Church Close, Milton Ernest, Bedford, MK44 1RD

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around MK44 1RD is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 48.6%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	54.2%	51.4%	-2.8%	51.0%	0.4%
Male	45.8%	48.6%	2.8%	49.0%	-0.4%

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 vicinity of MK44 1RD there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 51.1% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	18.2%	24%	5.8%	37.9%	-13.9%
Married: Opposite sex	57.9%	51.1%	-6.8%	44.2%	6.9%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Civil partnership: Opposite sex	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.1%	0.5%
Separated	3%	1.4%	-1.6%	2.2%	-0.8%
Divorced	8.9%	12.3%	3.4%	9.1%	3.2%
Widowed	11.9%	10%	-1.9%	6.1%	3.9%

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	43.1%	46.3%	3.2%	48.4%	-2.1%
Good health	36%	33%	-3.0%	33.6%	-0.6%
Fair health	14.4%	12.3%	-2.1%	12.7%	-0.4%
Bad health	5.4%	5.5%	0.1%	4.0%	1.5%
Very bad health	1.1%	2.8%	1.7%	1.2%	1.6%

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	18.2%	18%	-0.2%	18.2%	-0.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	9.3%	7.4%	-1.9%	9.6%	-2.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	14.2%	13.1%	-1.1%	13.4%	-0.3%
Apprenticeship	6%	6.9%	0.9%	5.3%	1.6%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	11.9%	14.3%	2.4%	16.9%	-2.6%
Degree or Similar	34.8%	36.9%	2.1%	33.8%	3.1%
Other	5.6%	3.4%	-2.2%	2.8%	0.6%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 92.9% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	1.1%	-1.1%
Chinese	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.7%	-0.4%
Indian	2.2%	3%	0.8%	3.1%	-0.1%
Pakistani	0%	0.3%	0.3%	2.7%	-2.4%
Other Asian	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	1.6%	-1.6%
Black African	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	2.5%	-2.5%
Black Caribbean	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.0%	-0.7%
Mixed White and Asian	0.8%	2.3%	1.5%	0.8%	1.5%
Mixed White and African	0.8%	0.5%	-0.3%	0.4%	0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%	0.9%	-0.6%
Mixed Other	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	0.8%	-0.8%
White	93.5%	92.9%	-0.6%	81.4%	11.5%
Roma	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Other	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 88.6% 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	93.2%	88.6%	-4.6%	83.2%	5.4%
European Union	3.5%	6.8%	3.3%	6.1%	0.7%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.8%	-0.3%
Africa	1.6%	1.3%	-0.3%	2.7%	-1.4%
Middle East and Asia	1.1%	1.8%	0.7%	5.6%	-3.8%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.5%	0.8%	0.3%	1.3%	-0.5%
Oceania	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	92.4%	88.4%	-4.0%	83.2%	5.2%
10+ Years	1.6%	6.5%	4.9%	9.8%	-3.3%
5-10 Years	1.1%	1.5%	0.4%	2.9%	-1.4%
2-5 Years	0.5%	1.8%	1.3%	2.2%	-0.4%
Less than 2 years	4.4%	1.8%	-2.6%	1.9%	-0.1%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	83.4%	76.7%	6.7%
Spain	0.3%	0.4%	-0.1%
Poland	0.8%	1.3%	-0.5%
Romania	1.8%	0.9%	0.9%
Other EU countries	0.5%	1.5%	-1.0%
Eastern Asia	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
North America and the Caribbean	0.3%	0.3%	0.0%
Central and South America	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Oceania	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
No passport held	12.3%	13.5%	-1.2%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	33%	37.2%	-4.2%
Christian	56.4%	46.2%	10.2%
Buddhist	0.8%	0.5%	0.3%
Hindu	0.8%	1.7%	-0.9%
Jewish	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Sikh	2%	0.9%	1.1%
Other religion	1.3%	0.6%	0.7%
Not answered	5.5%	6.0%	-0.5%

Safety

Is Church Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Church Close was 61.9 per 1,000 residents, which is 48.9% higher than the Clapham & Oakley average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Church Close has the 8th highest crime rate of 27 local areas in Clapham & Oakley and the 253rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 24.8 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -83.8%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 69% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£50,500

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in MK44 1RD, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 4/10 (below 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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 1/10 (very low )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 5/10 (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) - 4/10 (below 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) - 4/10 (below 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 Church Close 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 North Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Church Close, Milton Ernest, Bedford, MK44 1RD

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK44 1RD

Average Price
£365,310

Semi-Detached
£365,310

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Church Close

Average Price
£577,915

Semi-Detached
£384,212

Terraced
£302,938

Detached
£1,170,537

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Church CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
11 Church Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£300,000	2022-03-31	£330,157
12 Church Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£345,000	2020-03-30	£442,189
5 Church Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£280,000	2020-01-27	£351,169
3 Church Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£250,000	2014-10-17	£425,851
3 Church Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£140,340	2011-05-23	£282,562

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK44 1RD

Employment

MK44 1RD area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 1% 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.

The percentage of retired residents living in MK44 1RD area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 32% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	113
Full-Time Employee	102
Self-Employed	34
Part-Time Employee	28
Other	21
Student (economically inactive)	16
Long-Term Sick or disabled	14
Looking after home or family	13
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	4
Unemployed	4

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	23
Human health and social work activities	19
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	16
Professional, scientific and technical activities	16
Education	14
Construction	12
Manufacturing	8
Information and communication	8
Administrative and support service activities	8
Other	7
Financial and insurance activities	4
Transport and storage	3
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	3
Real estate activities	3
Accommodation and food service activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Milton Ernest CofE Primary School Thurleigh Road , Milton Ernest MK44 1RF	3out of 4	183 yd	Voluntary controlled school	No	Mixed	More About School
Oakley Primary Academy Station Road , Oakley MK43 7RE	- not rated	3,085 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Oakley Lower School Station Road , Oakley MK43 7RE	- not rated	3,085 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Pinchmill Primary School The Old Road , Felmersham MK43 7JD	- not rated	3,323 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Ursula Taylor VC Lower School High Street , Clapham MK41 6EG	- not rated	4,348 yd	Voluntary controlled school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Lincroft Academy Station Road , Oakley MK43 7RE	- not rated	3,212 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Sharnbrook Academy Odell Road , Sharnbrook MK44 1JL	- not rated	4,975 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Sharnbrook Upper School and Community College Odell Road , Sharnbrook MK44 1JL	- not rated	4,975 yd	Foundation school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	3out of 4	5,251 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Catholic School Tyne Crescent , MK41 7UL	- not rated	5,251 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Lincroft Middle School Station Road , Oakley MK43 7RE	- not rated	3,212 yd	Foundation school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Park Wood Middle School Hawk Drive , MK41 7JE	- not rated	5,399 yd	Community school	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Beauchamp Middle School Hawk Drive , MK41 7JE	- not rated	5,399 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Greenacre Independent School Manton Lane , MK41 7FZ	- not rated	5,360 yd	Other independent 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	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Queens Head	Queens Head, 1 Rushden Road		276 yd
Milton Ernest Garden Centre Café	Milton Ernest Garden Centre, Radwell Road		503 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Bedford Grazing Co			487 yd
Docklands Fresh Grimsby Fish	Milton Ernest Garden Centre, Radwell Road		503 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Milton Ernest Playing Field Radwell Road	grass pitches	656 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	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	0.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	0.0%

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	57.5 Mbit/s
Average download speed	50.2 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	77.1 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	77.1 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	14.1 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	13 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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