Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003622

Goldington

Goldington is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,210 residents in Bedford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bedford
9,210

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,805

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,766.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

54.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

23.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

26.1%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Closest matches elsewhere in England and Wales, across 14 Census themes. Similarity is statistical, not a recommendation, and says nothing about how anywhere feels to live in.

Dunstable Manshead, Central Bedfordshire5,521 residents · 58.4% owned · 22.0% no carPriory Heath, Ipswich9,651 residents · 53.9% owned · 20.6% no carPodsmead & Linden, Gloucester9,145 residents · 61.2% owned · 22.1% no carAylestone South, Leicester8,344 residents · 66.7% owned · 22.7% no carTilehurst South, Reading8,224 residents · 59.5% owned · 24.1% no carBrickhill, North Northamptonshire6,044 residents · 63.7% owned · 20.4% no car

Most similar within Bedford

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Kingsbrook, Bedford10,684 residents · 45.9% owned · 26.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Goldington

People, households and homes at the stated Census geography. These describe the 2021 population, not the occupants of a particular home.

Tenure

Owned54.3%
2,066 households
Social rented31.5%
1,200 households
Private rented13.3%
507 households
Shared ownership0.8%
32 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced37%
1,409 households
Semi-detached35.4%
1,349 households
Detached14.5%
552 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement12.3%
468 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
19 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.2%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.4%
1,654 households
2 cars or vans in household25.2%
959 households
No cars or vans in household23.1%
880 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.4%
319 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms50.3%
1,917 households
2 bedrooms26%
989 households
4 or more bedrooms12.4%
473 households
1 bedroom11.3%
431 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.7%
2,429 households
One-person household30.4%
1,161 households
Other household types5.9%
224 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household30.5%
1,161 households
2 people in household29.8%
1,136 households
3 people in household17.8%
680 households
4 people in household14.1%
539 households
5 people in household5.7%
218 households
6 people in household1.4%
54 households
7 people in household0.4%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.8%
1,819 residents
15–2917.7%
1,630 residents
30–4420.3%
1,869 residents
45–6425.4%
2,343 residents
65 and over16.8%
1,548 residents
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White76.1%
7,012 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African8.7%
799 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.5%
688 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups6%
554 residents
Other ethnic group1.7%
156 residents
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above26.1%
1,898 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.3%
1,471 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.1%
1,169 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.5%
1,052 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.1%
951 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.3%
461 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.6%
260 residents aged 16 and over
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.9%
4,347 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.1%
2,764 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.1%
152 residents aged 16 and over
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.9%
1,226 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.2%
1,173 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.5%
1,051 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.4%
900 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.1%
735 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.7%
629 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.6%
625 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.6%
479 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.1%
443 residents aged 16 and over
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.3%
4,173 residents
Good health35.2%
3,238 residents
Fair health13.4%
1,233 residents
Bad health4.9%
455 residents
Very bad health1.2%
112 residents
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82%
7,549 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18%
1,661 residents
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension42.4%
1,616 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.2%
1,379 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.6%
631 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.5%
171 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
13 households
Goldington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Each percentage uses its Census table’s own total. Rounding and source categories can affect totals. ONS Census data · OGL v3.0.

How the similarity is worked out

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Every neighbourhood is described by its shares across the Census themes above — tenure, housing, cars, household make-up, age, ethnic group, qualifications, work, health and deprivation — each theme weighted equally, which is the approach ONS takes in its own Output Area Classification. The neighbourhoods listed are the closest on those numbers, published in full rather than folded into a score. Nothing here measures schools, crime, prices or what a place is like to be in, and a close match is a statistical fact rather than a suggestion to move.

Browse every neighbourhood in Bedford

Evidence ledger

Source and date are part of the record.

Shared catalogue checked 2026-08-28: 88 candidate data layers listed. Catalogue presence is not publication approval; only separately approved public projections may be shown.