Town Pop. 1,924

Living in Shortstown: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Shortstown is 43/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 91/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 53/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That places it last of the 4 scored places in the MK42 postcode district. Against the wider MK42 district average of 55/100, that is 12 points below. Healthcare (14) and transport (29) all fall below 30/100. For the surrounding area, see MK42 postcode district.

43
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.

Shortstown scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Shortstown.
Or compare:
MK42 0AA MK42 5AQ MK42 6AA MK42 7AA MK42 8AA MK42 9AA MK42 MK44

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
53
81.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 62 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Anti-social behaviour 23 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
Other theft 14 crimes
↑ 18% above national average
Public order 12 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 12 crimes
↓ 21% below national average
other 33 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Garland Court 22 crimes
  2. 2 De Havilland Avenue 18 crimes
  3. 3 Bell'S Close 13 crimes

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

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 8.9 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 13.6 µg/m³
68
Green Space 24
Parks Ample 12
Sports Pitches Ample 5
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Ample 14

Services

Schools
36
3 schools in area · 20 within 4km
3Good
  • Bedford AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Elstow SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Shortstown Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good

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

Healthcare
14
A&E departmentsBedford Hospital South Wing1.7 mi
Milton Keynes University Hospital13.8 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital14.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust2.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryLondon Road Surgery1.7 mi
GP capacity1,826 patients per GP
0dentists2pharmacies

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
91
Full fibre (FTTP)70.4%
available across Bedford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
94.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
94.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 135 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
38
Employment rate67.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed67.3%Unemployed4.5%Retired12.6%Student3.9%Other inactive11.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial36.3%Skilled & technical34.9%Routine & elementary28.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications13.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)13%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.1%Level 3 (A levels)18.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)29.8%Apprenticeship6%Other (incl. vocational)2.8%
Home ownership60.6%
Among the most-deprived 39% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
55
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 B
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
29
Bedford St Johns 2.2 mi
Bedford 2.8 mi
Kempston Hardwick 3.6 mi
J13 M1 9.4 mi
J13 M1 9.7 mi
J12 M1 11 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
39
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 2
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £300,000 29
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£165k £259k £355k £449k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Cardington 31 0.8 mi away ⇄
Cotton End 35 1.2 mi away ⇄
Cople 34 1.8 mi away ⇄
Wilstead 43 2.3 mi away ⇄
Bedford 59 2.4 mi away ⇄
Wixams 44 2.5 mi away ⇄
Willington (Bedford) 34 2.7 mi away ⇄
Kempston 56 2.9 mi away ⇄
Kempston Hardwick 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Salph End 32 3.5 mi away ⇄
Workhouse End 32 3.6 mi away ⇄
Haynes 34 3.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Shortstown a nice place to live?

Shortstown has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Shortstown is 43/100, 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 Shortstown?

Shortstown has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 53/100. There were 156 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Shortstown?

Among the top-rated schools in Shortstown are Bedford Academy, Elstow School and Shortstown Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Shortstown in total.

What are house prices like in Shortstown?

The current median house price in Shortstown is £300,000, around 5% above the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 4%. There were 29 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Shortstown in context

See the best places to live in Bedfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Shortstown

MK42 55 ⇄
MK44 35 ⇄

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