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Wilstead & Shortstown

Interactive map displaying Wilstead & Shortstown

About

Wilstead and Shortstown lie south of Bedford. Wilstead is a long-established village with a village green, community hall, allotments and a network of footpaths into surrounding farmland. Shortstown began as housing for workers at the Royal Airship Works nearby after World War I; many street names recall the airship era and the settlement retains rows of early 20th-century houses alongside later developments. Shortstown has a primary school, local shops and a bus connection to Bedford, making it a local service centre.

The area is a mix of farmland, suburban streets and managed open space. Footpaths link the two settlements and provide access to hedgerows and arable fields, used by walkers and local clubs. Community life centres on village halls, sports pitches and annual events such as village fetes and youth activities. For visitors who stick to the immediate area, the pattern of narrow lanes, allotments and the airship-era street names gives a clear sense of local history and continuity.

Area overview

On average Wilstead & Shortstown has average deprivation and average crime levels, with around 54 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 34% below the East of England average of 82 per 1,000. Approximately 14.4% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Wilstead & Shortstown is £65,428 per year. There are 3 schools in Wilstead & Shortstown: 3 primary (0 Outstanding and 2 Good) and 0 secondary (0 Outstanding and 0 Good). Wilstead & Shortstown is home to around 8,533 people, with a population density of about 309.6 per km².

Crime rate
5/10
Crimes per 1k residents
54
Deprivation level
5/10
Income level
7/10
Social housing
14.4%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Wilstead & Shortstown Population
8,533
Population density
309.6 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
25.9(-18%)
Anti-social behaviour
13.59(+17%)
Shoplifting
12.07(+76%)
Vehicle crime
5.51(+25%)
Other theft
4.92(-10%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
6,260
73.35%
Other White
603
7.07%
African
302
3.54%
Indian
291
3.41%
White and Black Caribbean (mixed)
185
2.17%
Total population: 8,534

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
2,256
33.59%
Level 3 (A level)
1,231
18.33%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
963
14.34%
No qualifications
951
14.16%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
761
11.33%
Total 16+ residents: 6,716

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns with a mortgage
1,417
40.91%
Owns outright
1,024
29.56%
Other social rented
461
13.31%
Private landlord or letting agency
332
9.58%
Shared ownership
114
3.29%
Total households: 3,464

Property prices in Wilstead & Shortstown

Median price£325,000
Price per sq ft£345
Sales (last 12 months)89
Typical range (middle 50%)£245K – £380K

Based on 89 recent sales, the median property price is £325,000 (about £345 per square foot) in Wilstead & Shortstown area, with individual transactions ranging from £150,000 up to £780,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Wilstead & Shortstown over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached26£427,500£342
Semi-Detached24£341,500£344
Terraced25£285,000£361
Flats14£193,750£319

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Wilstead & Shortstown

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Wilstead & Shortstown.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£340,000£184,995£272,000£225,000
2017£341,250£147,995£284,995£224,998
2018£375,000£171,000£295,000£244,995
2019£349,425£166,000£282,248£242,000
2020£432,500£165,000£288,750£225,000
2021£408,750£171,000£305,000£249,500
2022£416,875£190,000£325,000£267,000
2023£451,250£200,000£333,500£252,500
2024£445,000£172,000£335,000£274,375
2025£435,500£197,500£344,500£300,000
2026£417,500£190,000£382,000£238,500
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Wilstead & Shortstown.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Wilstead & Shortstown.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£281£253£276£243
2017£285£299£302£288
2018£274£246£301£294
2019£296£250£303£278
2020£292£248£318£296
2021£307£272£329£321
2022£333£279£359£353
2023£346£303£373£326
2024£354£266£367£341
2025£361£279£359£357
2026£339£324£323£389
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Wilstead & Shortstown.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Wilstead & Shortstown in the last year.

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/07/2026. Read more about how our statistics are calculated.