Town

Living in Cotton End: Liveability Score 35/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Cotton End comes out at 35/100 on the 7 categories we can score here. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 43/100 against a town median of 60/100. Among the 19 scored places sharing the MK45 postcode district, Cotton End ranks 17th.

It scores 13 points below the MK45 postcode district as a whole, which averages 48/100. That is 15 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Healthcare (6), transport (24) and schools (28) all fall below 30/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the MK45 postcode district.

35
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Cotton End scores 35 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Cotton End.
Or compare:
MK45 1AA MK45 2AA MK45 3AA MK45 4AA MK45 5AA MK45 6AG MK45 9AB MK45

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 6.5 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 12.2 µg/m³
72
Green Space 21
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
28
1 school in area · 11 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • Cotton End Forest SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
6
A&E departmentsBedford Hospital South Wing3 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital13.8 mi
Milton Keynes University Hospital14.3 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust3.3 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryLondon Road Surgery2.8 mi
GP capacity2,150 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
43
Full fibre (FTTP)70.4%
available across Bedford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
69.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
70.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 20 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
—

No official data available for this category.

Bills
50
Council tax Bedford · 2026-27
A £1,648
B £1,923
C £2,197
D £2,472
E £3,021
F £3,571
G £4,120
H £4,944
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
24
Bedford St Johns 3.2 mi
Kempston Hardwick 3.7 mi
Bedford 3.9 mi
J13 M1 9.1 mi
J13 M1 9.5 mi
J12 M1 10.1 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
32
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £330,000 10
5-year monthly trend
All
£316k £336k £356k £376k 2022 2023 2024 2025

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Shortstown 43 1.2 mi away ⇄
Wilstead 43 1.6 mi away ⇄
Cardington 31 1.6 mi away ⇄
Cople 34 2.3 mi away ⇄
Wixams 44 2.4 mi away ⇄
Haynes 34 2.5 mi away ⇄
Kempston Hardwick 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Willington (Bedford) 34 3.3 mi away ⇄
Houghton Conquest 29 3.3 mi away ⇄
Bedford 59 3.6 mi away ⇄
Kempston 56 3.6 mi away ⇄
Ickwell 40 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Cotton End a nice place to live?

Cotton End has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Cotton End is 35/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are house prices like in Cotton End?

The current median house price in Cotton End is £330,000, around 16% above the England and Wales average.

Cotton End in context

See the best places to live in Bedfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Cotton End

MK45 48 ⇄

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