Traction Lane, Bedford, MK42 9BH

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding MK42 9BH has a slightly higher male population, with 52.1% 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	52.8%	47.9%	-4.9%	51.0%	-3.1%
Male	47.2%	52.1%	4.9%	49.0%	3.1%

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 area around MK42 9BH, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 61.1% of the residents. On average, approximately 38% of individuals who responded to the census in the UK were single. Areas with higher single populations are typically urban centers, university towns, regions with dynamic job markets, rich cultural offerings and entertainment facilities. These regions also tend to have a younger demographic.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	59.9%	61.1%	1.2%	37.9%	23.2%
Married: Opposite sex	26.4%	28.2%	1.8%	44.2%	-16.0%
Married: Same sex	0%	1.3%	1.3%	0.3%	1.0%
Separated	4.1%	4%	-0.1%	2.2%	1.8%
Divorced	9.1%	5.4%	-3.7%	9.1%	-3.7%
Widowed	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	6.1%	-6.1%

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 (93.4%) 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	45.9%	55.7%	9.8%	48.4%	7.3%
Good health	42%	37.7%	-4.3%	33.6%	4.1%
Fair health	6.8%	4.2%	-2.6%	12.7%	-8.5%
Bad health	3.9%	1.8%	-2.1%	4.0%	-2.2%
Very bad health	1.3%	0.6%	-0.7%	1.2%	-0.6%

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 9BH this area, 6.7% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 66.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	12.4%	6.7%	-5.7%	18.2%	-11.5%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	15.3%	6%	-9.3%	9.6%	-3.6%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	14.5%	6.7%	-7.8%	13.4%	-6.7%
Apprenticeship	2.1%	2%	-0.1%	5.3%	-3.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.3%	12.1%	1.8%	16.9%	-4.8%
Degree or Similar	34.7%	66.4%	31.7%	33.8%	32.6%
Other	10.7%	0%	-10.7%	2.8%	-2.8%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 60% 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	6.5%	1.2%	-5.3%	1.1%	0.1%
Chinese	1%	3%	2.0%	0.7%	2.3%
Indian	7.2%	15.2%	8.0%	3.1%	12.1%
Pakistani	1.6%	0.6%	-1.0%	2.7%	-2.1%
Other Asian	2%	2.4%	0.4%	1.6%	0.8%
Black African	1.6%	9.1%	7.5%	2.5%	6.6%
Black Caribbean	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	1.0%	-1.0%
Other Black	0.3%	0.6%	0.3%	0.5%	0.1%
Mixed White and Asian	3.9%	0%	-3.9%	0.8%	-0.8%
Mixed White and African	2%	0%	-2.0%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	3.6%	3.6%	0.0%	0.9%	2.7%
Mixed Other	2%	1.8%	-0.2%	0.8%	1.0%
White	67.4%	60%	-7.4%	81.4%	-21.4%
Arab	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0.3%	2.4%	2.1%	1.6%	0.8%

Country of Birth

In this area, 54.5% 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	68.7%	54.5%	-14.2%	83.2%	-28.7%
European Union	17.9%	16.2%	-1.7%	6.1%	10.1%
Rest of Europe	0.7%	1.8%	1.1%	0.8%	1.0%
Africa	3.9%	8.4%	4.5%	2.7%	5.7%
Middle East and Asia	7.8%	18%	10.2%	5.6%	12.4%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1%	0.6%	-0.4%	1.3%	-0.7%
Oceania	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	68.4%	54.8%	-13.6%	83.2%	-28.4%
10+ Years	2.6%	13.3%	10.7%	9.8%	3.5%
5-10 Years	11.4%	10.2%	-1.2%	2.9%	7.3%
2-5 Years	10.1%	4.8%	-5.3%	2.2%	2.6%
Less than 2 years	7.5%	16.9%	9.4%	1.9%	15.0%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	61.4%	76.7%	-15.3%
Ireland	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Italy	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Spain	1.8%	0.4%	1.4%
Poland	4.2%	1.3%	2.9%
Romania	3%	0.9%	2.1%
Other EU countries	6%	1.5%	4.5%
North Africa	3%	0.1%	2.9%
Eastern Asia	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Southern Asia	13.3%	1.2%	12.1%
No passport held	5.4%	13.5%	-8.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	42.3%	37.2%	5.1%
Christian	38.1%	46.2%	-8.1%
Buddhist	1.8%	0.5%	1.3%
Hindu	4.8%	1.7%	3.1%
Jewish	0.6%	0.5%	0.1%
Muslim	7.1%	6.5%	0.6%
Other religion	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Not answered	4.8%	6.0%	-1.2%

