Postcode insights

MK42 8SL

Walcourt Road

Kempston Central & East

Interactive map showing MK42 8SL and surrounding area

Detailed insights for MK42 8SL

Overview

Postcode MK42 8SL is located in an urban city, within the Kempston Central & East ward of Bedford in the East of England region, and forms part of the Kempston Central & East area. It has high deprivation and average crime levels, with around 62.5 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 Kempston Central & East is £52,761 per year. The nearest station is Bedford St Johns, about 0.8 miles away. There are 8 primary and 2 secondary schools in the area. There are 3 parks nearby, the closest large park is Addison Howard Park.

Crime rate
6/10
Crimes per 1k residents
62
Deprivation level
8/10
Income level
4/10
Social housing
23.8%
Connectivity
N/A
Flood Risk
No risk
Noise Level
Low

Deprivation level

8/10

Kempston Central & East has a high level of deprivation, ranked at position 10,785 out of 32,844 areas in the United Kingdom, placing it within the top 33% most deprived areas in England.

Crime level

6/10

Kempston Central & East has an average crime rate, with approximately 62.5 reported incidents per 1,000 population each year.

Social housing

23.8%

Approximately 23.8% 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

Low

Low noise level (55.0-59.9 dB) from rail, approximately 294 ft away from MK42 8SL.

Flood risk

No risk

Kempston Central & East near MK42 8SL 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 0.8 miles away. There are 2 stations nearby.

Nearby public transport stations for MK42 8SL
DistanceNameLinesDirections
0.8 mi

Bedford St Johns

N/A

Walking directions to Bedford St Johns
0.9 mi

Bedford

N/A

Walking directions to Bedford

Parks

Nearby parks and green spaces for MK42 8SL
DistanceNameSizeDirections
0.3 miAddison Howard ParkLargeWalking directions to Addison Howard Park
0.5 miThe SlipeLargeWalking directions to The Slipe
0.4 miWood ParkSmallWalking directions to Wood Park

Area Profile

Population
235
Population density
5,164.8 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
38.24(+21%)
Criminal damage and arson
8.29(+31%)
Anti-social behaviour
7.01(-39%)
Public order
4.46(-13%)
Drugs
3.19(+10%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
119
50.21%
Indian
35
14.77%
Other White
33
13.92%
Pakistani
11
4.64%
African
7
2.95%
Total population: 237

Economics

Education (age 16+)

No qualifications
63
31.82%
Level 4+ (Degree)
40
20.2%
Level 3 (A level)
31
15.66%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
22
11.11%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
17
8.59%
Total 16+ residents: 198

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns outright
36
28.57%
Other social rented
21
16.67%
Owns with a mortgage
20
15.87%
Private landlord or letting agency
20
15.87%
Shared ownership
16
12.7%
Total households: 126

Property prices in Kempston Central & East

Median price£288,750
Price per sq ft£327
Sales (last 12 months)64
Typical range (middle 50%)£246K – £328K

Based on 64 recent sales, the median property price is £288,750 (about £327 per square foot) in Kempston Central & East area, with individual transactions ranging from £127,000 up to £480,000.

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 Central & East over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached10£395,000£288
Semi-Detached22£295,000£331
Terraced27£260,000£340
Flats5£155,000£290

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Kempston Central & East

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Kempston Central & East.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£234,250£113,500£229,000£190,000
2017£258,500£126,000£242,250£203,000
2018£318,000£122,500£251,000£212,000
2019£275,000£131,000£233,000£206,500
2020£311,500£135,000£239,500£210,000
2021£340,000£130,000£261,500£220,000
2022£361,000£145,000£300,000£250,000
2023£325,000£135,000£307,000£257,000
2024£360,000£135,000£290,000£256,000
2025£370,000£130,250£295,000£256,000
2026£355,000£155,000£365,000£267,500
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Kempston Central & East.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Kempston Central & East.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£279£221£246£234
2017£285£253£251£277
2018£281£223£265£278
2019£313£213£256£265
2020£301£220£260£261
2021£300£242£294£274
2022£354£255£325£309
2023£357£276£309£320
2024£339£222£323£319
2025£324£226£320£348
2026£243£327£320£321
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Kempston Central & East.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Kempston Central & East in the last year.

Recent sales

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

Recent sold properties in the last 18 months near MK42 8SL
DateAddressTypeTenurePriceMap
31 Mar 20257, Normandy Close, Bedford, MK42 8TEDetachedFreehold£370,000
07 Nov 202539, Ryswick Road, Bedford, MK42 8SWTerracedFreehold£240,500
05 Sept 202529, Ryswick Road, Bedford, MK42 8SWTerracedFreehold£230,000
08 Apr 202573, Ryswick Road, Bedford, MK42 8SWSemi-DetachedFreehold£270,000
18 Aug 202514, Malakand Road, Bedford, MK42 8ALTerracedFreehold£273,700

Schools

In the MK42 8SL postcode area, located within Kempston Central & East, there are 8 primary and 2 secondary schools in close proximity.

Nearby primary and secondary schools for MK42 8SL
DistancePhaseNameTypeRating
0.2 miNot applicableSt John's SchoolAcademy special converter

Good

0.3 miPrimaryCamestone SchoolCommunity school

Good

0.4 miNurseryPeter Pan Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school

Outstanding

Local amenities

9 nearby supermarkets & convenience stores within mi of MK42 8SL

Nearby supermarkets & convenience stores for MK42 8SL
DistanceNameAddressDirections
0.3 miCostcutter90,92 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8BGWalking directions to Costcutter
0.3 miLambert36 Whitbread Avenue, Bedford, MK42 9DYWalking directions to Lambert
0.3 miKempston News102 Bedford Road, Kempston, MK42 8BGWalking directions to Kempston News
0.4 miMorrisonsAmpthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9JPWalking directions to Morrisons
0.4 miAldiWestville Road, Bedford, MK42 9BLWalking directions to Aldi

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

Local councillors

Caroline Lisa White

Kempston Central & East - Elected 4 May 2023

Labour Party

Mohammed Nawaz

Kempston Central & East - Elected 4 May 2023

Labour Party

Member of parliament

Mohammad Yasin

Bedford - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Labour Party

Geographic Information

DistrictBedfordE06000055
Parliamentary ConstituencyBedfordE14001084
ParishKempstonE04011894
MSOA (Middle Layer Super Output Area)Kempston Central & EastE02003632
LSOA (Lower Layer Super Output Area)Bedford 017BE01017506
Police ForceBedfordshire
Postcode Introduced1984-02-01

Frequently asked questions about MK42 8SL

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

The area around MK42 8SL records about 62 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, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour.

What is the average house price near MK42 8SL?

The median sale price around MK42 8SL in Kempston Central & East is £288,750 (about £327 per square foot) based on 64 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

What schools are near MK42 8SL?

There are 16 schools close to MK42 8SL, including St John's School (Good), Camestone School (Good) and Peter Pan Nursery School (Outstanding). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

What is the nearest station to MK42 8SL?

The closest station to MK42 8SL is Bedford St Johns, about 1,224 m away.

How deprived is the area around MK42 8SL?

MK42 8SL scores 8 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. Its neighbourhood ranks 10,785 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

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

The Member of Parliament for Bedford covering MK42 8SL is Mohammad Yasin (Labour Party), elected at the 2024 general election. The area is represented by 2 local councillors: Caroline Lisa White (Labour Party) and Mohammed Nawaz (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.