Dorchester Way, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9FF

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 9FF, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.7% 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	53.6%	54.7%	1.1%	51.0%	3.7%
Male	46.4%	45.3%	-1.1%	49.0%	-3.7%

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 9FF, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 49.2% 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	44.8%	49.2%	4.4%	37.9%	11.3%
Married: Opposite sex	39.9%	35.2%	-4.7%	44.2%	-9.0%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Separated	4.4%	3.5%	-0.9%	2.2%	1.3%
Divorced	9.4%	10.2%	0.8%	9.1%	1.1%
Widowed	1.5%	1.3%	-0.2%	6.1%	-4.8%

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	51.1%	47.4%	-3.7%	48.4%	-1.0%
Good health	36.9%	34.9%	-2.0%	33.6%	1.3%
Fair health	9.8%	11.2%	1.4%	12.7%	-1.5%
Bad health	1.6%	5.3%	3.7%	4.0%	1.3%
Very bad health	0.6%	1.2%	0.6%	1.2%	0.0%

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	19.7%	18.2%	-1.5%	18.2%	0.0%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	18.7%	11.8%	-6.9%	9.6%	2.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	25.1%	19.7%	-5.4%	13.4%	6.3%
Apprenticeship	2%	4.8%	2.8%	5.3%	-0.5%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	7.9%	16.2%	8.3%	16.9%	-0.7%
Degree or Similar	21.7%	25.8%	4.1%	33.8%	-8.0%
Other	4.9%	3.5%	-1.4%	2.8%	0.7%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 67.4% 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	6.3%	7.3%	1.0%	1.1%	6.2%
Chinese	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	3.2%	6.1%	2.9%	3.1%	3.0%
Pakistani	0.6%	1.9%	1.3%	2.7%	-0.8%
Other Asian	3.5%	0.5%	-3.0%	1.6%	-1.1%
Black African	5%	4%	-1.0%	2.5%	1.5%
Black Caribbean	3.8%	1.7%	-2.1%	1.0%	0.7%
Other Black	1.3%	0.2%	-1.1%	0.5%	-0.3%
Mixed White and Asian	2.2%	2.1%	-0.1%	0.8%	1.3%
Mixed White and Caribbean	3.5%	4.3%	0.8%	0.9%	3.4%
Mixed Other	2.2%	1.4%	-0.8%	0.8%	0.6%
White	67.5%	67.4%	-0.1%	81.4%	-14.0%
Roma	0%	1.2%	1.2%	0.2%	1.0%
Arab	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.6%	-0.6%
Other	0%	1.9%	1.9%	1.6%	0.3%

Country of Birth

In this area, 84.7% 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	84.5%	84.7%	0.2%	83.2%	1.5%
European Union	2.8%	5.7%	2.9%	6.1%	-0.4%
Rest of Europe	0.3%	0.7%	0.4%	0.8%	-0.1%
Africa	5%	2.4%	-2.6%	2.7%	-0.3%
Middle East and Asia	5%	5.5%	0.5%	5.6%	-0.1%
The Americas and the Caribbean	2.2%	1%	-1.2%	1.3%	-0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	84.5%	84.7%	0.2%	83.2%	1.5%
10+ Years	0.9%	12.2%	11.3%	9.8%	2.4%
5-10 Years	1.3%	1.9%	0.6%	2.9%	-1.0%
2-5 Years	5.4%	1%	-4.4%	2.2%	-1.2%
Less than 2 years	7.9%	0.2%	-7.7%	1.9%	-1.7%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	72.1%	76.7%	-4.6%
Ireland	0.2%	0.6%	-0.4%
Italy	0.5%	0.6%	-0.1%
Portugal	0.5%	0.5%	0.0%
Spain	0.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Lithuania	1.9%	0.3%	1.6%
Poland	2.9%	1.3%	1.6%
Other EU countries	0.5%	1.5%	-1.0%
Central and Western Africa	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%
Middle East	0.2%	0.1%	0.1%
Eastern Asia	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
Southern Asia	1%	1.2%	-0.2%
North America and the Caribbean	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
No passport held	18.8%	13.5%	5.3%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	38.8%	37.2%	1.6%
Christian	42.1%	46.2%	-4.1%
Buddhist	0.2%	0.5%	-0.3%
Muslim	9.1%	6.5%	2.6%
Sikh	3.1%	0.9%	2.2%
Other religion	0.7%	0.6%	0.1%
Not answered	6%	6.0%	0.0%

