Armstrong Drive is in Bedford and in Bedford district. MK42 9LN is located in the Cauldwell electoral ward, within the English Parliamentary constituency of Bedford. This postcode has been in use since 2001-12-01.
StreetScan combines information about Armstrong Drive, Bedford, MK42 9LN and displays a report on the quality of life in this place and its surroundings.
Nearby postcodes are: MK42 9JW, MK42 9JZ, MK42 9LB, MK42 9JT, MK42 9QB, MK42 9NE, MK42 9LF, MK42 9JQ, MK42 9NF.
In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK42 9LN, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53.8% 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 | 48.3% | 53.8% | 5.5% | 51.0% | 2.8% |
| Male | 51.7% | 46.2% | -5.5% | 49.0% | -2.8% |
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 9LN, a significant portion of the population is single, making up 42.8% 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 | 43.1% | 42.8% | -0.3% | 37.9% | 4.9% |
| Married: Opposite sex | 40.9% | 45% | 4.1% | 44.2% | 0.8% |
| Married: Same sex | 0.9% | 0% | -0.9% | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| Separated | 3.1% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Divorced | 9.6% | 7.7% | -1.9% | 9.1% | -1.4% |
| Widowed | 2.4% | 1.1% | -1.3% | 6.1% | -5.0% |
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 (87.4%) 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 | 54% | 55.6% | 1.6% | 48.4% | 7.2% |
| Good health | 36.3% | 31.8% | -4.5% | 33.6% | -1.8% |
| Fair health | 7.3% | 9.3% | 2.0% | 12.7% | -3.4% |
| Bad health | 2% | 2.5% | 0.5% | 4.0% | -1.5% |
| Very bad health | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1.2% | -0.4% |
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 | 13.4% | 15.1% | 1.7% | 18.2% | -3.1% |
| 1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent | 12.5% | 7.7% | -4.8% | 9.6% | -1.9% |
| 5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels | 13.6% | 12.5% | -1.1% | 13.4% | -0.9% |
| Apprenticeship | 1.4% | 4.4% | 3.0% | 5.3% | -0.9% |
| HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels | 12.5% | 17.3% | 4.8% | 16.9% | 0.4% |
| Degree or Similar | 28.5% | 36.5% | 8.0% | 33.8% | 2.7% |
| Other | 18.1% | 6.3% | -11.8% | 2.8% | 3.5% |
In this area, the population is more ethnically diverse compared to the UK average. While 65.4% 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 | 3.4% | 1.6% | -1.8% | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Chinese | 0.5% | 0% | -0.5% | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| Indian | 18.6% | 12.9% | -5.7% | 3.1% | 9.8% |
| Pakistani | 1.4% | 0.5% | -0.9% | 2.7% | -2.2% |
| Other Asian | 1.8% | 0.8% | -1.0% | 1.6% | -0.8% |
| Black African | 4.3% | 8% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 5.5% |
| Black Caribbean | 2% | 1.9% | -0.1% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Other Black | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Mixed White and Asian | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| Mixed White and African | 0.5% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Mixed White and Caribbean | 2.9% | 2.2% | -0.7% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Mixed Other | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| White | 62.3% | 65.4% | 3.1% | 81.4% | -16.0% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 0% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
In this area, 53.3% 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 | 56.7% | 53.3% | -3.4% | 83.2% | -29.9% |
| European Union | 19.9% | 27.3% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 21.2% |
| Rest of Europe | 1.8% | 1.4% | -0.4% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Africa | 6.3% | 6.3% | 0.0% | 2.7% | 3.6% |
| Middle East and Asia | 13.6% | 8.5% | -5.1% | 5.6% | 2.9% |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 1.8% | 2.5% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| British Overseas | 0% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| 2011 | 2021 | 10y change (pp) | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born in the UK | 56.4% | 53.3% | -3.1% | 83.2% | -29.9% |
| 10+ Years | 6.6% | 20.5% | 13.9% | 9.8% | 10.7% |
| 5-10 Years | 10% | 8.7% | -1.3% | 2.9% | 5.8% |
| 2-5 Years | 15% | 11.5% | -3.5% | 2.2% | 9.3% |
| Less than 2 years | 12% | 6% | -6.0% | 1.9% | 4.1% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 53.6% | 76.7% | -23.1% |
| France | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Germany | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Italy | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Spain | 1.4% | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Lithuania | 3.6% | 0.3% | 3.3% |
| Poland | 15.3% | 1.3% | 14.0% |
| Romania | 6.6% | 0.9% | 5.7% |
| Other EU countries | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| Central and Western Africa | 2.2% | 0.3% | 1.9% |
| South and Eastern Africa | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Middle East | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Southern Asia | 2.7% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| South-East Asia | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Central and South America | 1.6% | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| No passport held | 7.9% | 13.5% | -5.6% |
| 2021 | UK Average | postcode vs UK (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 26.2% | 37.2% | -11.0% |
| Christian | 55.3% | 46.2% | 9.1% |
| Buddhist | 0.3% | 0.5% | -0.2% |
| Hindu | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Muslim | 1.9% | 6.5% | -4.6% |
| Sikh | 2.5% | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| Other religion | 2.2% | 0.6% | 1.6% |
| Not answered | 8.4% | 6.0% | 2.4% |
Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Armstrong Drive was 54.8 per 1,000 residents, which is 66.6% lower than the Cauldwell average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.
