Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1HF

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding SG5 1HF has a female population much higher than UK average, with 57.6% of the population 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	58.6%	57.6%	-1.0%	51.0%	6.6%
Male	41.4%	42.4%	1.0%	49.0%	-6.6%

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	39%	40.9%	1.9%	37.9%	3.0%
Married: Opposite sex	24.2%	24.9%	0.7%	44.2%	-19.3%
Married: Same sex	0.5%	2.2%	1.7%	0.3%	1.9%
Separated	3.3%	3.3%	0.0%	2.2%	1.1%
Divorced	12.6%	10.5%	-2.1%	9.1%	1.4%
Widowed	20.3%	18.2%	-2.1%	6.1%	12.1%

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	40%	38.3%	-1.7%	48.4%	-10.1%
Good health	38.6%	43.5%	4.9%	33.6%	9.9%
Fair health	17.1%	14.8%	-2.3%	12.7%	2.1%
Bad health	4.3%	2.4%	-1.9%	4.0%	-1.6%
Very bad health	0%	1%	1.0%	1.2%	-0.2%

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	17%	17.6%	0.6%	18.2%	-0.6%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	8.2%	8.8%	0.6%	9.6%	-0.8%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	12.6%	11%	-1.6%	13.4%	-2.4%
Apprenticeship	3.8%	3.3%	-0.5%	5.3%	-2.0%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	9.9%	17%	7.1%	16.9%	0.1%
Degree or Similar	42.3%	39.6%	-2.7%	33.8%	5.8%
Other	6%	2.7%	-3.3%	2.8%	-0.1%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 90.4% 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)
Indian	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	3.1%	-3.1%
Pakistani	1.4%	0%	-1.4%	2.7%	-2.7%
Other Asian	4.8%	0%	-4.8%	1.6%	-1.6%
Black Caribbean	0%	2.4%	2.4%	1.0%	1.4%
Other Black	0%	1.9%	1.9%	0.5%	1.4%
Mixed White and Asian	1%	1.9%	0.9%	0.8%	1.1%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0%	1.4%	1.4%	0.9%	0.5%
Mixed Other	0%	1%	1.0%	0.8%	0.2%
White	91.4%	90.4%	-1.0%	81.4%	9.0%
Other	0%	1%	1.0%	1.6%	-0.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 86.3% 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	89.5%	86.3%	-3.2%	83.2%	3.1%
European Union	2.9%	9%	6.1%	6.1%	2.9%
Africa	0.5%	0%	-0.5%	2.7%	-2.7%
Middle East and Asia	4.8%	1.4%	-3.4%	5.6%	-4.2%
The Americas and the Caribbean	2.4%	3.3%	0.9%	1.3%	2.0%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	88.6%	87.1%	-1.5%	83.2%	3.9%
10+ Years	0.5%	11%	10.5%	9.8%	1.2%
5-10 Years	2.9%	1.4%	-1.5%	2.9%	-1.5%
2-5 Years	1.9%	0.5%	-1.4%	2.2%	-1.7%
Less than 2 years	6.2%	0%	-6.2%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	80%	76.7%	3.3%
Ireland	2.9%	0.6%	2.3%
Germany	1%	0.2%	0.8%
Italy	1%	0.6%	0.4%
Spain	0.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Poland	1%	1.3%	-0.3%
Other EU countries	1.4%	1.5%	-0.1%
No passport held	12.4%	13.5%	-1.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	41.8%	37.2%	4.6%
Christian	45.2%	46.2%	-1.0%
Sikh	1.9%	0.9%	1.0%
Other religion	2.4%	0.6%	1.8%
Not answered	8.7%	6.0%	2.7%

Safety

Is Bedford Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Bedford Road was 103.1 per 1,000 residents, which is 187.1% higher than the Hitchin Highbury average. The most reported crime type was Shoplifting.

Bedford Road has the 9th highest crime rate of 37 local areas in Hitchin Highbury and the 64th highest crime rate of 413 local areas in North Hertfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 35.9 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -72.9%.

🔎 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. 72% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£51,700

Income Rank
8/10

Household Income in SG5 1HF, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 2/10 (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 - 3/10 (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 - 1/10 (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 - 1/10 (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 - 7/10 (above average )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 3/10 (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 - 5/10 (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) - 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) - 5/10 (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 Bedford Road are based on 524 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 Hertfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1HF

Estimated Average Property Prices for SG5 1HF

Average Price
£220,908

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£220,908

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Bedford Road

Average Price
£369,390

Semi-Detached
£603,352

Terraced
£405,219

Detached
£656,835

Flats/Maisonettes
£219,892

Other
£1,428,756

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Bedford Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
Flat 26 Maples Court Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£125,000	2024-12-13	£120,761
Flat 38 Maples Court Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£275,000	2024-11-21	£262,368
Flat 28 Maples Court Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£140,000	2024-11-15	£133,569
Flat 2 Maples Court Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£200,000	2024-06-20	£202,231
Flat 1 Maples Court Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Flats/Maisonettes, an established residential building	£305,000	2024-06-06	£308,403

