.7%	13.5%	0.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	30.9%	37.2%	-6.3%
Christian	46.3%	46.2%	0.1%
Hindu	3.3%	1.7%	1.6%
Muslim	12.1%	6.5%	5.6%
Sikh	3.3%	0.9%	2.4%
Other religion	1%	0.6%	0.4%
Not answered	3.3%	6.0%	-2.7%

Safety

Is Willow Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Willow Road was 85.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 47.9% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Willow Road has the 36th lowest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 167th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 51.8 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 63.9%.

🔎 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. 58% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£42,800

Income Rank
5/10

Household Income in MK42 0QS, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 8/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 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) - 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) - 7/10 (above 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 Willow Road are based on 26 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 Willow Road, Bedford, MK42 0QS

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 0QS

Average Price
£311,524

Semi-Detached
£310,910

Terraced
£336,914

Detached
£266,886

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Willow Road

Average Price
£320,214

Semi-Detached
£320,483

Terraced
£327,194

Detached
£286,653

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Willow Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
17 Willow Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£290,000	2024-06-21	£318,161
27 Willow Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£260,000	2019-11-08	£329,106
7 Willow Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£272,000	2019-08-23	£350,615
29 Willow Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£277,500	2019-06-21	£355,968
31 Willow Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£240,000	2018-10-19	£303,068

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 0QS

Employment

MK42 0QS 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 MK42 0QS 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	98
Part-Time Employee	29
Self-Employed	21
Retired	21
Student (economically inactive)	18
Looking after home or family	11
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	10
Long-Term Sick or disabled	10
Other	8
Unemployed	7

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	27
Human health and social work activities	21
Transport and storage	15
Manufacturing	14
Accommodation and food service activities	10
Construction	9
Information and communication	9
Education	8
Professional, scientific and technical activities	7
Administrative and support service activities	7
Other	3
Financial and insurance activities	3
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2

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	345 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	1,154 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	262 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	624 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	1,162 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Elstow School Abbeyfields Road Abbeyfields , Elstow MK42 9GP	3out of 4	1,322 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	2,032 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	709 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	1,271 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	2,234 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	2,834 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,841 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	1,403 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	931 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	1,164 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	1,801 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	2,258 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ	- not rated	2,279 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
AMA’S Palace (E&G Kitchen)	Unit 1, Windsor Road	241 yd
THE HUNTERS' GRILL	Unit 1, Windsor Road	241 yd
Lagos Lounge	Unit 1, Windsor Road	241 yd
Mile Road Cafe	91b Mile Road	527 yd
Mile Road, Allotment & Leisure Gardens Association	149 Mile Road	539 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Bull	The Bull, 259 London Road	476 yd
Meltis Sports and Social Club	Meltis Sports And Social Club, Miller Road	709 yd
Gardeners Arms	The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road	1,011 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Golden Star	204 London Road	188 yd
Wok Inn	159 London Road	193 yd
Golden Fish Bar	26 London Road	657 yd
Pizza Hut	24 London Road	657 yd
Zest Pizza	32 London Road	657 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tesco	Tesco, Cardington Road		988 yd
SAS Supermarket	Unit 2, 82 Ampthill Road		1,065 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Harrowden Middle School (Closed) Oak Road	grass pitches	416 yd
Bedford Academy (Closed) Mile Road	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	620 yd
John Bunyan Health And Fitness MILE ROAD	health and fitness suite, squash courts	694 yd
Jubilee Park SOUTH LODGE SOUTH LODGE CANVIN WAY	grass pitches	728 yd
Bedford Academy MILE ROAD	artificial grass pitch	757 yd
Moor Lane Recreation Ground Moor Lane	grass pitches	780 yd
The Gym (Bedford) London Road	health and fitness suite	813 yd
Meltis Sports And Social Club MILLER COURT	grass pitches	948 yd
Abbey Middle School (Closed) Mowbray Road	grass pitches, swimming pool	990 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	100 Mbit/s
Average download speed	166 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	17 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	50 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK42 0QS