Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BQ

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK42 8BQ has a slightly higher male population, with 50% of residents being male. Several factors can contribute to this, including areas with industries or sectors that predominantly employ men, proximity to universities or technical schools with a higher enrollment of male students, presence of all-male or predominantly male institutions (military academies, boarding schools).

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	47.3%	50%	2.7%	51.0%	-1.0%
Male	52.7%	50%	-2.7%	49.0%	1.0%

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	35.9%	36.3%	0.4%	37.9%	-1.6%
Married: Opposite sex	51.2%	39.6%	-11.6%	44.2%	-4.6%
Married: Same sex	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	0.3%	-0.3%
Civil partnership: Same sex	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.1%	0.7%
Separated	2.3%	2.5%	0.2%	2.2%	0.3%
Divorced	7.8%	15.4%	7.6%	9.1%	6.3%
Widowed	2%	5.4%	3.4%	6.1%	-0.7%

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	49.8%	42.3%	-7.5%	48.4%	-6.1%
Good health	34%	40.9%	6.9%	33.6%	7.3%
Fair health	13.7%	10.4%	-3.3%	12.7%	-2.3%
Bad health	1%	5%	4.0%	4.0%	1.0%
Very bad health	1.6%	1.3%	-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	20.3%	18.8%	-1.5%	18.2%	0.6%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	17.6%	11.7%	-5.9%	9.6%	2.1%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	18%	11.3%	-6.7%	13.4%	-2.1%
Apprenticeship	4.7%	5%	0.3%	5.3%	-0.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	7.8%	11.7%	3.9%	16.9%	-5.2%
Degree or Similar	26.6%	36.7%	10.1%	33.8%	2.9%
Other	5.1%	5%	-0.1%	2.8%	2.2%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 75.9% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0%	1.7%	1.7%	1.1%	0.6%
Chinese	2.2%	0.3%	-1.9%	0.7%	-0.4%
Indian	9.8%	7.7%	-2.1%	3.1%	4.6%
Pakistani	0.6%	0.3%	-0.3%	2.7%	-2.4%
Other Asian	4.1%	3%	-1.1%	1.6%	1.4%
Black African	1.6%	2.3%	0.7%	2.5%	-0.2%
Black Caribbean	4.8%	3.3%	-1.5%	1.0%	2.3%
Other Black	1.9%	0%	-1.9%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	2.9%	2.3%	-0.6%	0.8%	1.5%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1%	1.7%	0.7%	0.9%	0.8%
White	69.5%	75.9%	6.4%	81.4%	-5.5%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	1%	1.0%	0.1%	0.9%
Other	1.6%	0.3%	-1.3%	1.6%	-1.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 74.7% 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	82.5%	74.7%	-7.8%	83.2%	-8.5%
European Union	5.1%	13.2%	8.1%	6.1%	7.1%
Rest of Europe	0%	1%	1.0%	0.8%	0.2%
Africa	1.9%	2%	0.1%	2.7%	-0.7%
Middle East and Asia	9.8%	6.8%	-3.0%	5.6%	1.2%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.6%	2.4%	1.8%	1.3%	1.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	81.9%	74.4%	-7.5%	83.2%	-8.8%
10+ Years	0.6%	17.8%	17.2%	9.8%	8.0%
5-10 Years	1.3%	1%	-0.3%	2.9%	-1.9%
2-5 Years	2.2%	2%	-0.2%	2.2%	-0.2%
Less than 2 years	14%	4.7%	-9.3%	1.9%	2.8%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	68.2%	76.7%	-8.5%
Ireland	2.3%	0.6%	1.7%
Italy	3.7%	0.6%	3.1%
Portugal	2%	0.5%	1.5%
Spain	0.7%	0.4%	0.3%
Lithuania	1%	0.3%	0.7%
Poland	1.7%	1.3%	0.4%
Romania	4.3%	0.9%	3.4%
Other EU countries	1.7%	1.5%	0.2%
Other Europe	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Southern Asia	1%	1.2%	-0.2%
South-East Asia	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
North America and the Caribbean	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
No passport held	11.7%	13.5%	-1.8%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	35.4%	37.2%	-1.8%
Christian	51.5%	46.2%	5.3%
Buddhist	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Hindu	1.7%	1.7%	0.0%
Muslim	2%	6.5%	-4.5%
Sikh	2.7%	0.9%	1.8%
Other religion	1.7%	0.6%	1.1%
Not answered	4.7%	6.0%	-1.3%

Safety

Is Bedford Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Bedford Road was 109.0 per 1,000 residents, which is 16.8% lower than the Kempston Central & East average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Bedford Road has the 16th highest crime rate of 59 local areas in Kempston Central & East and the 128th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 37.4 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -29.6%.

