Shaftesbury Drive, Stotfold, Hitchin, SG5 4FS

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The area surrounding SG5 4FS has a slightly higher male population, with 50.5% of residents being male. Several factors can contribute to this, including areas with industries or sectors that predominantly employ men, proximity to universities or technical schools with a higher enrollment of male students, presence of all-male or predominantly male institutions (military academies, boarding schools).

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	47.9%	49.5%	1.6%	51.0%	-1.5%
Male	52.1%	50.5%	-1.6%	49.0%	1.5%

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 SG5 4FS there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 59.6% 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	25.6%	21.3%	-4.3%	37.9%	-16.6%
Married: Opposite sex	57%	59.6%	2.6%	44.2%	15.4%
Separated	4.1%	2.5%	-1.6%	2.2%	0.3%
Divorced	8.3%	12.1%	3.8%	9.1%	3.0%
Widowed	5%	4.6%	-0.4%	6.1%	-1.5%

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 (89.2%) 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	60.8%	55.2%	-5.6%	48.4%	6.8%
Good health	30.1%	34%	3.9%	33.6%	0.4%
Fair health	6.5%	7.5%	1.0%	12.7%	-5.2%
Bad health	2.6%	2%	-0.6%	4.0%	-2.0%
Very bad health	0%	1.3%	1.3%	1.2%	0.1%

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.

In the area around SG5 4FS this area, 9.1% of residents have no qualifications. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 18.2%. This area stands out for its high percentage of residents with higher education degree or similar. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 51.5%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	6.2%	9.1%	2.9%	18.2%	-9.1%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	14.5%	7.1%	-7.4%	9.6%	-2.5%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	13.2%	13.7%	0.5%	13.4%	0.3%
Apprenticeship	2.5%	3.7%	1.2%	5.3%	-1.6%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	12.4%	14.9%	2.5%	16.9%	-2.0%
Degree or Similar	47.1%	51.5%	4.4%	33.8%	17.7%
Other	4.1%	0%	-4.1%	2.8%	-2.8%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 77% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0%	0.7%	0.7%	1.1%	-0.4%
Chinese	1%	1%	0.0%	0.7%	0.3%
Indian	6.1%	8.6%	2.5%	3.1%	5.5%
Pakistani	0%	0.3%	0.3%	2.7%	-2.4%
Other Asian	1.6%	1.6%	0.0%	1.6%	0.0%
Black African	1.6%	0.7%	-0.9%	2.5%	-1.8%
Mixed White and Asian	0.6%	1.3%	0.7%	0.8%	0.5%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.3%	2.3%	2.0%	0.9%	1.4%
Mixed Other	0.6%	0.3%	-0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
White	87.4%	77%	-10.4%	81.4%	-4.4%
Other	0.6%	6.3%	5.7%	1.6%	4.7%

Country of Birth

In this area, 87.9% 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	88.3%	87.9%	-0.4%	83.2%	4.7%
European Union	3.6%	2.3%	-1.3%	6.1%	-3.8%
Rest of Europe	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
Africa	2.9%	1%	-1.9%	2.7%	-1.7%
Middle East and Asia	3.9%	8.5%	4.6%	5.6%	2.9%
The Americas and the Caribbean	1%	0%	-1.0%	1.3%	-1.3%
Oceania	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.3%	-0.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	87.7%	87.9%	0.2%	83.2%	4.7%
10+ Years	0.3%	10.2%	9.9%	9.8%	0.4%
5-10 Years	1.6%	1.6%	0.0%	2.9%	-1.3%
2-5 Years	2.3%	0.3%	-2.0%	2.2%	-1.9%
Less than 2 years	8.1%	0%	-8.1%	1.9%	-1.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	93.1%	76.7%	16.4%
Portugal	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Other EU countries	1%	1.5%	-0.5%
Southern Asia	0.7%	1.2%	-0.5%
Central and South America	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
No passport held	3.9%	13.5%	-9.6%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	36.2%	37.2%	-1.0%
Christian	45.7%	46.2%	-0.5%
Muslim	0.7%	6.5%	-5.8%
Sikh	11.5%	0.9%	10.6%
Other religion	1%	0.6%	0.4%
Not answered	4.9%	6.0%	-1.1%

Safety

Is Shaftesbury Drive Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Shaftesbury Drive was 42.3 per 1,000 residents, which is 18.5% lower than the Arlesey & Fairfield average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Shaftesbury Drive has the 31st lowest crime rate of 70 local areas in Arlesey & Fairfield and the 407th lowest crime rate of 871 local areas in Central Bedfordshire .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 7.0 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been falling year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 65.2%.