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for SG5 1HF

Employment

SG5 1HF 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 SG5 1HF area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 38% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Retired	68
Full-Time Employee	63
Part-Time Employee	20
Looking after home or family	10
Self-Employed	7
Other	4
Long-Term Sick or disabled	4
Student (economically inactive)	3
Unemployed	1
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	0

Employment Industry

Human health and social work activities	18
Education	13
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	12
Professional, scientific and technical activities	11
Other	8
Transport and storage	7
Information and communication	6
Administrative and support service activities	6
Financial and insurance activities	5
Accommodation and food service activities	4
Construction	3
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	3
Manufacturing	2
Real estate activities	1
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
York Road Nursery School York Road , SG5 1XA	4out of 4	678 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Samuel Lucas Junior Mixed and Infant School Gaping Lane , SG5 2JQ	4out of 4	143 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy Fishponds Road , SG5 1NS	3out of 4	435 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School
Oughton Primary and Nursery School Mattocke Road , SG5 2NZ	3out of 4	805 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Highbury Infant School and Nursery Standhill Road , SG4 9AG	3out of 4	1,105 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Strathmore Infant and Nursery School Old Hale Way , SG5 1XR	3out of 4	1,340 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Hitchin Boys' School Grammar School Walk , SG5 1JB	4out of 4	460 yd	Academy converter	No	Boys	More About School
Hitchin Girls' School Highbury Road , SG4 9RS	4out of 4	1,195 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
The Priory School Bedford Road , SG5 2UR	3out of 4	1,411 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Highfield School Highfield , SG6 3QA	3out of 4	3,870 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
Fearnhill School Icknield Way West , SG6 4BA	2out of 4	4,158 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Kingshott School Stevenage Road , St Ippolyts SG4 7JX	- not rated	2,508 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
North Herts Education Support Centre Briar Patch Lane , SG6 3LY	4out of 4	3,829 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Francis College Broadway , SG6 3PJ	- not rated	4,720 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Girls	More About School
St Christopher School Barrington Road , SG6 3JZ	- not rated	4,822 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Princess Helena College School Lane , Preston SG4 7RT	- not rated	5,040 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	Distance
Christchurch Open Church	Christchurch Methodist Bedford Road	2 yd
Hitchin Everyone Active Cafe	Hitchin Swimming Pool Fishponds Road	275 yd
Granello Lounge	Granello Lounge, 21 Brand Street	319 yd
North Hertfordshire Museum Cafe	North Hertfordshire Museum Brand Street	319 yd
Kimchi Cafe	17 Brand Street	319 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
Hitchin Town Football Club Limited	68 Fishponds Road	414 yd
Twisted Fabric	6 - 8 The Arcade	423 yd
The Highlander	Highlander, 45 Upper Tilehouse Street	434 yd
Pitcher & Piano	31 Market Place	447 yd
The Brickyard	24 Bancroft	448 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Southern Fried Chicken	6A Brand Street	346 yd
What The Cluck?!	Canary Club Fishponds Road	423 yd
Burgerians	Canary Club Fishponds Road	423 yd
Rise And Shine Breakfast Club	Canary Club Fishponds Road	423 yd
Cornish Hearts	5 Market Place	477 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Distance
Waitrose Store	The Lairage Bedford Road	1 yd
Marks & Spencer Simply Foods	Unit 1, 121 - 123 Bancroft	461 yd
Iceland Frozen Foods Plc	23 Churchgate	551 yd
Sainsbury's	Sainsburys Supermarket Whinbush Road	591 yd
Asda Supermarket	Asda Stores Ltd Queen Street	757 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Samuel Lucas Jmi School GAPING LANE	grass pitches	141 yd
Christchurch Methodist & United Reformed Church BEDFORD ROAD		159 yd
Hitchin Swimming Centre & Fitness @ Archers Hitchin Fishponds Road	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	277 yd
Hitchin Boys School Sports Centre Grammar School Walk	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	350 yd
Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy FISHPONDS ROAD	grass pitches	502 yd
Top Field FISHPONDS ROAD	grass pitches	506 yd
Hbs Tennis Club FISHPONDS ROAD	tennis courts	519 yd
Bancroft Recreation Ground BANCROFT RECREATION GROUND BANCROFT RECREATION GROUND BANCROFT	tennis courts	672 yd
Lucas Lane Sports Club HITCHIN CRICKET GROUND HITCHIN CRICKET GROUND LUCAS LANE	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	677 yd
Xchange Fitness QUEEN STREET	health and fitness suite	689 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	98.4%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	93.8%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	93.8%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	93.8%

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	79.7 Mbit/s
Average download speed	72.8 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	200 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	200 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	13.1 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbit/s

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

Overview of SG5 1HF