Wood Lane, Cotton End, Bedford, MK45 3AJ

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK45 3AJ, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 52.1% 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	53.8%	52.1%	-1.7%	51.0%	1.1%
Male	46.2%	47.9%	1.7%	49.0%	-1.1%

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 vicinity of MK45 3AJ there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 53.4% 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	25.8%	25.3%	-0.5%	37.9%	-12.6%
Married: Opposite sex	55.5%	53.4%	-2.1%	44.2%	9.2%
Married: Same sex	1.1%	0%	-1.1%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	1.1%	3.4%	2.3%	2.2%	1.2%
Divorced	11.1%	9.2%	-1.9%	9.1%	0.1%
Widowed	5.5%	8.6%	3.1%	6.1%	2.5%

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 (86.3%) 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	44.4%	51.7%	7.3%	48.4%	3.3%
Good health	38.2%	34.6%	-3.6%	33.6%	1.0%
Fair health	12.9%	13.7%	0.8%	12.7%	1.0%
Bad health	3.8%	0%	-3.8%	4.0%	-4.0%
Very bad health	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	1.2%	-1.2%

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	18.4%	12.6%	-5.8%	18.2%	-5.6%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	16.3%	9.8%	-6.5%	9.6%	0.2%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	18.4%	16.7%	-1.7%	13.4%	3.3%
Apprenticeship	6.1%	8.6%	2.5%	5.3%	3.3%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.8%	20.7%	9.9%	16.9%	3.8%
Degree or Similar	24.2%	29.3%	5.1%	33.8%	-4.5%
Other	5.8%	2.3%	-3.5%	2.8%	-0.5%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 92.4% 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%	1.4%	1.4%	1.1%	0.3%
Indian	2.2%	0.5%	-1.7%	3.1%	-2.6%
Pakistani	0%	0.5%	0.5%	2.7%	-2.2%
Other Asian	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	1.6%	-1.6%
Black African	1%	0%	-1.0%	2.5%	-2.5%
Black Caribbean	0%	1.9%	1.9%	1.0%	0.9%
Mixed White and Asian	0.6%	0.9%	0.3%	0.8%	0.1%
Mixed White and African	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	0.4%	-0.4%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.4%	1.9%	1.5%	0.9%	1.0%
Mixed Other	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.8%	-0.3%
White	93.8%	92.4%	-1.4%	81.4%	11.0%
Other	1.2%	0%	-1.2%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 91% 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	94%	91%	-3.0%	83.2%	7.8%
European Union	2.4%	4.3%	1.9%	6.1%	-1.8%
Africa	1%	1%	0.0%	2.7%	-1.7%
Middle East and Asia	1.4%	1.9%	0.5%	5.6%	-3.7%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.8%	1%	0.2%	1.3%	-0.3%
Oceania	0.4%	0.5%	0.1%	0.3%	0.2%
British Overseas	0%	0.5%	0.5%	0.0%	0.5%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	94%	91%	-3.0%	83.2%	7.8%
10+ Years	0%	8.6%	8.6%	9.8%	-1.2%
5-10 Years	1.2%	0.5%	-0.7%	2.9%	-2.4%
2-5 Years	1%	0%	-1.0%	2.2%	-2.2%
Less than 2 years	3.8%	0%	-3.8%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	83.4%	76.7%	6.7%
Ireland	1.4%	0.6%	0.8%
Italy	1.9%	0.6%	1.3%
Lithuania	1.9%	0.3%	1.6%
No passport held	11.4%	13.5%	-2.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	40.3%	37.2%	3.1%
Christian	54%	46.2%	7.8%
Muslim	1.4%	6.5%	-5.1%
Other religion	0.5%	0.6%	-0.1%
Not answered	3.8%	6.0%	-2.2%

Safety

Is Wood Lane Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Wood Lane was 26.0 per 1,000 residents, which is 69.0% lower than the Shortstown average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Wood Lane has the 6th lowest crime rate of 28 local areas in Shortstown and the 104th lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 13.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -71.6%.

🔎 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 MK45 3AJ, 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 Wood Lane are based on 34 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 Wood Lane, Cotton End, Bedford, MK45 3AJ

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK45 3AJ

Average Price
£376,019

Semi-Detached
£347,930

Terraced
£299,826

Detached
£498,381

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Wood Lane

Average Price
£349,615

Semi-Detached
£334,308

Terraced
£333,743

Detached
£408,897

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Wood LaneStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
20 Wood Lane, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£405,000	2025-02-13	£423,337
14 Wood Lane, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£400,000	2024-03-08	£425,225
17 Wood Lane, Bedford, Bedford Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£310,000	2023-07-25	£331,207
7A Wood Lane, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£440,000	2020-12-18	£537,381
7 Wood Lane, Bedford, Bedford Detached, an established residential building	£460,000	2020-02-14	£577,878

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK45 3AJ

Employment

MK45 3AJ area has a high level of entrepreneurship. Only 19% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 13% 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.

MK45 3AJ area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 2% 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.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	57
Retired	48
Part-Time Employee	23
Self-Employed	22
Student (economically inactive)	7
Looking after home or family	5
Other	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	4
Unemployed	3
Long-Term Sick or disabled	0

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	52
Construction	32
Human health and social work activities	27
Education	23
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	20
Transport and storage	18
Manufacturing	15
Professional, scientific and technical activities	15
Accommodation and food service activities	10
Information and communication	10
Administrative and support service activities	8
Other	7
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	7
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	6
Financial and insurance activities	4
Real estate activities	3

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	4,940 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Cotton End Forest School High Road , MK45 3AG	3out of 4	117 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Shortstown Primary School Beauvais Square , Shortstown MK42 0GS	3out of 4	2,247 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Wilstead Primary School Cotton End Road , Wilstead MK45 3BX	3out of 4	2,860 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Lakeview School School Lane , Off Brooklands Avenue MK42 6BH	3out of 4	3,106 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Haynes Lower School Foresters Close , Haynes MK45 3PR	4out of 4	3,757 yd	Community school	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	3,907 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Wixams Academy Green Lane , Wixams MK42 6BA	- not rated	3,919 yd	Free schools	No	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	5,169 yd	Other independent school	No	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
Bird of Prey Centre	Herring Green Farm, Cotton End Road		1,036 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Bell	The Bell, 61 High Road		196 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Cotton End Playing Field MEETING CLOSE	grass pitches	277 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	95.8%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	70.8%
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	76.3 Mbit/s
Average download speed	84 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	290.42 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	290.42 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	20 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	19.4 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	41.43 Mbit/s

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