Brook Drive is in Kempston, Bedford and in North Bedfordshire district. MK42 7DB is located in the Kempston Central & East electoral ward, within the English Parliamentary constituency of Bedford. This postcode has been in use since 1980-01-01.
StreetScan combines information about Brook Drive, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7DB and displays a report on the quality of life in this place and its surroundings.
Nearby postcodes are: MK42 7DD, MK42 7DF, MK42 7DE, MK42 7BN, MK42 7BJ, MK42 7DX, MK42 7DS, MK42 7ED, MK42 7BP.
In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around MK42 7DB is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 49.2%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 48.6% | 50.8% | 2.2% | 51.0% | -0.2% |
| Male | 51.4% | 49.2% | -2.2% | 49.0% | 0.2% |
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 | 30.1% | 38.7% | 8.6% | 37.9% | 0.8% |
| Married: Opposite sex | 53.5% | 44.6% | -8.9% | 44.2% | 0.4% |
| Married: Same sex | 0% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Civil partnership: Opposite sex | 0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Civil partnership: Same sex | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Separated | 2% | 3.3% | 1.3% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Divorced | 9.9% | 9.4% | -0.5% | 9.1% | 0.3% |
| Widowed | 4.5% | 3.3% | -1.2% | 6.1% | -2.8% |
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 (88.1%) 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 | 51.6% | 54.6% | 3.0% | 48.4% | 6.2% |
| Good health | 35.6% | 33.5% | -2.1% | 33.6% | -0.1% |
| Fair health | 10.4% | 9.6% | -0.8% | 12.7% | -3.1% |
| Bad health | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 4.0% | -2.3% |
| Very bad health | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 1.2% | -0.6% |
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 | 12.7% | 10.8% | -1.9% | 18.2% | -7.4% |
| 1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent | 15.5% | 9.9% | -5.6% | 9.6% | 0.3% |
| 5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels | 14.9% | 15% | 0.1% | 13.4% | 1.6% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.9% | 5.7% | -4.2% | 5.3% | 0.4% |
| HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels | 15.2% | 19.5% | 4.3% | 16.9% | 2.6% |
| Degree or Similar | 23.9% | 36.8% | 12.9% | 33.8% | 3.0% |
| Other | 7.9% | 2.2% | -5.7% | 2.8% | -0.6% |
This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 75.2% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladeshi | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Chinese | 0% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.7% | -0.2% |
| Indian | 2.2% | 6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| Pakistani | 2.6% | 1.4% | -1.2% | 2.7% | -1.3% |
| Other Asian | 0.9% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Black African | 0.6% | 4% | 3.4% | 2.5% | 1.5% |
| Black Caribbean | 1.3% | 2.5% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| Other Black | 0.2% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Mixed White and Asian | 0% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Mixed White and African | 0.6% | 0.3% | -0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| Mixed White and Caribbean | 0.6% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Mixed Other | 0.6% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| White | 88.6% | 75.2% | -13.4% | 81.4% | -6.2% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 0.2% | 0% | -0.2% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| Arab | 0.2% | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.6% | -0.5% |
| Other | 0.2% | 1% | 0.8% | 1.6% | -0.6% |
In this area, 83.8% 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 | 93.5% | 83.8% | -9.7% | 83.2% | 0.6% |
| European Union | 2.6% | 6.2% | 3.6% | 6.1% | 0.1% |
| Rest of Europe | 0.6% | 0.5% | -0.1% | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| Africa | 1.1% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 0.9% |
| Middle East and Asia | 1.5% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 5.6% | -1.2% |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 0.4% | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 0.1% |
| Oceania | 0.2% | 0% | -0.2% | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| British Overseas | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born in the UK | 93.1% | 83.9% | -9.2% | 83.2% | 0.7% |
| 10+ Years | 0.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 9.8% | 1.7% |
| 5-10 Years | 1.7% | 2.2% | 0.5% | 2.9% | -0.7% |
| 2-5 Years | 1.5% | 1.2% | -0.3% | 2.2% | -1.0% |
| Less than 2 years | 3.5% | 1.2% | -2.3% | 1.9% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 80.4% | 76.7% | 3.7% |
| Ireland | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| France | 0.2% | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| Germany | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Italy | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.2% |
| Portugal | 0.4% | 0.5% | -0.1% |
| Spain | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| Lithuania | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Poland | 1.8% | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Romania | 0.3% | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| Other EU countries | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Central and Western Africa | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| South and Eastern Africa | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Eastern Asia | 0.1% | 0.3% | -0.2% |
| Southern Asia | 1.1% | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| South-East Asia | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| North America and the Caribbean | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Central and South America | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| No passport held | 10.4% | 13.5% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 40.3% | 37.2% | 3.1% |
| Christian | 44.3% | 46.2% | -1.9% |
| Buddhist | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Hindu | 2.3% | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Jewish | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Muslim | 4.5% | 6.5% | -2.0% |
| Sikh | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Other religion | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Not answered | 5.1% | 6.0% | -0.9% |
Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Brook Drive was 62.9 per 1,000 residents, which is 52.0% lower than the Kempston Central & East average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.
Brook Drive has the 24th lowest crime rate of 59 local areas in Kempston Central & East and the 244th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .
Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 34.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -32.1%.

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.

| Address | Sale Price | Sale Date | Price Estimate 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Brook Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £360,000 | 2023-06-23 | £388,932 |
| 14 Brook Drive, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building | £201,000 | 2009-05-22 | £445,071 |
| 6 Brook Drive, Bedford, Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £205,000 | 2003-11-24 | £491,445 |
| 4 Brook Drive, Bedford, Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building | £104,000 | 1999-09-29 | £445,593 |
| 16 Brook Drive, Bedford, Bedfordshire Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £86,000 | 1995-04-21 | £563,778 |
MK42 7DB area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 2% 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.
| Full-Time Employee | 577 |
| Part-Time Employee | 142 |
| Retired | 136 |
| Self-Employed | 121 |
| Looking after home or family | 51 |
| Student (economically inactive) | 47 |
| Other | 28 |
| Full-Time Student (with or without job) | 25 |
| Unemployed | 22 |
| Long-Term Sick or disabled | 18 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles | 44 |
| Human health and social work activities | 28 |
| Construction | 28 |
| Education | 26 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 23 |
| Transport and storage | 21 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 15 |
| Manufacturing | 15 |
| Other | 14 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 13 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 8 |
| Information and communication | 6 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 5 |
| Real estate activities | 3 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 2 |
| Mining and quarrying | 1 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR | 4out of 4 | 3,076 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS | 4out of 4 | 3,692 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston Rural Primary School Martell Drive , MK42 7FJ | 4out of 4 | 515 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Balliol Primary School Balliol Road , Kempston MK42 7ER | 3out of 4 | 549 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford Road Primary School Hillgrounds Road , Kempston MK42 8QH | 2out of 4 | 1,154 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Springfield Primary School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7LJ | 2out of 4 | 1,789 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW | 3out of 4 | 1,912 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston Challenger Academy Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB | 3out of 4 | 532 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS | 3out of 4 | 1,859 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ | 3out of 4 | 2,901 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Wootton Upper School Hall End Road , Wootton MK43 9HT | 3out of 4 | 3,247 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD | 3out of 4 | 3,912 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford College Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AH | - not rated | 3,901 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Kimberley 16 - 19 Stem College Green Lane , Stewartby MK43 9LY | - not rated | 5,103 yd | Free schools 16 to 19 | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway School Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB | 3out of 4 | 630 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Greys Education Centre Manor Drive , Kempston MK42 7AB | 3out of 4 | 792 yd | Academy alternative provision converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU | 3out of 4 | 1,576 yd | Academy special converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA | 4out of 4 | 2,518 yd | Academy special converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE | - not rated | 3,521 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Gelato | 71 High Street | 586 yd | |
| DG Grill | 71 High Street | 586 yd | |
| Costa Coffee | Unit 2, Riley Way | 726 yd | |
| ESS @ Bedfordshire Police | Bedfordshire Police Headquarters, Woburn Road | 881 yd | |
| Dine in Chefs | 42 Singer Way | 1,017 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kempston Hammers Sports & Social Club | 134 High Street | 116 yd | |
| King William IV | King William Iv, 56 High Street | 451 yd | |
| Royal Oak | The Royal Oak, 91 Woburn Road | 820 yd | |
| The Duke Inn | The Duke Inn, 10 Woburn Road | 895 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luci & Lina's Fish Bar | 70 High Street | 302 yd | |
| Papa Johns | 28-30 High Street | 302 yd | |
| Food Top Chinese | 81 Williamson Road | 397 yd | |
| G's Takeaway | 10 St Johns Street | 690 yd | |
| Oriental Chef | 10b St Johns Street | 690 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-operative | 12-14 St Johns Street | 690 yd | |
| Marks & Spencer Simply Foods | Unit 3, Riley Way | 726 yd |
| Facility Name | Sport Objects | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Kempston Hammers Sports And Social Club HIGH STREET | grass pitches, health and fitness suite | 185 yd |
| Balliol Lower School BALLIOL ROAD | grass pitches, swimming pool | 422 yd |
| Kempston Challenger Academy HILL RISE | grass pitches, health and fitness suite | 480 yd |
| Cryselco Sports Field ST. JOHNS AVENUE | grass pitches | 716 yd |
| Bedfordshire Police Hq (Closed) Woburn Road | grass pitches | 869 yd |
| Robert Bruce Middle School (Closed) Bedford Road | grass pitches | 929 yd |
This statistics are based on Active Places Data - Contains Data © Sport England
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Median download speed | 200 Mbit/s |
| Average download speed | 199.4 Mbit/s |
| Minimum download speed | 600 Mbit/s |
| Maximum download speed | 600 Mbit/s |
| Median upload speed | 20 Mbit/s |
| Average upload speed | 20.1 Mbit/s |
| Maximum upload speed | 40 Mbit/s |
Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.