🔎 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. 82% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£55,900

Income Rank
9/10

Household Income in SG5 4FS, 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 - 2/10 (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 - 1/10 (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 - 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 - 1/10 (very 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 - 7/10 (above average )
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 - 2/10 (very 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 Shaftesbury Drive are based on 23 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Mid Bedfordshire.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Shaftesbury Drive, Stotfold, Hitchin, SG5 4FS

Estimated Average Property Prices for SG5 4FS

Average Price
£1,180,449

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£1,227,551

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
£2,894

Estimated Average Property Prices for Shaftesbury Drive

Average Price
£1,272,001

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£1,272,001

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Shaftesbury DriveStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
26 Shaftesbury Drive, Hitchin, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£915,000	2024-03-22	£1,007,550
3 Shaftesbury Drive, Hitchin, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,250,000	2023-10-25	£1,359,423
15 Shaftesbury Drive, Hitchin, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,125,000	2022-07-15	£1,220,966
6 Shaftesbury Drive, Hitchin, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£1,065,000	2022-04-23	£1,209,290
2 Shaftesbury Drive, Hitchin, Central Bedfordshire Detached, an established residential building	£950,000	2020-09-25	£1,136,127

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for SG5 4FS

Employment

SG5 4FS area has a very high level of entrepreneurship. Only 12% of streets have higher percent of entrepreneur residents. 14% 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	93
Retired	57
Self-Employed	34
Part-Time Employee	23
Looking after home or family	11
Unemployed	9
Student (economically inactive)	7
Other	4
Long-Term Sick or disabled	2
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	30
Professional, scientific and technical activities	28
Manufacturing	18
Construction	18
Education	14
Information and communication	14
Human health and social work activities	13
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	11
Financial and insurance activities	10
Transport and storage	9
Administrative and support service activities	7
Other	6
Accommodation and food service activities	5
Real estate activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Weston Way Nursery School Weston Way , SG7 6HD	4out of 4	5,265 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Fairfield Park Lower School Dickens Boulevard , SG5 4FD	4out of 4	724 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Gothic Mede Academy High Street , SG15 6SL	3out of 4	1,293 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Stonehill School Western Close , SG6 4SZ	3out of 4	1,586 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Roecroft Lower School Buttercup Road , Stotfold SG5 4PF	4out of 4	1,750 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Northfields Infants and Nursery School Burley , SG6 4PT	3out of 4	2,175 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Fearnhill School Icknield Way West , SG6 4BA	2out of 4	3,441 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Highfield School Highfield , SG6 3QA	3out of 4	4,381 yd	Foundation school	No	Mixed	More About School
The Knights Templar School Park Street , SG7 6DZ	3out of 4	4,822 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Middle deemed secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Etonbury Academy Stotfold Road , SG15 6XS	2out of 4	1,817 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Pix Brook Academy Arlesey Road , SG5 4HB	- not rated	2,036 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Henlow Church of England Academy Church Road , SG16 6AN	3out of 4	4,179 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Francis College Broadway , SG6 3PJ	- not rated	4,063 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Girls	More About School
North Herts Education Support Centre Briar Patch Lane , SG6 3LY	4out of 4	4,511 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Christopher School Barrington Road , SG6 3JZ	- not rated	4,748 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Brandles School Weston Way , SG7 6EY	- not rated	4,843 yd	Academy special sponsor led	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School
Woolgrove School, Special Needs Academy Pryor Way , SG6 2PT	3out of 4	5,085 yd	Academy special 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
Bannatyne Fitness Ltd	Bannatyne's Health Club & Spa, Fairfield Hall		257 yd
Thornes Garden Nursery	Thornes Poultry Centre And Garden Nursery Stotfold Road		903 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Fairfield Bowls Club	Kingsley Avenue, Stotfold		256 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Bannatyne Health Club (Fairfield) FAIRFIELD HALL FAIRFIELD HALL HITCHIN ROAD	health and fitness suite, swimming pool	187 yd
Fairfield Park PALMERSTON WAY	grass pitches	440 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	160 Mbit/s
Average download speed	323.6 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	1000 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	1000 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	30 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	45.7 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	115 Mbit/s

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