Town Pop. 307

Living in Ickwell: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Ickwell scores 40/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 10/100 against a town median of 60/100. That makes it the 5th highest-scoring of the 8 places in the SG18 postcode district.

Against the wider SG18 district average of 47/100, that is 7 points below. That is 10 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (91). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SG18 postcode district.

40
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.

Loading map…

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.

Ickwell scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Ickwell.
Or compare:
SG18 0AA SG18 1AP SG18 8AA SG18 9AA SG18

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
91
234.5 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 25 crimes
↑ 144% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 16 crimes
↑ 243% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 8 crimes
↑ 284% above national average
Vehicle crime 8 crimes
↑ 444% above national average
Burglary 5 crimes
↑ 366% above national average
other 10 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Littles Close 18 crimes
  2. 2 Caldecote Road 8 crimes
  3. 3 Swallowfield 7 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 5.66 · PM2.5 6.788 · PM10 12.068 µg/m³
73
Green Space 18
Parks Ample 6
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
32
1 school in area · 5 within 4km
1Good
  • Northill CofE AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good

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

Healthcare
9
A&E departmentsBedford Hospital South Wing6.6 mi
Lister Hospital12.5 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital15 mi
Hospital waitsEast And North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust5.3 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.7%
Nearest GP surgerySaffron Health Partnership2.6 mi
GP capacity2,368 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
10
Full fibre (FTTP)68.3%
available across Central Bedfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
0%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
0%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 8 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
66
Employment rate59.9%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.9%Unemployed1.8%Retired29.4%Student2.6%Other inactive6.4%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial42.8%Skilled & technical39%Routine & elementary18.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)18%Level 4+ (degree & above)34%Apprenticeship7%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership78.2%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax Central Bedfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,677
B £1,957
C £2,236
D £2,516
E £3,075
F £3,634
G £4,193
H £5,032
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
22
Sandy 2.7 mi
Biggleswade 2.7 mi
Arlesey 5.4 mi
J10 A1(M) 7.3 mi
J10 A1(M) 8 mi
J9 A1(M) 10.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
30
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

Places like Ickwell Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Ickwell, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Ickwell in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Northill 37 0.6 mi away ⇄
Upper Caldecote 37 1.1 mi away ⇄
Beeston (Central Bedfordshire) 42 2.0 mi away ⇄
Broom (Central Bedfordshire) 37 2.1 mi away ⇄
Southill 41 2.2 mi away ⇄
Moggerhanger 31 2.3 mi away ⇄
Sandy 52 2.9 mi away ⇄
Biggleswade 53 3.1 mi away ⇄
Cople 34 3.4 mi away ⇄
Willington (Bedford) 34 3.5 mi away ⇄
Haynes 34 3.6 mi away ⇄
Blunham 23 3.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Ickwell a nice place to live?

Ickwell has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Ickwell is 40/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Ickwell?

Ickwell is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 91/100. There were 72 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Ickwell?

Among the top-rated schools in Ickwell is Northill CofE Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Ickwell in total.

Ickwell in context

See the best places to live in Bedfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Ickwell

SG18 47 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode