Spruce Walk, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7LS

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 7LS, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53% 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	55.7%	53%	-2.7%	51.0%	2.0%
Male	44.3%	47%	2.7%	49.0%	-2.0%

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 MK42 7LS there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 54.7% 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	35.3%	28.4%	-6.9%	37.9%	-9.5%
Married: Opposite sex	51%	54.7%	3.7%	44.2%	10.5%
Separated	1%	3.2%	2.2%	2.2%	1.0%
Divorced	7.9%	8.4%	0.5%	9.1%	-0.7%
Widowed	4.8%	5.3%	0.5%	6.1%	-0.8%

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.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	43.5%	43.4%	-0.1%	48.4%	-5.0%
Good health	41.1%	38.7%	-2.4%	33.6%	5.1%
Fair health	12.5%	13.8%	1.3%	12.7%	1.1%
Bad health	2.1%	3%	0.9%	4.0%	-1.0%
Very bad health	0.8%	1.1%	0.3%	1.2%	-0.1%

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	19.9%	14.5%	-5.4%	18.2%	-3.7%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	16.1%	14.2%	-1.9%	9.6%	4.6%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	16.4%	16%	-0.4%	13.4%	2.6%
Apprenticeship	5.8%	7.1%	1.3%	5.3%	1.8%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.6%	15.6%	5.0%	16.9%	-1.3%
Degree or Similar	22.6%	25.9%	3.3%	33.8%	-7.9%
Other	8.6%	6.7%	-1.9%	2.8%	3.9%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 68.9% 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)
Chinese	2.1%	0%	-2.1%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	15.4%	15.2%	-0.2%	3.1%	12.1%
Pakistani	0.3%	0.8%	0.5%	2.7%	-1.9%
Other Asian	1.1%	0.3%	-0.8%	1.6%	-1.3%
Black African	2.9%	3.6%	0.7%	2.5%	1.1%
Black Caribbean	1.9%	0.8%	-1.1%	1.0%	-0.2%
Other Black	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.5%	0.9%
Mixed White and Asian	1.9%	1.4%	-0.5%	0.8%	0.6%
Mixed White and African	1.9%	0.6%	-1.3%	0.4%	0.2%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0%	1.9%	1.9%	0.9%	1.0%
Mixed Other	0.3%	2.2%	1.9%	0.8%	1.4%
White	70.8%	68.9%	-1.9%	81.4%	-12.5%
Other	1.6%	3%	1.4%	1.6%	1.4%

Country of Birth

In this area, 65.9% 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	76.7%	65.9%	-10.8%	83.2%	-17.3%
European Union	6.6%	17.5%	10.9%	6.1%	11.4%
Rest of Europe	0%	1.9%	1.9%	0.8%	1.1%
Africa	4.2%	3.6%	-0.6%	2.7%	0.9%
Middle East and Asia	10.6%	9.7%	-0.9%	5.6%	4.1%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.9%	1.4%	-0.5%	1.3%	0.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	76.1%	65.7%	-10.4%	83.2%	-17.5%
10+ Years	2.4%	14.4%	12.0%	9.8%	4.6%
5-10 Years	4.5%	9.4%	4.9%	2.9%	6.5%
2-5 Years	6.4%	4.1%	-2.3%	2.2%	1.9%
Less than 2 years	10.6%	6.4%	-4.2%	1.9%	4.5%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	55.6%	76.7%	-21.1%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Italy	1.9%	0.6%	1.3%
Portugal	0.6%	0.5%	0.1%
Lithuania	3.9%	0.3%	3.6%
Poland	8.8%	1.3%	7.5%
Romania	3.6%	0.9%	2.7%
Other EU countries	0.8%	1.5%	-0.7%
Other Europe	1.4%	0.2%	1.2%
Southern Asia	5.2%	1.2%	4.0%
North America and the Caribbean	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
No passport held	17.1%	13.5%	3.6%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	29.6%	37.2%	-7.6%
Christian	54.5%	46.2%	8.3%
Hindu	3.8%	1.7%	2.1%
Muslim	1.1%	6.5%	-5.4%
Sikh	6.3%	0.9%	5.4%
Other religion	1.1%	0.6%	0.5%
Not answered	3.6%	6.0%	-2.4%

Safety

Is Spruce Walk Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Spruce Walk was 232.0 per 1,000 residents, which is 77.0% higher than the Kempston Central & East average. The most reported crime type was Shoplifting.

