Town Pop. 200

Living in Kempston Hardwick: Liveability Score 41/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Kempston Hardwick scores 41/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Broadband falls furthest short: 44/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. Kempston Hardwick places 9th of 20 in the MK43 postcode district.

That is 9 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Safety (82) sits at 80/100 or above. Healthcare (9), transport (23) and lifestyle (28) all fall below 30/100. For the surrounding area, see MK43 postcode district.

41
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.

Kempston Hardwick scores 41 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Kempston Hardwick.
Or compare:
MK43 0AA MK43 1AA MK43 2AA MK43 6AZ MK43 7AA MK43 8AA MK43 9AA MK43 MK45

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
82
800 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 43 crimes
↑ 546% above national average
Shoplifting 35 crimes
↑ 2144% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 28 crimes
↑ 821% above national average
Vehicle crime 19 crimes
↑ 1879% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 10 crimes
↑ 635% above national average
other 25 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Broadmead Road 43 crimes
  2. 2 Kitchener Place 18 crimes
  3. 3 Bedford Road 10 crimes

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

Environment
54
Air Quality NO₂ 7.781 · PM2.5 6.929 · PM10 11.789 µg/m³
71
Green Space 16
Parks Ample 8
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
30
1 school in area · 19 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • Willow Grove Primary SchoolPrimary
    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
9
A&E departmentsBedford Hospital South Wing3 mi
Milton Keynes University Hospital11 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital12.8 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust3.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryWootton Vale Healthy Living Centre1.6 mi
GP capacity1,867 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
44
Full fibre (FTTP)70.4%
available across Bedford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
74.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
74.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 2 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
63
Employment rate74%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed74%Unemployed2%Retired11%Student4%Other inactive8.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.7%Skilled & technical34.5%Routine & elementary24.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications14.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.9%Level 3 (A levels)20.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.4%Apprenticeship5.6%Other (incl. vocational)2%
Home ownership70.6%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
45
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 D
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
23
Kempston Hardwick 0.7 mi
Stewartby 1.6 mi
Millbrook 2.7 mi
J13 M1 6.1 mi
J13 M1 6.4 mi
J12 M1 8.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
28
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

Places like Kempston Hardwick 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 Kempston Hardwick, 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 Kempston Hardwick 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

Wixams 44 0.9 mi away ⇄
Stewartby 43 1.3 mi away ⇄
Houghton Conquest 29 1.6 mi away ⇄
Wootton (Bedford) 54 1.6 mi away ⇄
Kempston 56 2.0 mi away ⇄
Wilstead 43 2.1 mi away ⇄
Marston Moretaine 39 2.8 mi away ⇄
Great Denham 59 3.1 mi away ⇄
Cotton End 35 3.3 mi away ⇄
Shortstown 43 3.3 mi away ⇄
Box End 43 3.5 mi away ⇄
Maulden 49 4.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Kempston Hardwick a nice place to live?

Kempston Hardwick has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Kempston Hardwick is 41/100, 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 Kempston Hardwick?

Kempston Hardwick is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 82/100. There were 160 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Kempston Hardwick in context

See the best places to live in Bedfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Kempston Hardwick

MK43 42 ⇄
MK45 48 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

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

Score my postcode