Houghton Road, Bedford, MK42 9HQ

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 9HQ, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 52.5% 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	55.6%	52.5%	-3.1%	51.0%	1.5%
Male	44.4%	47.5%	3.1%	49.0%	-1.5%

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 9HQ, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 43% 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	40.1%	43%	2.9%	37.9%	5.1%
Married: Opposite sex	39.6%	40.1%	0.5%	44.2%	-4.1%
Separated	5.8%	5.5%	-0.3%	2.2%	3.3%
Divorced	10.1%	5.5%	-4.6%	9.1%	-3.6%
Widowed	4.3%	5.9%	1.6%	6.1%	-0.2%

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	48.8%	47.4%	-1.4%	48.4%	-1.0%
Good health	36.5%	34.3%	-2.2%	33.6%	0.7%
Fair health	9.9%	12.5%	2.6%	12.7%	-0.2%
Bad health	4.1%	4%	-0.1%	4.0%	0.0%
Very bad health	0.7%	1.8%	1.1%	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.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	24.2%	24.1%	-0.1%	18.2%	5.9%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	20.8%	13.1%	-7.7%	9.6%	3.5%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	11.6%	13.5%	1.9%	13.4%	0.1%
Apprenticeship	0.5%	4.6%	4.1%	5.3%	-0.7%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9.7%	13.5%	3.8%	16.9%	-3.4%
Degree or Similar	18.8%	27.4%	8.6%	33.8%	-6.4%
Other	14.5%	3.8%	-10.7%	2.8%	1.0%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 38.4% 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	12.6%	18%	5.4%	1.1%	16.9%
Indian	21.8%	15.8%	-6.0%	3.1%	12.7%
Pakistani	2%	0%	-2.0%	2.7%	-2.7%
Other Asian	2%	5.3%	3.3%	1.6%	3.7%
Black African	2.4%	4.3%	1.9%	2.5%	1.8%
Black Caribbean	4.4%	1.2%	-3.2%	1.0%	0.2%
Other Black	1.7%	1.2%	-0.5%	0.5%	0.7%
Mixed White and Asian	3.1%	0.9%	-2.2%	0.8%	0.1%
Mixed White and African	1%	0%	-1.0%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	2.4%	3.7%	1.3%	0.9%	2.8%
Mixed Other	2.7%	0.6%	-2.1%	0.8%	-0.2%
White	43.7%	38.4%	-5.3%	81.4%	-43.0%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	1.9%	1.9%	0.1%	1.8%
Arab	0%	2.2%	2.2%	0.6%	1.6%
Other	0%	6.5%	6.5%	1.6%	4.9%

Country of Birth

In this area, 54.9% 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	62.8%	54.9%	-7.9%	83.2%	-28.3%
European Union	12.6%	18.5%	5.9%	6.1%	12.4%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
Africa	3.4%	3.7%	0.3%	2.7%	1.0%
Middle East and Asia	19.8%	22.5%	2.7%	5.6%	16.9%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	1.3%	-1.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	62.8%	54.9%	-7.9%	83.2%	-28.3%
10+ Years	5.5%	20.4%	14.9%	9.8%	10.6%
5-10 Years	6.5%	11.4%	4.9%	2.9%	8.5%
2-5 Years	11.9%	5.2%	-6.7%	2.2%	3.0%
Less than 2 years	13.3%	8%	-5.3%	1.9%	6.1%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	54%	76.7%	-22.7%
France	0.9%	0.3%	0.6%
Italy	1.5%	0.6%	0.9%
Lithuania	1.9%	0.3%	1.6%
Poland	4.6%	1.3%	3.3%
Romania	10.5%	0.9%	9.6%
Other EU countries	0.9%	1.5%	-0.6%
Central and Western Africa	1.9%	0.3%	1.6%
South and Eastern Africa	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Southern Asia	11.4%	1.2%	10.2%
No passport held	12%	13.5%	-1.5%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	19.4%	37.2%	-17.8%
Christian	42%	46.2%	-4.2%
Buddhist	0.6%	0.5%	0.1%
Hindu	5.9%	1.7%	4.2%
Muslim	19.8%	6.5%	13.3%
Sikh	5.2%	0.9%	4.3%
Other religion	3.7%	0.6%	3.1%
Not answered	3.4%	6.0%	-2.6%

Safety

Is Houghton Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Houghton Road was 188.9 per 1,000 residents, which is 15.3% higher than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Houghton Road has the 13th highest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 53rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 111.5 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -8.5%.

