Town Pop. 181

Living in Wixams: Liveability Score 44/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Wixams comes out at 44/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is lifestyle: 61/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 10/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

Among the 4 scored places sharing the MK42 postcode district, Wixams ranks 3rd. It scores 11 points below the MK42 postcode district as a whole, which averages 55/100. Its lifestyle score runs 8 points below the MK42 district's 69/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the MK42 postcode district.

44
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.

Wixams scores 44 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Wixams.
Or compare:
MK42 0AA MK42 5AQ MK42 6AA MK42 7AA MK42 8AA MK42 9AA MK42 MK45

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
10
6,657.5 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 397 crimes
↑ 6487% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 178 crimes
↑ 6370% above national average
Shoplifting 156 crimes
↑ 10950% above national average
Public order 113 crimes
↑ 9505% above national average
Other theft 81 crimes
↑ 7118% above national average
other 280 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Dane Street 123 crimes
  2. 2 Harpur Square 98 crimes
  3. 3 Paradine Court 98 crimes

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

Environment
55
Air Quality NO₂ 7.3 · PM2.5 7 · PM10 12.5 µg/m³
71
Green Space 19
Parks Ample 17
Sports Pitches Ample 8
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Ample 14

Services

Schools
55
5 schools in area · 22 within 4km
3Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Lakeview SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Wilstead Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Wixams Tree Primary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Wixams AcademySecondary · inspected 2024
    Requires Improvement
  • 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
56
A&E departmentsBedford Hospital South Wing1.9 mi
Milton Keynes University Hospital11.2 mi
Luton and Dunstable Hospital12.6 mi
Hospital waitsCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust2.8 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks62.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs71.1%
Nearest GP surgeryWootton Vale Healthy Living Centre2.3 mi
GP capacity1,961 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
93.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 179 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
42
Employment rate69.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed69.1%Unemployed4.4%Retired8.8%Student4.4%Other inactive13.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial34.1%Skilled & technical31.5%Routine & elementary34.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.4%Level 3 (A levels)16.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.8%Apprenticeship5.3%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership47.9%
Among the most-deprived 29% 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
45
Kempston Hardwick 1.4 mi
Stewartby 2.4 mi
Bedford St Johns 2.9 mi
J13 M1 6.9 mi
J13 M1 7.2 mi
J12 M1 8.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
61
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness Adequate 3

Places like Wixams 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 Wixams, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £395,000 61
Detached £467,500 31
Semi-detached £375,000 19
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£223k £320k £421k £519k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Kempston Hardwick 41 0.9 mi away ⇄
Wilstead 43 1.4 mi away ⇄
Houghton Conquest 29 1.7 mi away ⇄
Stewartby 43 2.1 mi away ⇄
Kempston 56 2.1 mi away ⇄
Wootton (Bedford) 54 2.4 mi away ⇄
Cotton End 35 2.4 mi away ⇄
Shortstown 43 2.5 mi away ⇄
Great Denham 59 3.2 mi away ⇄
Cardington 31 3.4 mi away ⇄
Marston Moretaine 39 3.6 mi away ⇄
Bedford 59 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Wixams a nice place to live?

Wixams has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Wixams is 44/100, 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 Wixams?

Crime levels in Wixams are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 10/100. There were 1,205 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Wixams?

Among the top-rated schools in Wixams are Lakeview School, Wilstead Primary School and Wixams Tree Primary Academy, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Wixams in total.

What are house prices like in Wixams?

The current median house price in Wixams is £395,000, around 39% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £467,500, semi-detached £375,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 61 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Wixams in context

See the best places to live in Bedfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Wixams

MK42 55 ⇄
MK45 48 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

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

Score my postcode