Firbank Road, Bedford, MK42 9LL

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around MK42 9LL is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 49.1%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	48.8%	50.9%	2.1%	51.0%	-0.1%
Male	51.2%	49.1%	-2.1%	49.0%	0.1%

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 9LL, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 46.4% 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	38.7%	46.4%	7.7%	37.9%	8.5%
Married: Opposite sex	44.4%	37.5%	-6.9%	44.2%	-6.7%
Separated	4.4%	2.4%	-2.0%	2.2%	0.2%
Divorced	6.9%	7.8%	0.9%	9.1%	-1.3%
Widowed	5.6%	5.8%	0.2%	6.1%	-0.3%

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%	51.6%	8.6%	48.4%	3.2%
Good health	39.8%	32.7%	-7.1%	33.6%	-0.9%
Fair health	11.3%	10.4%	-0.9%	12.7%	-2.3%
Bad health	4.7%	3.7%	-1.0%	4.0%	-0.3%
Very bad health	1.2%	1.6%	0.4%	1.2%	0.4%

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 9LL this area, 28.8% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly higher than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its low percentage of residents with higher education degree. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 21.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	28.2%	28.8%	0.6%	18.2%	10.6%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	17.7%	15.1%	-2.6%	9.6%	5.5%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	11.7%	11.6%	-0.1%	13.4%	-1.8%
Apprenticeship	1.6%	5.5%	3.9%	5.3%	0.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	6.5%	12.7%	6.2%	16.9%	-4.2%
Degree or Similar	15.7%	21.2%	5.5%	33.8%	-12.6%
Other	18.5%	5.1%	-13.4%	2.8%	2.3%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 52.8% 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	12.5%	13.9%	1.4%	1.1%	12.8%
Chinese	1.2%	0.8%	-0.4%	0.7%	0.1%
Indian	10.5%	8.3%	-2.2%	3.1%	5.2%
Pakistani	6.7%	8.8%	2.1%	2.7%	6.1%
Other Asian	0.6%	2.4%	1.8%	1.6%	0.8%
Black African	3.2%	1.1%	-2.1%	2.5%	-1.4%
Black Caribbean	2.6%	4%	1.4%	1.0%	3.0%
Other Black	0.9%	0.5%	-0.4%	0.5%	0.0%
Mixed White and Asian	0.9%	1.6%	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
Mixed White and African	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	0.4%	-0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.6%	1.6%	1.0%	0.9%	0.7%
Mixed Other	1.7%	1.9%	0.2%	0.8%	1.1%
White	57%	52.8%	-4.2%	81.4%	-28.6%
Roma	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.2%	0.3%
Other	1.5%	1.6%	0.1%	1.6%	0.0%

Country of Birth

In this area, 50.3% 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	60.2%	50.3%	-9.9%	83.2%	-32.9%
European Union	20.1%	31.3%	11.2%	6.1%	25.2%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.8%	-0.3%
Africa	2.6%	1.3%	-1.3%	2.7%	-1.4%
Middle East and Asia	13.7%	14.4%	0.7%	5.6%	8.8%
The Americas and the Caribbean	3.5%	2.1%	-1.4%	1.3%	0.8%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	59.6%	50%	-9.6%	83.2%	-33.2%
10+ Years	10.5%	26.6%	16.1%	9.8%	16.8%
5-10 Years	5.2%	8%	2.8%	2.9%	5.1%
2-5 Years	6.4%	9.6%	3.2%	2.2%	7.4%
Less than 2 years	18.3%	5.9%	-12.4%	1.9%	4.0%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	50%	76.7%	-26.7%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Italy	4.5%	0.6%	3.9%
Lithuania	1.1%	0.3%	0.8%
Poland	10.9%	1.3%	9.6%
Romania	8.2%	0.9%	7.3%
Other EU countries	3.2%	1.5%	1.7%
Other Europe	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Southern Asia	6.1%	1.2%	4.9%
South-East Asia	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
North America and the Caribbean	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
No passport held	13.8%	13.5%	0.3%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	17.9%	37.2%	-19.3%
Christian	46.7%	46.2%	0.5%
Hindu	3.5%	1.7%	1.8%
Muslim	21.9%	6.5%	15.4%
Sikh	1.6%	0.9%	0.7%
Other religion	1.3%	0.6%	0.7%
Not answered	7.2%	6.0%	1.2%

Safety

Is Firbank Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Firbank Road was 68.6 per 1,000 residents, which is 55.7% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Firbank Road has the 29th lowest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 224th highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 29.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -72.5%.