🔎 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 9HQ, 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 - 9/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 9/10 (very high )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 7/10 (above 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 - 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) - 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) - 10/10 (very 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 Houghton Road 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 North Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Houghton Road, Bedford, MK42 9HQ

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 9HQ

Average Price
£223,671

Semi-Detached
£228,894

Terraced
£227,041

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£94,094

Other
£253,502

Estimated Average Property Prices for Houghton Road

Average Price
£227,817

Semi-Detached
£235,381

Terraced
£232,631

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£97,154

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Houghton Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
11 Houghton Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£150,000	2024-05-17	£163,791
13 Houghton Road, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£210,000	2024-02-09	£225,501
29 Houghton Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£196,000	2022-03-14	£218,306
14 Houghton Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£202,000	2022-02-15	£226,660
4 - 6 Houghton Road, Bedford, Bedford Other, an established residential building	£245,000	2021-09-28	£261,746

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 9HQ

Employment

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	83
Part-Time Employee	32
Looking after home or family	27
Self-Employed	19
Retired	16
Long-Term Sick or disabled	16
Student (economically inactive)	13
Unemployed	11
Other	10
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	8

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	34
Human health and social work activities	27
Accommodation and food service activities	13
Administrative and support service activities	9
Manufacturing	7
Education	7
Transport and storage	5
Construction	4
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	4
Professional, scientific and technical activities	3
Information and communication	3
Financial and insurance activities	3
Other	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2

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	253 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS	4out of 4	675 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	287 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	756 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD	4out of 4	1,303 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW	3out of 4	1,566 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	1,605 yd	Community school	Yes	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	686 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	1,708 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	1,958 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ	3out of 4	2,248 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,662 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	750 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	193 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	4out of 4	890 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	956 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU	- not rated	1,671 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Grange Academy Halsey Road , Kempston MK42 8AU	3out of 4	1,791 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
Greek Bites	2 Althorpe Street	63 yd
The Fat Pizza/The Fat Burger	36 Ampthill Road	83 yd
Bedford Sweets & Snacks	70 Elstow Road	490 yd
Kids World	9 Kingsway	503 yd
DVCC Recovery Bar	Millfield House, Miller Road	506 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Gardeners Arms	The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road	176 yd
Meltis Sports and Social Club	Meltis Sports And Social Club, Miller Road	404 yd
Kings Arms PH	The Kings Arms, 24 St Marys Street	836 yd
Bedford Rowing Club	Bedford Rowing Club, Duckmill Lane	859 yd
T Bar	The Keep, Bedford Road	964 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
S&D Fish 'n' Chips	34 Ampthill Road	83 yd
Jemz Caribbean Take Away	76 Ampthill Road	240 yd
London Sweet Centre	London Sweet Centre, 86 Ampthill Road	372 yd
Pizzeria Chirico	26-28 Mabel Road	384 yd
Bedford Fitness Camps		499 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Morrisons Service Station Shop	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	197 yd
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	197 yd
SAS Supermarket	Unit 2, 82 Ampthill Road	359 yd
Aldi	Aldi, Westville Road	500 yd
Farmfoods	Farm Foods, 4-6 Kingsway	578 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
The Gym (Bedford) London Road	health and fitness suite	675 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		689 yd
Meltis Sports And Social Club MILLER COURT	grass pitches	714 yd
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	773 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	879 yd
Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	913 yd
Samsons Fitness MIDLAND ROAD	health and fitness suite	1,093 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	129.5 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	350 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	350 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	18.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK42 9HQ