Castle Close, Wilstead, Bedford, MK45 3BY

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding MK45 3BY, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.2% 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	55.7%	54.2%	-1.5%	51.0%	3.2%
Male	44.3%	45.8%	1.5%	49.0%	-3.2%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	22.6%	34.9%	12.3%	37.9%	-3.0%
Married: Opposite sex	57%	49.1%	-7.9%	44.2%	4.9%
Married: Same sex	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	1.4%	0.7%	-0.7%	2.2%	-1.5%
Divorced	9.5%	10.3%	0.8%	9.1%	1.2%
Widowed	8.6%	5%	-3.6%	6.1%	-1.1%

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	44.6%	52.1%	7.5%	48.4%	3.7%
Good health	38.6%	32.9%	-5.7%	33.6%	-0.7%
Fair health	12.9%	12.7%	-0.2%	12.7%	0.0%
Bad health	2.9%	2.3%	-0.6%	4.0%	-1.7%
Very bad health	1.1%	0%	-1.1%	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	19.5%	11%	-8.5%	18.2%	-7.2%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	15.8%	14.9%	-0.9%	9.6%	5.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	22.2%	13.5%	-8.7%	13.4%	0.1%
Apprenticeship	5%	7.5%	2.5%	5.3%	2.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.2%	20.3%	8.1%	16.9%	3.4%
Degree or Similar	22.2%	31%	8.8%	33.8%	-2.8%
Other	3.2%	1.8%	-1.4%	2.8%	-1.0%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 87.1% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Indian	0%	1.1%	1.1%	3.1%	-2.0%
Pakistani	1.1%	0.3%	-0.8%	2.7%	-2.4%
Black African	0.4%	3.4%	3.0%	2.5%	0.9%
Black Caribbean	2.1%	0.8%	-1.3%	1.0%	-0.2%
Other Black	0%	0.8%	0.8%	0.5%	0.3%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.8%	0.6%
Mixed White and African	0.7%	0.3%	-0.4%	0.4%	-0.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	1.1%	1.4%	0.3%	0.9%	0.5%
Mixed Other	0.7%	2.2%	1.5%	0.8%	1.4%
White	93.6%	87.1%	-6.5%	81.4%	5.7%
Roma	0%	0.6%	0.6%	0.2%	0.4%
Other	0.4%	0.6%	0.2%	1.6%	-1.0%

Country of Birth

In this area, 92.2% 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	93.9%	92.2%	-1.7%	83.2%	9.0%
European Union	1.1%	2.8%	1.7%	6.1%	-3.3%
Rest of Europe	1.4%	0.8%	-0.6%	0.8%	0.0%
Africa	1.1%	2.5%	1.4%	2.7%	-0.2%
Middle East and Asia	1.1%	0%	-1.1%	5.6%	-5.6%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1.1%	1.7%	0.6%	1.3%	0.4%
Oceania	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.3%	-0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	93.2%	91.9%	-1.3%	83.2%	8.7%
10+ Years	0%	5.6%	5.6%	9.8%	-4.2%
5-10 Years	0.7%	2%	1.3%	2.9%	-0.9%
2-5 Years	1.8%	0.6%	-1.2%	2.2%	-1.6%
Less than 2 years	4.3%	0%	-4.3%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	82.4%	76.7%	5.7%
Italy	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Spain	0.6%	0.4%	0.2%
Poland	1.1%	1.3%	-0.2%
Other Europe	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Central and Western Africa	0.8%	0.3%	0.5%
South and Eastern Africa	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
Central and South America	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
No passport held	13.4%	13.5%	-0.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	48.2%	37.2%	11.0%
Christian	45.7%	46.2%	-0.5%
Hindu	0.3%	1.7%	-1.4%
Sikh	0.6%	0.9%	-0.3%
Other religion	1.4%	0.6%	0.8%
Not answered	3.9%	6.0%	-2.1%

Safety

Is Castle Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Castle Close was 49.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 41.3% lower than the Shortstown average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Castle Close has the 12th highest crime rate of 28 local areas in Shortstown and the 248th lowest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 24.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 23.1%.

🔎 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 3BY, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 3/10 (low )
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 - 3/10 (low )
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 - 3/10 (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 - 3/10 (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 - 3/10 (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 - 8/10 (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 - 4/10 (below 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) - 5/10 (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) - 2/10 (very low )
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 Castle Close are based on 6 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 Castle Close, Wilstead, Bedford, MK45 3BY

Estimated Average Property Prices for MK45 3BY

Average Price
£305,359

Semi-Detached
£302,876

Terraced
£305,856

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Castle Close

Average Price
£336,972

Semi-Detached
£313,082

Terraced
£341,749

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Castle CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
6 Castle Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£226,000	2020-03-27	£287,156
3 Castle Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£235,000	2018-02-16	£294,606
4 Castle Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£239,995	2016-05-20	£335,020
4 Castle Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£195,000	2015-07-09	£301,549
5 Castle Close, Bedford, Bedford Terraced, an established residential building	£165,000	2010-06-11	£313,318

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for MK45 3BY

Employment

MK45 3BY area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 0% 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	112
Retired	78
Part-Time Employee	29
Self-Employed	29
Student (economically inactive)	12
Looking after home or family	10
Other	6
Long-Term Sick or disabled	3
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	3
Unemployed	0

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	26
Education	18
Human health and social work activities	15
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	12
Manufacturing	11
Construction	11
Administrative and support service activities	8
Information and communication	8
Transport and storage	7
Professional, scientific and technical activities	4
Other	3
Accommodation and food service activities	3
Financial and insurance activities	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2
Real estate activities	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	5,337 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Wilstead Primary School Cotton End Road , Wilstead MK45 3BX	3out of 4	168 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Lakeview School School Lane , Off Brooklands Avenue MK42 6BH	3out of 4	1,494 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Wixams Tree Primary School Green Lane , Wixams MK42 6BA	- not rated	1,669 yd	Free schools	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Cotton End Forest School High Road , MK45 3AG	3out of 4	2,733 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Houghton Conquest Lower School High Street , Houghton Conquest MK45 3LL	3out of 4	3,077 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Wixams Academy Green Lane , Wixams MK42 6BA	- not rated	1,732 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Bedford Academy Mile Road , MK42 9TR	3out of 4	4,537 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Daubeney Academy Orchard Street , Kempston MK42 7PS	3out of 4	4,832 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Marston Vale Middle School The Crescent , Stewartby MK43 9NH	2out of 4	5,029 yd	Academy converter	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
Wilstead Bowls Club	Bowling Green Club House, Bedford Road		342 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Briar Social Club Ltd	Briar Bank, Hawthorne Drive		850 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
9th Kitchen	3 Cross Roads Shops, Church Road		248 yd
Wilstead Tandoori	2 Cross Roads Shops, Church Road		248 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Jubilee Playing Field THE SQUARE	grass pitches	554 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	76.6 Mbit/s
Average download speed	88.1 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	200 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	200 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	19.6 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	15.5 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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