Safety

Is Traction Lane Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Traction Lane was 316.6 per 1,000 residents, which is 93.3% higher than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Traction Lane has the 9th highest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 32nd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 230.2 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 13.2%.

🔎 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. 57% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£43,000

Income Rank
5/10

Household Income in MK42 9BH, 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 - 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 - 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 - 3/10 (low )
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 - 6/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 9/10 (very 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) - 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) - 6/10 (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 Traction Lane are based on 21 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 Traction Lane, Bedford, MK42 9BH

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 9BH

Average Price
£196,364

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£196,364

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Traction Lane

Average Price
£202,864

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£202,864

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Traction LaneStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat 6 Windlass House Traction Lane, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£178,000	2025-03-28	£181,757
Flat 14 Windlass House Traction Lane, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£180,000	2025-02-26	£184,727
Flat 7 Windlass House Traction Lane, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£155,000	2024-07-19	£158,590
Flat 15 Windlass House Traction Lane, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£260,000	2022-10-31	£258,980
Flat 3 Windlass House Traction Lane, Bedford, Bedford Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£200,000	2021-12-16	£215,026

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 9BH

Employment

MK42 9BH 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	103
Self-Employed	10
Part-Time Employee	9
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	5
Looking after home or family	5
Other	4
Retired	4
Student (economically inactive)	3
Unemployed	3
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3

Employment Industry

Human health and social work activities	31
Education	19
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	19
Manufacturing	14
Professional, scientific and technical activities	13
Information and communication	12
Other	11
Administrative and support service activities	10
Transport and storage	8
Construction	8
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	6
Accommodation and food service activities	3
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	3
Financial and insurance activities	1
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Real estate 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	581 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,282 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	602 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	898 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Queen's Park Academy Chestnut Avenue , MK40 4HA	2out of 4	1,117 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Joseph's and St Gregory's Catholic Primary School Chester Road , MK40 4HN	3out of 4	1,189 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Westfield Primary School Chester Road , MK40 4HW	2out of 4	1,284 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	811 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	1,650 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	2,114 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	2,317 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,651 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	766 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	650 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	708 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	1,216 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	1,224 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	1,575 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Mitchell's Table	Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street	512 yd
The Salvation Army	The Salvation Army, Commercial Road	525 yd
Peri Peri Original	67 Commercial Road	525 yd
Woolpack Hub	The Woolpack Hub, 1 Commercial Road	532 yd
Prebend Day Centre	12-14 Prebend Street	546 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Gardeners Arms	The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road	678 yd
Pilgrims Progress	42 Midland Road	738 yd
The Studio Club	32 Alexandra Road	752 yd
Pride of Poland Limited	20 Ashburnham Road	754 yd
T Bar	The Keep, Bedford Road	782 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Bedford Fitness Camps		273 yd
S&D Fish 'n' Chips	34 Ampthill Road	559 yd
Tasty Chicken	13 Ford End Road	577 yd
Hayat Peri Peri & Pizza	39 Ford End Road	606 yd
Italian Express Pizza	33 Commercial Road	616 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Morrisons Service Station Shop	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	554 yd
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	554 yd
Tesco	8-12 Ford End Road	599 yd
POD ORLEM POLSKI SKLEP	55 Ford End Road	606 yd
M-C-N Store Limited	131 Midland Road	640 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	654 yd
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	664 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		718 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	852 yd
Kempston Indoor Bowls Club HILLGROUNDS ROAD	indoor bowls	1,001 yd
Flexibility Health & Fitness Club 1-3 1-3 SILVER STREET	health and fitness suite	1,064 yd
Kempston Pool HILLGROUNDS ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	1,069 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	360 Mbit/s
Average download speed	360 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	360 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	360 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	180 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	180 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	180 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK42 9BH