Foster Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BU

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK42 8BU has a slightly higher male population, with 50.6% 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	52.9%	49.4%	-3.5%	51.0%	-1.6%
Male	47.1%	50.6%	3.5%	49.0%	1.6%

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	27.2%	28.7%	1.5%	37.9%	-9.2%
Married: Opposite sex	53.8%	50.7%	-3.1%	44.2%	6.5%
Separated	1.5%	1.7%	0.2%	2.2%	-0.5%
Divorced	6.7%	8.5%	1.8%	9.1%	-0.6%
Widowed	10.8%	10.4%	-0.4%	6.1%	4.3%

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	43.1%	39.8%	-3.3%	48.4%	-8.6%
Good health	36.2%	35.9%	-0.3%	33.6%	2.3%
Fair health	12.2%	20%	7.8%	12.7%	7.3%
Bad health	6.4%	3.4%	-3.0%	4.0%	-0.6%
Very bad health	2.1%	0.9%	-1.2%	1.2%	-0.3%

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.

In the area around MK42 8BU this area, 28.4% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly higher than the UK average of 18.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	27.8%	28.4%	0.6%	18.2%	10.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	16.4%	7.3%	-9.1%	9.6%	-2.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	11.7%	14.6%	2.9%	13.4%	1.2%
Apprenticeship	4.1%	6.5%	2.4%	5.3%	1.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.5%	15.2%	4.7%	16.9%	-1.7%
Degree or Similar	21.6%	24.4%	2.8%	33.8%	-9.4%
Other	7.9%	3.7%	-4.2%	2.8%	0.9%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 72.8% 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)
Bangladeshi	0%	0.5%	0.5%	1.1%	-0.6%
Chinese	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	16.7%	13.7%	-3.0%	3.1%	10.6%
Pakistani	0%	1.6%	1.6%	2.7%	-1.1%
Other Asian	0%	1.6%	1.6%	1.6%	0.0%
Black Caribbean	2.8%	2.6%	-0.2%	1.0%	1.6%
Other Black	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0.7%	1.4%	0.7%	0.8%	0.6%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.7%	3.5%	2.8%	0.9%	2.6%
Mixed Other	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.8%	-0.3%
White	77.6%	72.8%	-4.8%	81.4%	-8.6%
Other	0%	1.9%	1.9%	1.6%	0.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 81.8% 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	89.4%	81.8%	-7.6%	83.2%	-1.4%
European Union	1.9%	7.6%	5.7%	6.1%	1.5%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.2%	0.2%	0.8%	-0.6%
Africa	0.2%	0.5%	0.3%	2.7%	-2.2%
Middle East and Asia	7.3%	8.1%	0.8%	5.6%	2.5%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.2%	1.8%	0.6%	1.3%	0.5%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	88.9%	81.6%	-7.3%	83.2%	-1.6%
10+ Years	0.9%	15%	14.1%	9.8%	5.2%
5-10 Years	0.2%	1.4%	1.2%	2.9%	-1.5%
2-5 Years	0.9%	2.1%	1.2%	2.2%	-0.1%
Less than 2 years	8.9%	0%	-8.9%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	70.6%	76.7%	-6.1%
Ireland	0.5%	0.6%	-0.1%
Italy	2.8%	0.6%	2.2%
Poland	0.5%	1.3%	-0.8%
Romania	1.6%	0.9%	0.7%
Other EU countries	1.9%	1.5%	0.4%
Southern Asia	1.2%	1.2%	0.0%
North America and the Caribbean	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
No passport held	20.7%	13.5%	7.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	24.9%	37.2%	-12.3%
Christian	52.7%	46.2%	6.5%
Hindu	3.2%	1.7%	1.5%
Muslim	2.8%	6.5%	-3.7%
Sikh	6.5%	0.9%	5.6%
Other religion	4.6%	0.6%	4.0%
Not answered	5.3%	6.0%	-0.7%

Safety

Is Foster Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Foster Road was 35.4 per 1,000 residents, which is 73.0% lower than the Kempston Central & East average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Foster Road has the 12th lowest crime rate of 59 local areas in Kempston Central & East and the 153rd lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 25.9 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -87.3%.