🔎 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. 52% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£45,500

Income Rank
6/10

Household Income in MK42 8BQ, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 5/10 (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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 5/10 (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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 8/10 (high )
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) - 4/10 (below 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 Bedford Road are based on 816 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 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BQ

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 8BQ

Average Price
£470,416

Semi-Detached
£295,431

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£645,400

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Bedford Road

Average Price
£448,056

Semi-Detached
£391,833

Terraced
£299,095

Detached
£612,723

Flats/Maisonettes
£144,260

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Bedford Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
128 Bedford Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£220,000	2018-01-23	£285,973
128 Bedford Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£185,000	2016-01-27	£279,474
122 Bedford Road, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£460,000	2015-11-26	£691,641
130A Bedford Road, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£450,000	2015-05-29	£716,465
130A Bedford Road, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£238,000	2011-03-08	£464,541

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 8BQ

Employment

MK42 8BQ 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	95
Retired	47
Part-Time Employee	32
Self-Employed	21
Long-Term Sick or disabled	12
Other	10
Looking after home or family	10
Unemployed	6
Student (economically inactive)	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	4

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	45
Construction	19
Education	18
Human health and social work activities	17
Administrative and support service activities	16
Manufacturing	11
Professional, scientific and technical activities	11
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	10
Accommodation and food service activities	9
Other	6
Information and communication	6
Transport and storage	5
Financial and insurance activities	1
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	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	1,479 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,148 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Road Primary School Hillgrounds Road , Kempston MK42 8QH	2out of 4	458 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	615 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Springfield Primary School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7LJ	2out of 4	1,081 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Balliol Primary School Balliol Road , Kempston MK42 7ER	3out of 4	1,386 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	1,448 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	995 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Kempston Challenger Academy Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	1,873 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,949 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	2,317 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,902 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	2,313 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	197 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Greys Education Centre Manor Drive , Kempston MK42 7AB	3out of 4	808 yd	Academy alternative provision converter	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	935 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	1,924 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Ridgeway School Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	2,009 yd	Community special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Elephant Restaurant	118-120 Bedford Road	109 yd
The Pantry	88 Bedford Road	122 yd
Tiger Lily Chinese Takeaway	112 Bedford Road	122 yd
Blue Ginger	116 Bedford Road	122 yd
The Hen Pen	2a Cleveland Street	126 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Smiths Arms Public House Ltd	The Smiths Arms, 15 Margetts Road	106 yd
Daleys Club	86 Bedford Road	270 yd
Kempston Constitutional Club	196a Bedford Road	327 yd
Addison Howard Centre	Addison Howard Park, Bedford Road	535 yd
Kempston Park Indoor Bowls Club	290 Hillgrounds Road	682 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Boba Aloha	136 Bedford Road	117 yd
Paul's Fish and Chips	114 Bedford Road	122 yd
Subway	209-211 Bedford Road	149 yd
KFC	197-199 Bedford Road	149 yd
King Cod	193 Bedford Road	149 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Tesco	203-207 Bedford Road	149 yd
J Sainsbury Plc (Main Store)	252-274 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	500 yd
Co-operative	12-14 St Johns Street	964 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Kempston East Methodist Church 227 227 BEDFORD ROAD		286 yd
Addison Howard Park Bedford Road	grass pitches, tennis courts	306 yd
Grange Academy HALSEY ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	316 yd
Kempston Indoor Bowls Club HILLGROUNDS ROAD	indoor bowls	681 yd
Kempston Pool HILLGROUNDS ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	692 yd
Robert Bruce Middle School (Closed) Bedford Road	grass pitches	732 yd
Kempston Rovers Fc HILLGROUNDS ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	779 yd
Daubeney Academy ORCHARD STREET	grass pitches, tennis courts	891 yd
Southfield Tennis Courts LAUREL WALK	tennis courts	1,001 yd
Hillgrounds Playing Fields ODELL CLOSE	grass pitches	1,055 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	85.7%

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	200 Mbit/s
Average download speed	245.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	500 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	500 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	24 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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