Spruce Walk has the 4th highest crime rate of 59 local areas in Kempston Central & East and the 39th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 96.7 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 28.5%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

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.

Average Household Income
£47,400

Income Rank
6/10

Household Income in MK42 7LS, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below 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 - 5/10 (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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 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 - 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 4/10 (below 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) - 6/10 (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) - 4/10 (below 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 Spruce Walk 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 Bedford.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Spruce Walk, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7LS

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 7LS

Average Price
£288,516

Semi-Detached
£303,684

Terraced
£234,022

Detached
£319,101

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Spruce Walk

Average Price
£317,574

Semi-Detached
£324,243

Terraced
£262,007

Detached
£352,691

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Spruce WalkStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
56 Spruce Walk, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£310,000	2025-07-18	£319,012
50 Spruce Walk, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£355,000	2024-09-30	£372,679
70 Spruce Walk, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£280,000	2024-09-26	£291,299
82 Spruce Walk, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£245,000	2023-10-02	£257,933
48 Spruce Walk, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£320,000	2023-04-04	£335,268

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 7LS

Employment

MK42 7LS 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	125
Retired	61
Part-Time Employee	29
Self-Employed	25
Student (economically inactive)	19
Looking after home or family	9
Other	7
Unemployed	5
Long-Term Sick or disabled	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	40
Human health and social work activities	32
Manufacturing	22
Education	19
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	18
Construction	13
Accommodation and food service activities	11
Administrative and support service activities	8
Professional, scientific and technical activities	7
Other	6
Transport and storage	6
Financial and insurance activities	4
Real estate activities	3
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Information and communication	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1

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	1,881 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,329 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Springfield Primary School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7LJ	2out of 4	368 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	558 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Road Primary School Hillgrounds Road , Kempston MK42 8QH	2out of 4	657 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Balliol Primary School Balliol Road , Kempston MK42 7ER	3out of 4	1,029 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	1,844 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	386 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Kempston Challenger Academy Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	1,515 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	2,742 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	2,790 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,826 yd	Academy sponsor led	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	2,819 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Greys Education Centre Manor Drive , Kempston MK42 7AB	3out of 4	865 yd	Academy alternative provision converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	965 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	1,548 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Ridgeway School Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	1,637 yd	Community special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	2,306 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
Caprinos Pizza	44-46 Bunyan Road	537 yd
Burger King	Burger King, Interchange Retail Park, 3 Polo Field Way	564 yd
Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service	Bedfordshire And Luton Fire And Rescue Service, Southfields Road	629 yd
Costa Coffee	234 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	643 yd
McDonald's	Mcdonalds, Interchange Retail Park, Race Meadows Way	671 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Mulberry Bush	The Mulberry Bush, Springfield Centre	146 yd
The Duke Inn	The Duke Inn, 10 Woburn Road	587 yd
Kempston Constitutional Club	196a Bedford Road	727 yd
Royal Oak	The Royal Oak, 91 Woburn Road	732 yd
The Smiths Arms Public House Ltd	The Smiths Arms, 15 Margetts Road	733 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Cinnamon	2 Springfield Centre	146 yd
Mangal BBQ	3 Springfield Centre	146 yd
Kim Hing Takeaway	7 Springfield Centre	146 yd
Domino's Pizza	232 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	643 yd
The Café Grill	14 Bunyan Road	661 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
J Sainsbury Plc (Main Store)	252-274 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	643 yd
Tesco	203-207 Bedford Road	814 yd
Co-operative	12-14 St Johns Street	820 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Daubeney Academy ORCHARD STREET	grass pitches, tennis courts	260 yd
Southfield Tennis Courts LAUREL WALK	tennis courts	541 yd
Kempston East Methodist Church 227 227 BEDFORD ROAD		775 yd
Cryselco Sports Field ST. JOHNS AVENUE	grass pitches	833 yd
Robert Bruce Middle School (Closed) Bedford Road	grass pitches	1,026 yd
Grange Academy HALSEY ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	1,045 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	237 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	21.8 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	50 Mbit/s

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