🔎 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 8BU, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 9/10 (very 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 - 9/10 (very 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 - 10/10 (very 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 - 9/10 (very high )
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 - 10/10 (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 - 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) - 8/10 (high )
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 Foster Road are based on 83 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 Foster Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8BU

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 8BU

Average Price
£359,250

Semi-Detached
£377,916

Terraced
£307,471

Detached
£370,983

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Foster Road

Average Price
£384,573

Semi-Detached
£394,442

Terraced
£319,288

Detached
£388,807

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Foster Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
112 Foster Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£250,000	2025-08-29	£250,474
116 Foster Road, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£350,000	2025-04-17	£363,448
96 Foster Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£270,000	2024-05-10	£294,824
18 Foster Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£400,000	2023-08-30	£423,529
114 Foster Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£305,000	2023-05-05	£327,627

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 8BU

Employment

MK42 8BU 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 retired residents living in MK42 8BU area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 32% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	113
Full-Time Employee	105
Part-Time Employee	59
Self-Employed	32
Looking after home or family	13
Student (economically inactive)	10
Unemployed	9
Other	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	5
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	42
Human health and social work activities	29
Education	26
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	18
Construction	17
Manufacturing	16
Other	12
Transport and storage	11
Professional, scientific and technical activities	10
Accommodation and food service activities	9
Information and communication	8
Administrative and support service activities	8
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2
Real estate activities	2
Financial and insurance activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2
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	1,851 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	2,571 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	455 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	1,064 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Balliol Primary School Balliol Road , Kempston MK42 7ER	3out of 4	1,280 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Great Denham Primary School Greenkeepers Road , Great Denham MK40 4GG	3out of 4	1,294 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Springfield Primary School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7LJ	2out of 4	1,422 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	1,370 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Kempston Challenger Academy Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	1,711 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,774 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	2,621 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	3,362 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	2,597 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	317 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Greys Education Centre Manor Drive , Kempston MK42 7AB	3out of 4	616 yd	Academy alternative provision converter	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	1,229 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Ridgeway School Hill Rise , Kempston MK42 7EB	3out of 4	1,845 yd	Community special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	2,285 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
Cafe Mar-Chelles	243 Bedford Road	324 yd
Diya Royal	The Griffin, 174 Bedford Road	350 yd
Carmichael's Coffee	166 Bedford Road	376 yd
The Hen Pen	2a Cleveland Street	429 yd
Costa Coffee	234 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	490 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Kempston Constitutional Club	196a Bedford Road	350 yd
The Smiths Arms Public House Ltd	The Smiths Arms, 15 Margetts Road	571 yd
Daleys Club	86 Bedford Road	657 yd
Addison Howard Centre	Addison Howard Park, Bedford Road	740 yd
AFC Kempston Rovers Football Club	Kempston Rovers Football Club, Hillgrounds Road	783 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
KFC	197-199 Bedford Road	334 yd
King Cod	193 Bedford Road	334 yd
Subway	209-211 Bedford Road	334 yd
Naims Tandoori	192 Bedford Road	350 yd
kempston Kebab	180 Bedford Road	350 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Tesco	203-207 Bedford Road	334 yd
J Sainsbury Plc (Main Store)	252-274 Saxon Centre, Bedford Road	490 yd
Co-operative	12-14 St Johns Street	836 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Grange Academy HALSEY ROAD	grass pitches, health and fitness suite	207 yd
Kempston East Methodist Church 227 227 BEDFORD ROAD		304 yd
Robert Bruce Middle School (Closed) Bedford Road	grass pitches	404 yd
Addison Howard Park Bedford Road	grass pitches, tennis courts	503 yd
Kempston Pool HILLGROUNDS ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	788 yd
Kempston Rovers Fc HILLGROUNDS ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	791 yd
Hillgrounds Playing Fields ODELL CLOSE	grass pitches	825 yd
Kempston Indoor Bowls Club HILLGROUNDS ROAD	indoor bowls	838 yd
Great Denham Country Park GREAT DENHAM SPORTS PAVILION GREAT DENHAM SPORTS PAVILION QUEEN ELEANOR DRIVE	grass pitches	1,084 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	95.5%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	95.5%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	95.5%

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	132.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	14.4 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	40 Mbit/s

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