Safety

Is Dorchester Way Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Dorchester Way was 120.7 per 1,000 residents, which is 22.0% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Dorchester Way has the 33rd highest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 110th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 45.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -57.2%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 80% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£55,000

Income Rank
8/10

Household Income in MK42 9FF, 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 - 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 - 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 - 5/10 (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 - 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 - 9/10 (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 - 5/10 (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) - 5/10 (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) - 5/10 (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 Dorchester Way are based on 23 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 Dorchester Way, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9FF

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 9FF

Average Price
£582,438

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£582,438

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Dorchester Way

Average Price
£673,912

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£673,912

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Dorchester WayStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
13 Dorchester Way, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£425,000	2020-03-20	£524,880
10 Dorchester Way, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£428,500	2018-11-02	£515,000
10 Dorchester Way, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£412,500	2018-11-02	£495,770
13 Dorchester Way, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£472,500	2017-10-09	£580,758
6 Dorchester Way, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£400,000	2017-08-14	£494,005

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 9FF

Employment

The percentage of student residents living in MK42 9FF area is much higher than the country's average. Usually places with high percentage of students are near Universities and near entertainment places.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	113
Part-Time Employee	48
Long-Term Sick or disabled	37
Looking after home or family	27
Self-Employed	20
Student (economically inactive)	20
Unemployed	14
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	13
Retired	13
Other	12

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	23
Human health and social work activities	17
Construction	10
Education	10
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	9
Accommodation and food service activities	9
Manufacturing	7
Professional, scientific and technical activities	7
Administrative and support service activities	7
Other	6
Information and communication	5
Transport and storage	5
Financial and insurance activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	2
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	1,539 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	1,962 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Southway Nursery School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	1,994 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Elstow School Abbey Fields , Elstow MK42 9GP	3out of 4	167 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Elstow School Abbeyfields Road Abbeyfields , Elstow MK42 9GP	- not rated	167 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	1,529 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	- not rated	1,529 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	3out of 4	1,581 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
John Bunyan School Mile Road , MK42 9TR	- not rated	1,075 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	1,114 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	- not rated	1,706 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	4out of 4	2,543 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Wixams Academy Green Lane , Wixams MK42 6BA	2out of 4	2,978 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Abbey Middle School Mowbray Road , MK42 9XA	- not rated	440 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Kingsbrook Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	1,550 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Harrowden Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	1,550 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Middle School Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	- not rated	1,706 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Silver Jubilee Middle School Acacia Road , MK42 0HU	- not rated	1,834 yd	Community school	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	2,657 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Raleigh Education Centre Raleigh and Southway Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	1,994 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	2,048 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	- not rated	2,340 yd	Foundation special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	3out of 4	2,340 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	2,540 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Cottage	206 High Street	691 yd
Sensations	24 Gostwick Road	704 yd
Mile Road Cafe	91b Mile Road	895 yd
Red Lion (Sizzling Pub Co)	The Red Lion, High Street	897 yd
St Helena	St Helena, High Street	897 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Village Peri-Peri	20 Gostwick Road		704 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Tesco	13 Beauvais Square		445 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Elstow Playing Field WILSTEAD ROAD	grass pitches	294 yd
Abbey Middle School (Closed) Mowbray Road	grass pitches, swimming pool	408 yd
Moor Lane Recreation Ground Moor Lane	grass pitches	690 yd
Bedford Academy MILE ROAD	artificial grass pitch	1,073 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	200 Mbit/s
Average download speed	258.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	600 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	600 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	25 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	24.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	50 Mbit/s

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