Postcode insights

MK42 8HJ

Elstow Road

Kempston South

Interactive map showing MK42 8HJ and surrounding area

Detailed insights for MK42 8HJ

Overview

Postcode MK42 8HJ is located in an urban city, within the Kempston South ward of Bedford in the East of England region, and forms part of the Kempston Central & East area. It has average deprivation and very high crime levels, with around 111 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, roughly 1.4× the East of England average of 82 per 1,000. The average income per household in Kempston Central & East is £52,761 per year. The nearest station is Bedford St Johns, about 1.3 miles away. There are 5 primary and 1 secondary schools in the area. There are 3 parks nearby, the closest large park is Addison Howard Park.

Crime rate
9/10
Crimes per 1k residents
111
Deprivation level
6/10
Income level
4/10
Social housing
10.9%
Connectivity
N/A
Flood Risk
No risk
Noise Level
No noise

Deprivation level

6/10

Kempston Central & East has an average level of deprivation, ranked at position 12,713 out of 32,844 areas in the United Kingdom, placing it within the top 39% most deprived areas in England.

Crime level

9/10

Kempston Central & East has a very high crime rate, with approximately 111 reported incidents per 1,000 population each year.

Social housing

10.9%

Approximately 10.9% of homes on this street are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. Across the surrounding area, around 12.2% of dwellings are socially rented.

Income level

4/10

The average income per household in Kempston Central & East is £52,761 per year.

Noise Level

No noise

No significant noise sources from railways or roads near MK42 8HJ.

Flood risk

No risk

Kempston Central & East near MK42 8HJ 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 1.3 miles away. There are no other stations nearby.

Parks

Nearby parks and green spaces for MK42 8HJ
DistanceNameSizeDirections
0.5 miAddison Howard ParkLargeWalking directions to Addison Howard Park
0.2 miWood ParkSmallWalking directions to Wood Park
0.2 miSpringfield PlaygroundSmallWalking directions to Springfield Playground

Area Profile

Population
281
Population density
4,194 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
46.48(+47%)
Criminal damage and arson
25.18(+297%)
Anti-social behaviour
16.14(+39%)
Other theft
12.27(+124%)
Shoplifting
7.75(+13%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
189
67.5%
Other White
29
10.36%
Indian
27
9.64%
Caribbean
7
2.5%
Irish
6
2.14%
Total population: 280

Economics

Education (age 16+)

No qualifications
63
25.82%
Level 4+ (Degree)
57
23.36%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
31
12.7%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
31
12.7%
Level 3 (A level)
28
11.48%
Total 16+ residents: 244

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns outright
70
54.69%
Owns with a mortgage
26
20.31%
Private landlord or letting agency
17
13.28%
Other social rented
13
10.16%
Social rents from council
1
0.78%
Total households: 128

Property prices in Kempston South

Median price£305,000
Price per sq ft£366
Sales (last 12 months)36
Typical range (middle 50%)£266K – £353K

Based on 36 recent sales, the median property price is £305,000 (about £366 per square foot) in Kempston South area, with individual transactions ranging from £130,000 up to £470,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Kempston South over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached8£380,000£388
Semi-Detached20£305,000£349
Terraced7£240,000£366
Flats1£130,000£205

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Kempston South

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Kempston South.
YearDetachedSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£267,500£215,500£200,000
2017£280,500£240,500£210,000
2018£280,000£230,000£220,000
2019£304,000£244,000£213,000
2020£314,750£242,000£209,995
2021£292,500£253,500£222,500
2022£320,500£265,000£255,000
2023£332,500£275,000£245,000
2024£361,000£300,000£263,000
2025£390,000£308,500£260,000
2026£365,000£295,000£230,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Kempston South.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Kempston South.
YearDetachedSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£299£284£251
2017£265£280£276
2018£292£274£267
2019£300£279£266
2020£327£292£271
2021£304£310£301
2022£345£343£373
2023£366£314£314
2024£341£350£327
2025£372£349£282
2026£395£373£379
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Kempston South.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Kempston South in the last year.

Recent sales

There were 50+ recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 8HJ.

Recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 8HJ
DateAddressTypeTenurePriceMap
20 Feb 202655, Elstow Road, Bedford, MK42 8HHSemi-DetachedFreehold£457,500
04 Feb 2026110, The Links, Bedford, MK42 7NDTerracedFreehold£220,000
05 Feb 202619, Lilac Walk, Bedford, MK42 7PFSemi-DetachedFreehold£290,000
14 Jul 202513, Lilac Walk, Bedford, MK42 7PFTerracedFreehold£260,000
09 Jun 202533, Lilac Walk, Bedford, MK42 7PFSemi-DetachedFreehold£280,000

Schools

In the MK42 8HJ postcode area, located within Kempston Central & East, there are 5 primary and 1 secondary schools in close proximity.

Nearby primary and secondary schools for MK42 8HJ
DistancePhaseNameTypeRating
0.2 miSecondaryDaubeney AcademyAcademy converter

Requires improvement

0.2 miPrimarySpringfield Primary SchoolAcademy converter

Good

0.2 miPrimaryCamestone SchoolCommunity school

Good

Local amenities

7 nearby supermarkets & convenience stores within mi of MK42 8HJ

Nearby supermarkets & convenience stores for MK42 8HJ
DistanceNameAddressDirections
0.1 miMorrisons DailyOrchard Street, Kempston, MK42 7PRWalking directions to Morrisons Daily
0.3 miSouthfields News10 Orchard Street, Kempston, MK42 7JBWalking directions to Southfields News
0.3 miSainsbury's252-274 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8AYWalking directions to Sainsbury's
0.3 miTesco Express205-207 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8DDWalking directions to Tesco Express
0.4 miKempston News102 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8BGWalking directions to Kempston News

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 8HJ, including ward councillors and the local member of parliament.

Local councillors

Carl Rex Meader

Kempston South - Elected 4 May 2023

Labour Party

Member of parliament

Mohammad Yasin

Bedford - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Labour Party

Geographic Information

DistrictBedfordE06000055
Parliamentary ConstituencyBedfordE14001084
WardKempston SouthE05014506
ParishKempstonE04011894
MSOA (Middle Layer Super Output Area)Kempston Central & EastE02003632
LSOA (Lower Layer Super Output Area)Bedford 017AE01017505
Police ForceBedfordshire
Postcode Introduced1980-01-01

Frequently asked questions about MK42 8HJ

Is MK42 8HJ (Kempston Central & East) safe?

The area around MK42 8HJ records about 111 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a very high crime rate for England: it scores 9 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, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour.

What is the average house price near MK42 8HJ?

The median sale price around MK42 8HJ in Kempston Central & East is £305,000 (about £366 per square foot) based on 36 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

What schools are near MK42 8HJ?

There are 10 schools close to MK42 8HJ, including Daubeney Academy (Requires improvement), Springfield Primary School (Good) and Camestone School (Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is the area around MK42 8HJ?

MK42 8HJ scores 6 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. Its neighbourhood ranks 12,713 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

Who represents MK42 8HJ (Kempston Central & East) in Parliament and on the local council?

The Member of Parliament for Bedford covering MK42 8HJ is Mohammad Yasin (Labour Party), elected at the 2024 general election. The area is represented by 1 local councillor: Carl Rex Meader (Labour 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.