Hitchin Road, Meppershall, Shefford, SG17 5JF

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding SG17 5JF, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 55.7% 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	55.5%	55.7%	0.2%	51.0%	4.7%
Male	44.5%	44.3%	-0.2%	49.0%	-4.7%

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 SG17 5JF there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 53.8% 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	20.1%	25.2%	5.1%	37.9%	-12.7%
Married: Opposite sex	60.3%	53.8%	-6.5%	44.2%	9.6%
Married: Same sex	0%	0.2%	0.2%	0.3%	-0.1%
Separated	2.4%	1.5%	-0.9%	2.2%	-0.7%
Divorced	4.3%	6.1%	1.8%	9.1%	-3.0%
Widowed	12.9%	13.1%	0.2%	6.1%	7.0%

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	51.1%	45.4%	-5.7%	48.4%	-3.0%
Good health	26.8%	29.3%	2.5%	33.6%	-4.3%
Fair health	12.3%	18.3%	6.0%	12.7%	5.6%
Bad health	5.2%	5.2%	0.0%	4.0%	1.2%
Very bad health	4.5%	1.7%	-2.8%	1.2%	0.5%

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	20.6%	10.4%	-10.2%	18.2%	-7.8%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	14.2%	9.3%	-4.9%	9.6%	-0.3%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	12.6%	13%	0.4%	13.4%	-0.4%
Apprenticeship	4.6%	10.1%	5.5%	5.3%	4.8%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.9%	16.7%	3.8%	16.9%	-0.2%
Degree or Similar	32.4%	34.6%	2.2%	33.8%	0.8%
Other	2.7%	5.9%	3.2%	2.8%	3.1%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 95.7% 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)
Indian	0%	1.5%	1.5%	3.1%	-1.6%
Other Asian	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	1.6%	-1.4%
Black Caribbean	0.2%	0.8%	0.6%	1.0%	-0.2%
Other Black	0%	0.2%	0.2%	0.5%	-0.3%
Mixed White and Asian	0.5%	1.4%	0.9%	0.8%	0.6%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	0.9%	-0.9%
Mixed Other	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%	0.8%	-0.6%
White	98.4%	95.7%	-2.7%	81.4%	14.3%
Other	0.2%	0%	-0.2%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 94.4% 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	96.1%	94.4%	-1.7%	83.2%	11.2%
European Union	1.4%	2.3%	0.9%	6.1%	-3.8%
Rest of Europe	0.5%	0.2%	-0.3%	0.8%	-0.6%
Africa	1.6%	1.2%	-0.4%	2.7%	-1.5%
Middle East and Asia	0%	1.2%	1.2%	5.6%	-4.4%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.5%	0.8%	0.3%	1.3%	-0.5%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	93.9%	94.6%	0.7%	83.2%	11.4%
10+ Years	0%	5.2%	5.2%	9.8%	-4.6%
5-10 Years	0.7%	0.2%	-0.5%	2.9%	-2.7%
Less than 2 years	5.5%	0%	-5.5%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	85%	76.7%	8.3%
Ireland	0.8%	0.6%	0.2%
Germany	0.8%	0.2%	0.6%
Other EU countries	0.4%	1.5%	-1.1%
Southern Asia	0.4%	1.2%	-0.8%
No passport held	12.6%	13.5%	-0.9%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	35.8%	37.2%	-1.4%
Christian	53%	46.2%	6.8%
Hindu	0.6%	1.7%	-1.1%
Sikh	1%	0.9%	0.1%
Not answered	9.7%	6.0%	3.7%

Safety

Is Hitchin Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Hitchin Road was 11.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 76.8% lower than the Clifton, Henlow & Langford average. The most reported crime type was Criminal damage and arson.

Hitchin Road has the lowest crime rate of 27 local areas in Clifton, Henlow & Langford and the 55th lowest crime rate of 871 local areas in Central Bedfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 5.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -76.6%.

🔎 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. 77% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£53,700

Income Rank
8/10

Household Income in SG17 5JF, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 1/10 (very 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 - 1/10 (very low )
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 - 2/10 (very 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 2/10 (very low )
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 - 3/10 (low )
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) - 3/10 (low )
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) - 1/10 (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 Hitchin Road are based on 55 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Central Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Hitchin Road, Meppershall, Shefford, SG17 5JF

Estimated Average Property Prices for SG17 5JF

Average Price
£546,350

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£546,350

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Hitchin Road

Average Price
£434,392

Semi-Detached
£374,845

Terraced
£297,240

Detached
£564,913

Flats/Maisonettes
£185,595

Other
£362,222

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Hitchin Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
16 Hitchin Road, Shefford, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£248,000	2003-06-20	£565,633

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for SG17 5JF

Employment

SG17 5JF area has a high level of entrepreneurship. Only 18% 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.

SG17 5JF 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.

The percentage of retired residents living in SG17 5JF area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 35% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	157
Full-Time Employee	139
Self-Employed	58
Part-Time Employee	48
Student (economically inactive)	11
Looking after home or family	11
Unemployed	8
Long-Term Sick or disabled	8
Other	7
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	7

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	33
Education	30
Manufacturing	23
Professional, scientific and technical activities	21
Human health and social work activities	20
Construction	17
Other	15
Administrative and support service activities	13
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	11
Information and communication	10
Transport and storage	8
Accommodation and food service activities	7
Financial and insurance activities	6
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	4
Real estate activities	4
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Clifton All Saints Academy Church Street , Clifton SG17 5ES	4out of 4	1,804 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Shefford Lower School School Lane , SG17 5XA	3out of 4	2,241 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Derwent Lower School Hitchin Road , SG16 6BA	3out of 4	2,292 yd	Foundation school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Meppershall Church of England Academy 107 High Street , SG17 5LZ	- not rated	2,539 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Raynsford Church of England Academy Park Lane , SG16 6AT	3out of 4	2,597 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Samuel Whitbread Academy Shefford Road , Clifton SG17 5QS	3out of 4	1,380 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Robert Bloomfield Academy Bloomfield Drive , SG17 5BU	4out of 4	2,137 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Henlow Church of England Academy Church Road , SG16 6AN	3out of 4	2,840 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Etonbury Academy Stotfold Road , SG15 6XS	2out of 4	5,401 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Airman Kitchen	16 Hitchin Road, Meppershall		1 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Shefford Sports Club HITCHIN ROAD	grass pitches	1,080 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	0.0%
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	100.0%

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