🔎 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 9LL, 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 - 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 - 8/10 (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 - 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) - 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 Firbank Road are based on 15 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 Firbank Road, Bedford, MK42 9LL

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK42 9LL

Average Price
£224,084

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£224,084

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Firbank Road

Average Price
£229,523

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
£229,523

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Firbank Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
9 Firbank Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£255,000	2024-12-13	£266,914
23 Firbank Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£230,000	2022-06-16	£251,757
5 Firbank Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£220,000	2021-08-06	£255,978
14 Firbank Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£200,000	2021-03-26	£242,069
6 Firbank Road, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£195,000	2021-03-02	£236,017

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK42 9LL

Employment

MK42 9LL area has a high level of entrepreneurship. Only 23% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 12% of population in this area is self-employed, while the average in the UK is 9.7%. High number of entrepreneurs usually leads to relatively high economic growth, higher paid jobs and better quality of life in the area.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	99
Part-Time Employee	38
Self-Employed	35
Retired	31
Other	21
Looking after home or family	19
Student (economically inactive)	18
Long-Term Sick or disabled	13
Unemployed	12
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	7

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	30
Administrative and support service activities	27
Human health and social work activities	19
Manufacturing	16
Accommodation and food service activities	12
Education	12
Construction	10
Transport and storage	8
Other	7
Financial and insurance activities	7
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	5
Information and communication	4
Professional, scientific and technical activities	4
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2

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	110 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Southway Nursery School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	439 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	727 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	3out of 4	183 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ	- not rated	183 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Raleigh School Ampthill Road , MK42 9HE	- not rated	494 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	3out of 4	740 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	- not rated	740 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	4out of 4	917 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
John Bunyan School Mile Road , MK42 9TR	- not rated	1,104 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	1,145 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	- not rated	2,070 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	2,703 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Silver Jubilee Middle School Acacia Road , MK42 0HU	- not rated	840 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Kingsbrook Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	963 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Harrowden Middle School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	- not rated	963 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Abbey Middle School Mowbray Road , MK42 9XA	- not rated	1,195 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Bede's RC Middle School 112 Bromham Road , MK40 2QR	- not rated	1,966 yd	Voluntary aided 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	1,038 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	439 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	494 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	939 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Teaching Service for Excluded Pupils 2nd Floor, Riverside Suite , County Hall MK42 9AP	- not rated	1,039 yd	Miscellaneous	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA	- not rated	1,390 yd	Foundation 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
Bedford Sweets & Snacks	70 Elstow Road	144 yd
Joyes Boba Bedford Bubble Tea	35A Elstow Road	293 yd
DVCC Recovery Bar	Millfield House, Miller Road	320 yd
London Peri Peri Grill	34c London Road	397 yd
Greek Bites	2 Althorpe Street	440 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Meltis Sports and Social Club	Meltis Sports And Social Club, Miller Road	234 yd
Gardeners Arms	The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road	455 yd
Kings Arms PH	The Kings Arms, 24 St Marys Street	1,030 yd
Bedford Rowing Club	Bedford Rowing Club, Duckmill Lane	1,042 yd
The Bull	The Bull, 259 London Road	1,049 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Joyes Chicken	33 Elstow Road	359 yd
Golden Fish Bar	26 London Road	397 yd
Pizza Hut	24 London Road	397 yd
Zest Pizza	32 London Road	397 yd
Pizzeria Chirico	26-28 Mabel Road	427 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
SAS Supermarket	Unit 2, 82 Ampthill Road	557 yd
Morrisons Service Station Shop	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	576 yd
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited	Morrisons, Ampthill Road	576 yd
Aldi	Aldi, Westville Road	691 yd
Farmfoods	Farm Foods, 4-6 Kingsway	811 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
The Gym (Bedford) London Road	health and fitness suite	542 yd
Meltis Sports And Social Club MILLER COURT	grass pitches	648 yd
Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET		913 yd
Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool	945 yd
Harrowden Middle School (Closed) Oak Road	grass pitches	959 yd
Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET	health and fitness suite	1,053 yd
Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street	health and fitness suite	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	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	80 Mbit/s
Average download speed	156.9 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	19.4 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	50 Mbit/s

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

Overview of MK42 9LL