Postcode insights

MK42 0TQ

De Havilland Avenue

Shortstown

Interactive map showing MK42 0TQ and surrounding area

Detailed insights for MK42 0TQ

Overview

Postcode MK42 0TQ is located in a rural town, within the Shortstown ward of Bedford in the East of England region, and forms part of the Wilstead & Shortstown area. It has high deprivation and average crime levels, with around 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 24% 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 2.1 miles away. There are 2 primary and no secondary schools in the area.

Crime rate
6/10
Crimes per 1k residents
63
Deprivation level
7/10
Income level
7/10
Social housing
73.1%
Connectivity
N/A
Flood Risk
No risk
Noise Level
Moderate

Deprivation level

7/10

Wilstead & Shortstown has a high level of deprivation, ranked at position 13,888 out of 32,844 areas in the United Kingdom, placing it within the top 42% most deprived areas in England.

Crime level

6/10

Wilstead & Shortstown has an average crime rate, with approximately 62.7 reported incidents per 1,000 population each year.

Social housing

73.1%

Approximately 73.1% 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

Moderate

Moderate noise level (65.0-69.9 dB) from road, approximately 317 ft away from MK42 0TQ.

Flood risk

No risk

Wilstead & Shortstown near MK42 0TQ 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 2.1 miles away. There are no other stations nearby.

Parks

No parks nearby

Area Profile

Population
358
Population density
9,132.7 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
32.39(+3%)
Anti-social behaviour
12.85(+11%)
Shoplifting
6.17(-10%)
Other crime
5.66(+189%)
Other theft
5.66(+3%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
198
55.31%
African
41
11.45%
Other White
28
7.82%
Bangladeshi
25
6.98%
White and Black Caribbean (mixed)
24
6.7%
Total population: 358

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
53
21.99%
No qualifications
44
18.26%
Level 3 (A level)
41
17.01%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
40
16.6%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
38
15.77%
Total 16+ residents: 241

Housing

Housing tenure

Other social rented
68
62.96%
Owns with a mortgage
12
11.11%
Social rents from council
11
10.19%
Private landlord or letting agency
9
8.33%
Owns outright
6
5.56%
Total households: 108

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 50+ recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 0TQ.

Recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 0TQ
DateAddressTypeTenurePriceMap
16 Jan 202613, Comet Drive, Bedford, MK42 0QXDetachedFreehold£390,000
25 Jul 202515, Comet Drive, Bedford, MK42 0QXDetachedFreehold£387,000
20 Mar 202631, Westwood Close, Bedford, MK42 0JSTerracedFreehold£237,000
17 Mar 202528, South Drive, Bedford, MK42 0UDTerracedFreehold£290,000
29 May 20251, Central Avenue, Bedford, MK42 0UPTerracedFreehold£270,000

Schools

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

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

Good

0.8 miPrimaryElstow SchoolAcademy converter

Good

Local amenities

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

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

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 0TQ, 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 021BE01017487
Police ForceBedfordshire
Postcode Introduced1996-12-01

Frequently asked questions about MK42 0TQ

Is MK42 0TQ (Wilstead & Shortstown) safe?

The area around MK42 0TQ records about 63 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a average crime rate for England: it scores 6 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 0TQ?

The median sale price around MK42 0TQ 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 0TQ?

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

How deprived is the area around MK42 0TQ?

MK42 0TQ scores 7 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. Its neighbourhood ranks 13,888 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

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

The Member of Parliament for North Bedfordshire covering MK42 0TQ 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.