Armstrong Drive has the 20th lowest crime rate of 82 local areas in Cauldwell and the 272nd lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .
Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 14.4 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -43.6%.

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.

| Address | Sale Price | Sale Date | Price Estimate 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Armstrong Drive, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building | £240,000 | 2025-05-16 | £253,680 |
| 24 Armstrong Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £270,000 | 2024-01-26 | £291,107 |
| 2 Armstrong Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £283,000 | 2022-01-21 | £322,474 |
| 40 Armstrong Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £256,500 | 2021-01-22 | £317,486 |
| 32 Armstrong Drive, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building | £216,000 | 2020-10-23 | £271,470 |
The percentage of student residents living in MK42 9LN area is much higher than the country's average. Usually places with high percentage of students are near Universities and near entertainment places.
| Full-Time Employee | 142 |
| Part-Time Employee | 38 |
| Self-Employed | 18 |
| Student (economically inactive) | 15 |
| Full-Time Student (with or without job) | 12 |
| Looking after home or family | 11 |
| Unemployed | 10 |
| Other | 9 |
| Retired | 7 |
| Long-Term Sick or disabled | 7 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles | 70 |
| Human health and social work activities | 42 |
| Transport and storage | 33 |
| Manufacturing | 33 |
| Education | 29 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 22 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 19 |
| Other | 17 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 16 |
| Construction | 13 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 10 |
| Information and communication | 7 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 5 |
| Real estate activities | 5 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 1 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR | 4out of 4 | 464 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Cherry Trees Nursery School Hawkins Road , MK42 9LS | 4out of 4 | 465 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cauldwell School Edward Road , MK42 9DR | 3out of 4 | 491 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Shackleton Primary School Pearcey Road , MK42 9LZ | 3out of 4 | 537 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH | 2out of 4 | 1,369 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Priory Primary School Greyfriars , MK40 1JD | 4out of 4 | 1,413 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Camestone School Jowitt Avenue , Kempston MK42 8NW | 3out of 4 | 1,713 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD | 3out of 4 | 654 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR | 3out of 4 | 1,501 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS | 3out of 4 | 2,068 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College Biddenham Turn , MK40 4AZ | 3out of 4 | 2,476 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT | 3out of 4 | 2,578 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford College Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AH | - not rated | 754 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| 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 | 142 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX | - not rated | 821 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
| St John's School Austin Canons , Bedford Road MK42 8AA | 4out of 4 | 1,125 yd | Academy special converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU | - not rated | 1,774 yd | Other independent school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Polam School 45 Lansdowne Road , MK40 2BU | - not rated | 1,786 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Bites | 2 Althorpe Street | 217 yd | |
| The Fat Pizza/The Fat Burger | 36 Ampthill Road | 323 yd | |
| Bedford Sweets & Snacks | 70 Elstow Road | 340 yd | |
| London Peri Peri Grill | 34c London Road | 400 yd | |
| Starbucks Coffee Company | 66 St Johns Street | 434 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meltis Sports and Social Club | Meltis Sports And Social Club, Miller Road | 328 yd | |
| Gardeners Arms | The Gardeners Arms, 12 Sandhurst Road | 334 yd | |
| Kings Arms PH | The Kings Arms, 24 St Marys Street | 830 yd | |
| Bedford Rowing Club | Bedford Rowing Club, Duckmill Lane | 846 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&D Fish 'n' Chips | 34 Ampthill Road | 323 yd | |
| Golden Fish Bar | 26 London Road | 400 yd | |
| Pizza Hut | 24 London Road | 400 yd | |
| Zest Pizza | 32 London Road | 400 yd | |
| Jemz Caribbean Take Away | 76 Ampthill Road | 415 yd |
| Business Name | Address | Food hygiene rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisons Service Station Shop | Morrisons, Ampthill Road | 421 yd | |
| Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited | Morrisons, Ampthill Road | 421 yd | |
| SAS Supermarket | Unit 2, 82 Ampthill Road | 497 yd | |
| Farmfoods | Farm Foods, 4-6 Kingsway | 593 yd | |
| Aldi | Aldi, Westville Road | 646 yd |
| Facility Name | Sport Objects | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| The Gym (Bedford) London Road | health and fitness suite | 482 yd |
| Bedford Free School CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL HOUSE CAULDWELL STREET | 701 yd | |
| Meltis Sports And Social Club MILLER COURT | grass pitches | 737 yd |
| Bedford Girls School CARDINGTON ROAD | artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite, swimming pool | 809 yd |
| Bedford College CAULDWELL STREET | health and fitness suite | 828 yd |
| Pace Health Club (Bedford) (Closed) St. Marys Street | health and fitness suite | 881 yd |
This statistics are based on Active Places Data - Contains Data © Sport England
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Median download speed | 100 Mbit/s |
| Average download speed | 172.6 Mbit/s |
| Minimum download speed | 1000 Mbit/s |
| Maximum download speed | 1000 Mbit/s |
| Median upload speed | 20 Mbit/s |
| Average upload speed | 20.7 Mbit/s |
| Maximum upload speed | 50 Mbit/s |
Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.