Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, MK42 0RG

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 0RG, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.2% 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	51.5%	54.2%	2.7%	51.0%	3.2%
Male	48.5%	45.8%	-2.7%	49.0%	-3.2%

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	32%	36.1%	4.1%	37.9%	-1.8%
Married: Opposite sex	53.7%	50.5%	-3.2%	44.2%	6.3%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Separated	3.7%	1.6%	-2.1%	2.2%	-0.6%
Divorced	10%	10.2%	0.2%	9.1%	1.1%
Widowed	0.7%	1.3%	0.6%	6.1%	-4.8%

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 (87.8%) 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	51.2%	50.4%	-0.8%	48.4%	2.0%
Good health	38.6%	37.4%	-1.2%	33.6%	3.8%
Fair health	7.8%	10.6%	2.8%	12.7%	-2.1%
Bad health	1.9%	1.3%	-0.6%	4.0%	-2.7%
Very bad health	0.5%	0.3%	-0.2%	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.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	15%	14.1%	-0.9%	18.2%	-4.1%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	17.7%	11.5%	-6.2%	9.6%	1.9%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	15.7%	14.7%	-1.0%	13.4%	1.3%
Apprenticeship	5%	7.3%	2.3%	5.3%	2.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	14%	16.6%	2.6%	16.9%	-0.3%
Degree or Similar	26.3%	32.9%	6.6%	33.8%	-0.9%
Other	6.3%	2.9%	-3.4%	2.8%	0.1%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 71.8% 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)
Indian	4.8%	11.9%	7.1%	3.1%	8.8%
Pakistani	4%	4.7%	0.7%	2.7%	2.0%
Other Asian	3.8%	0%	-3.8%	1.6%	-1.6%
Black African	1.3%	2.1%	0.8%	2.5%	-0.4%
Black Caribbean	1.9%	0.8%	-1.1%	1.0%	-0.2%
Other Black	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.5%	0.0%
Mixed White and Asian	1.3%	0.8%	-0.5%	0.8%	0.0%
Mixed White and African	1.3%	1.6%	0.3%	0.4%	1.2%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.9%	-0.1%
Mixed Other	0.5%	2.1%	1.6%	0.8%	1.3%
White	81%	71.8%	-9.2%	81.4%	-9.6%
Arab	0%	1.1%	1.1%	0.6%	0.5%
Other	0%	1.8%	1.8%	1.6%	0.2%

Country of Birth

In this area, 79.1% 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	76.4%	79.1%	2.7%	83.2%	-4.1%
European Union	13.1%	8.6%	-4.5%	6.1%	2.5%
Rest of Europe	1.1%	0.8%	-0.3%	0.8%	0.0%
Africa	1.9%	3.5%	1.6%	2.7%	0.8%
Middle East and Asia	5.4%	7.5%	2.1%	5.6%	1.9%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.9%	0.5%	-1.4%	1.3%	-0.8%
Oceania	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.3%	-0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	76.1%	77.7%	1.6%	83.2%	-5.5%
10+ Years	0.8%	14.2%	13.4%	9.8%	4.4%
5-10 Years	2.9%	5%	2.1%	2.9%	2.1%
2-5 Years	10.7%	1%	-9.7%	2.2%	-1.2%
Less than 2 years	9.4%	2.1%	-7.3%	1.9%	0.2%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	81.7%	76.7%	5.0%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Italy	1.1%	0.6%	0.5%
Spain	0.3%	0.4%	-0.1%
Lithuania	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Poland	5.6%	1.3%	4.3%
Other EU countries	2.1%	1.5%	0.6%
South and Eastern Africa	0.5%	0.2%	0.3%
Southern Asia	1.6%	1.2%	0.4%
No passport held	6.6%	13.5%	-6.9%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	24.9%	37.2%	-12.3%
Christian	54.5%	46.2%	8.3%
Hindu	1.9%	1.7%	0.2%
Jewish	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Muslim	8.2%	6.5%	1.7%
Sikh	3.2%	0.9%	2.3%
Other religion	1.6%	0.6%	1.0%
Not answered	5.6%	6.0%	-0.4%

Safety

Is Meadowsweet Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Meadowsweet Drive was 47.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 71.2% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Meadowsweet Drive has the 17th lowest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 234th lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 21.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -73.5%.

🔎 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 0RG, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 6/10 (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 - 7/10 (above average )
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 - 6/10 (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 - 6/10 (average )
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 - 6/10 (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 - 2/10 (very low )
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) - 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) - 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 Meadowsweet Drive are based on 24 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 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, MK42 0RG

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 0RG

Average Price
£396,663

Semi-Detached
£284,817

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£419,032

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Meadowsweet Drive

Average Price
£452,101

Semi-Detached
£298,472

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£503,311

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Meadowsweet DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
5 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£275,000	2022-09-21	£289,158
9 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£398,500	2021-08-13	£466,688
10 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£295,000	2019-10-18	£367,096
4 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£320,000	2016-07-26	£440,889
5 Meadowsweet Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£169,000	2015-02-24	£281,755

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 0RG

Employment

MK42 0RG 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	156
Retired	41
Part-Time Employee	32
Looking after home or family	18
Self-Employed	17
Student (economically inactive)	15
Other	12
Unemployed	9
Long-Term Sick or disabled	6
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	4

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	38
Human health and social work activities	26
Manufacturing	25
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	24
Education	18
Construction	17
Professional, scientific and technical activities	15
Transport and storage	14
Administrative and support service activities	10
Accommodation and food service activities	10
Information and communication	9
Financial and insurance activities	7
Other	5
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	5
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	3
Real estate activities	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	1,484 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	2,283 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	630 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Shortstown Primary School Beauvais Square , Shortstown MK42 0GS	3out of 4	1,393 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	1,402 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Elstow School Abbeyfields Road Abbeyfields , Elstow MK42 9GP	3out of 4	1,516 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	2,287 yd	Academy converter	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	514 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	2,312 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	2,964 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	3,182 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	3,403 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	2,447 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	2,062 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	2,071 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ	- not rated	2,241 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	2,908 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	3,102 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
K.M.J. Catering Ltd	Bunyan Centre, 187-189 Mile Road	555 yd
Mile Road, Allotment & Leisure Gardens Association	149 Mile Road	762 yd
W & H Peacock Auction Centre	W&H Peacock Auction House, Wallis Way	996 yd
AMA’S Palace (E&G Kitchen)	Unit 1, Windsor Road	1,042 yd
THE HUNTERS' GRILL	Unit 1, Windsor Road	1,042 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Bull	The Bull, 259 London Road		666 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Tasty Peri Peri	139 Harrowden Road	286 yd
Harrowden Fisheries	2 Harrowden Lane	288 yd
Fully loaded Bedford Ltd	52 Harrowden Road	311 yd
Say Doughnuts	Unit 9, Glenmore Business Park, Stanley Road	863 yd
Golden Star	204 London Road	1,052 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Best Stop Convenience Store	Unit 2, Abbey Chase, Abbey Fields		465 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
John Bunyan Health And Fitness MILE ROAD	health and fitness suite, squash courts	495 yd
Bedford Academy MILE ROAD	artificial grass pitch	548 yd
Bedford Academy (Closed) Mile Road	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	619 yd
Jubilee Park SOUTH LODGE SOUTH LODGE CANVIN WAY	grass pitches	678 yd
Harrowden Middle School (Closed) Oak Road	grass pitches	801 yd
Moor Lane Recreation Ground Moor Lane	grass pitches	958 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	75.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	58.3%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	41.7%

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	80 Mbit/s
Average download speed	160.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	20.6 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	40 Mbit/s

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