Howard Close, Cardington, Bedford, MK44 3SL

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK44 3SL, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 53% 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	57.3%	53%	-4.3%	51.0%	2.0%
Male	42.7%	47%	4.3%	49.0%	-2.0%

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 3SL there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 51.8% 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	20.9%	28%	7.1%	37.9%	-9.9%
Married: Opposite sex	53.8%	51.8%	-2.0%	44.2%	7.6%
Separated	2.6%	2.5%	-0.1%	2.2%	0.3%
Divorced	9%	11%	2.0%	9.1%	1.9%
Widowed	13.7%	6.7%	-7.0%	6.1%	0.6%

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.

This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (85.8%) 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	46.5%	47%	0.5%	48.4%	-1.4%
Good health	36.5%	38.8%	2.3%	33.6%	5.2%
Fair health	13.2%	10.3%	-2.9%	12.7%	-2.4%
Bad health	3.8%	3.6%	-0.2%	4.0%	-0.4%
Very bad health	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.2%	-0.9%

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	24.8%	13.9%	-10.9%	18.2%	-4.3%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	15.4%	12.1%	-3.3%	9.6%	2.5%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	17.1%	14.9%	-2.2%	13.4%	1.5%
Apprenticeship	3.4%	8.2%	4.8%	5.3%	2.9%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	6.4%	16%	9.6%	16.9%	-0.9%
Degree or Similar	28.2%	32%	3.8%	33.8%	-1.8%
Other	4.7%	2.8%	-1.9%	2.8%	0.0%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 97% 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)
Chinese	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.7%	-0.4%
Indian	0%	0.9%	0.9%	3.1%	-2.2%
Black African	0%	1.2%	1.2%	2.5%	-1.3%
Black Caribbean	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.0%	-0.7%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
White	100%	97%	-3.0%	81.4%	15.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 94% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	95.8%	94%	-1.8%	83.2%	10.8%
European Union	2.8%	3.9%	1.1%	6.1%	-2.2%
Africa	0%	1.5%	1.5%	2.7%	-1.2%
Middle East and Asia	0%	0.6%	0.6%	5.6%	-5.0%
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	95.1%	94.3%	-0.8%	83.2%	11.1%
10+ Years	0.3%	3.3%	3.0%	9.8%	-6.5%
5-10 Years	0%	1.2%	1.2%	2.9%	-1.7%
2-5 Years	0.3%	1.2%	0.9%	2.2%	-1.0%
Less than 2 years	4.2%	0%	-4.2%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	86.7%	76.7%	10.0%
Italy	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Poland	1.5%	1.3%	0.2%
Other EU countries	0.9%	1.5%	-0.6%
Other Europe	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
South and Eastern Africa	0.9%	0.2%	0.7%
No passport held	9%	13.5%	-4.5%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	39.9%	37.2%	2.7%
Christian	54.3%	46.2%	8.1%
Hindu	0.6%	1.7%	-1.1%
Muslim	0.6%	6.5%	-5.9%
Other religion	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Not answered	4%	6.0%	-2.0%

Safety

Is Howard Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Howard Close was 221.1 per 1,000 residents, which is 163.6% higher than the Shortstown average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Howard Close has the 2nd highest crime rate of 28 local areas in Shortstown and the 42nd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 67.8 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 5.6%.

🔎 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 MK44 3SL, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 6/10 (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 - 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 - 7/10 (above 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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 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 - 6/10 (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) - 6/10 (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) - 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 Howard Close are based on 40 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 Howard Close, Cardington, Bedford, MK44 3SL

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK44 3SL

Average Price
£349,168

Semi-Detached
£332,216

Terraced
£324,226

Detached
£449,910

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Howard Close

Average Price
£431,550

Semi-Detached
£382,950

Terraced
£288,015

Detached
£556,098

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Howard CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
6 Howard Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£335,000	2020-03-26	£425,652
12 Howard Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£185,000	2017-04-21	£238,881
12 Howard Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£155,000	2013-12-06	£277,016
6A Howard Close, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£250,000	2013-05-10	£468,412
8 Howard Close, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£205,000	2011-09-14	£404,187

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK44 3SL

Employment

MK44 3SL area has a very high level of entrepreneurship. Only 11% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 15% 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	102
Retired	62
Self-Employed	41
Part-Time Employee	33
Looking after home or family	11
Unemployed	10
Other	8
Student (economically inactive)	8
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	2

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	20
Human health and social work activities	18
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	14
Construction	13
Manufacturing	11
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	10
Professional, scientific and technical activities	10
Administrative and support service activities	9
Transport and storage	9
Education	9
Real estate activities	5
Financial and insurance activities	5
Other	4
Information and communication	3
Accommodation and food service activities	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Mining and quarrying	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	4,010 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Peter Pan Nursery School Edward Road , MK42 9DR	4out of 4	4,816 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Sheerhatch Primary School Willington Road , Cople MK44 3TH	2out of 4	1,714 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Shortstown Primary School Beauvais Square , Shortstown MK42 0GS	3out of 4	1,782 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Cotton End Forest School High Road , MK45 3AG	3out of 4	2,914 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
King's Oak Primary School Oak Road , MK42 0HH	2out of 4	3,057 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Green Academy Goldington Green , MK41 0DP	3out of 4	3,187 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	3,177 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX	3out of 4	3,992 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Free School Cauldwell Street , MK42 9AD	3out of 4	4,520 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT	3out of 4	4,539 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX	3out of 4	5,228 yd	Academy converter	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	4,640 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ	- not rated	2,854 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Girls' School Cardington Road , MK42 0BX	- not rated	4,144 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
E-Spired Centre of Excellence The Raleigh Centre , Ampthill Road MK42 9HE	- not rated	4,488 yd	Other independent school	No	Mixed	More About School
St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA	- not rated	4,767 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Bedford School De Parys Avenue , MK40 2TU	- not rated	4,821 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Kings Arms	The Kings Arms, The Green		340 yd

Sport

We haven't found any sport facilities near MK44 3SL postcode.

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	61.2 Mbit/s
Average download speed	59.4 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	76.33 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	76.33 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	18.1 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	14.3 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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