Postcode insights

MK42 0FU

Arnold Way

Shortstown

Interactive map showing MK42 0FU and surrounding area

Detailed insights for MK42 0FU

Overview

Postcode MK42 0FU is located in a rural village, within the Shortstown ward of Bedford in the East of England region, and forms part of the Wilstead & Shortstown area. It has low deprivation and low crime levels, with around 46.2 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 44% below the East of England average of 82 per 1,000. The average income per household in Wilstead & Shortstown is £65,428 per year. The nearest station is Bedford St Johns, about 2 miles away. There are 2 primary and no secondary schools in the area.

Crime rate
4/10
Crimes per 1k residents
46
Deprivation level
4/10
Income level
7/10
Social housing
5%
Connectivity
N/A
Flood Risk
No risk
Noise Level
Medium

Deprivation level

4/10

Wilstead & Shortstown has a low level of deprivation, ranked at position 16,138 out of 32,844 areas in the United Kingdom, placing it within the top 49% most deprived areas in England.

Crime level

4/10

Wilstead & Shortstown has a low crime rate, with approximately 46.2 reported incidents per 1,000 population each year.

Social housing

5%

Approximately 5.0% of homes on this street are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. Across the surrounding area, around 15.2% of dwellings are socially rented.

Income level

7/10

The average income per household in Wilstead & Shortstown is £65,428 per year.

Noise Level

Medium

Medium noise level (60.0-64.9 dB) from road, approximately 237 ft away from MK42 0FU.

Flood risk

No risk

Wilstead & Shortstown near MK42 0FU has no flood risk (less than 0.1% chance of a flood each year) from rivers and sea.

Transport

The nearest station is Bedford St Johns located about 2 miles away. There are no other stations nearby.

Parks

No parks nearby

Area Profile

Population
275
Population density
760.2 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Shoplifting
59.61(+771%)
Violence and sexual offences
22.1(-30%)
Anti-social behaviour
8.71(-25%)
Vehicle crime
5.36(+22%)
Other theft
3.35(-39%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
184
65.95%
Other White
32
11.47%
Indian
18
6.45%
Other Asian
8
2.87%
African
8
2.87%
Total population: 279

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
96
47.29%
Level 3 (A level)
39
19.21%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
28
13.79%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
14
6.9%
No qualifications
13
6.4%
Total 16+ residents: 203

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns with a mortgage
71
71%
Owns outright
11
11%
Private landlord or letting agency
7
7%
Shared ownership
6
6%
Other social rented
4
4%
Total households: 100

Property prices in Shortstown

Median price£325,000
Price per sq ft£351
Sales (last 12 months)83
Typical range (middle 50%)£240K – £381K

Based on 83 recent sales, the median property price is £325,000 (about £351 per square foot) in Shortstown area, with individual transactions ranging from £140,000 up to £925,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Shortstown over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached21£445,000£339
Semi-Detached26£341,500£355
Terraced22£278,500£373
Flats14£193,750£319

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Shortstown

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Shortstown.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£309,995£184,995£277,495£225,000
2017£324,998£147,995£288,995£224,995
2018£375,000£171,000£296,498£245,000
2019£343,995£166,000£286,248£238,500
2020£417,498£165,000£286,250£224,000
2021£395,000£171,000£305,000£260,000
2022£413,125£190,000£327,500£272,500
2023£450,000£200,000£325,000£252,500
2024£445,000£171,000£340,000£276,250
2025£425,000£197,500£345,000£300,000
2026£472,500£190,000£382,000£237,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Shortstown.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Shortstown.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£285£253£276£243
2017£284£299£299£280
2018£273£246£306£294
2019£296£250£301£277
2020£282£248£316£302
2021£305£272£326£311
2022£322£279£364£353
2023£347£303£371£310
2024£355£270£367£342
2025£364£279£362£364
2026£346£324£323£385
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Shortstown.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

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

Recent sales

There were 48 recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 0FU.

Recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 0FU
DateAddressTypeTenurePriceMap
20 Feb 20254, Curran Chase, Bedford, MK42 0GYDetachedFreehold£450,000
23 Apr 202561, Conder Boulevard, Bedford, MK42 0GXDetachedFreehold£450,000
18 Mar 202611, Potter Meadows, Bedford, MK42 0XFDetachedFreehold£445,000
16 Jun 20257, Potter Meadows, Bedford, MK42 0XFSemi-DetachedFreehold£345,000
15 Aug 20258, Conder Boulevard, Bedford, MK42 0GLFlatsLeasehold£168,000

Schools

In the MK42 0FU postcode area, located within Wilstead & Shortstown, there are 2 primary and 0 secondary schools in close proximity.

Nearby primary and secondary schools for MK42 0FU
DistancePhaseNameTypeRating
0.2 miPrimaryShortstown Primary SchoolAcademy converter

Good

0.9 miPrimaryElstow SchoolAcademy converter

Good

Local amenities

2 nearby supermarkets & convenience stores within mi of MK42 0FU

Nearby supermarkets & convenience stores for MK42 0FU
DistanceNameAddressDirections
0.2 miTesco Express13 Beauvais Square, Shortstown, MK42 0GEWalking directions to Tesco Express
0.3 miMorrisons DailyNorth Road, Bedford, MK42 0TLWalking directions to Morrisons Daily

Council Tax Bands

Annual council tax rates for Bedford district (2025-26).

Band A£1,567
Band B£1,829
Band C£2,090
Band D£2,351
Band E£2,873
Band F£3,396
Band G£3,918
Band H£4,702

Council tax bands are based on the value of your property. Most homes fall into bands A to D.

Local councillor and member of parliament

Elected local representatives for MK42 0FU, including ward councillors and the local member of parliament.

Local councillors

Leigh James Coombs

Shortstown - Elected 4 May 2023

Liberal Democrats

Sarah Gallagher

Shortstown - Elected 4 May 2023

Conservative

Member of parliament

Richard Fuller

North Bedfordshire - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Conservative

Geographic Information

DistrictBedfordE06000055
Parliamentary ConstituencyNorth BedfordshireE14001384
WardShortstownE05014515
ParishShortstownE04012997
MSOA (Middle Layer Super Output Area)Wilstead & ShortstownE02007010
LSOA (Lower Layer Super Output Area)Bedford 021AE01034427
Police ForceBedfordshire
Postcode Introduced2018-01-01

Frequently asked questions about MK42 0FU

Is MK42 0FU (Wilstead & Shortstown) safe?

The area around MK42 0FU records about 46 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a low crime rate for England: it scores 4 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level. Across East of England as a whole the rate is about 82 per 1,000. The most common offences locally are violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.

What is the average house price near MK42 0FU?

The median sale price around MK42 0FU in Wilstead & Shortstown is £325,000 (about £351 per square foot) based on 83 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

What schools are near MK42 0FU?

There are 2 schools close to MK42 0FU, including Shortstown Primary School (Good) and Elstow School (Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is the area around MK42 0FU?

MK42 0FU scores 4 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. Its neighbourhood ranks 16,138 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

Who represents MK42 0FU (Wilstead & Shortstown) in Parliament and on the local council?

The Member of Parliament for North Bedfordshire covering MK42 0FU is Richard Fuller (Conservative and Unionist Party), elected at the 2024 general election. The area is represented by 2 local councillors: Leigh James Coombs (Liberal Democrats) and Sarah Gallagher (Conservative and Unionist Party).

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.