Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003625

Harpur

Harpur is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,870 residents in Bedford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bedford
8,870

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,205

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,737.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

38.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

38.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

36.6%

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.

Worcester Town South, Worcester7,459 residents · 44.5% owned · 33.0% no carWest Park, Wolverhampton7,893 residents · 37.1% owned · 40.2% no carCentral Gloucester & Hempsted, Gloucester11,551 residents · 38.6% owned · 36.8% no carStow Hill, Newport6,784 residents · 41.0% owned · 40.2% no carKursaal, Southend-on-Sea12,092 residents · 33.2% owned · 39.6% no carVictoria, Southend-on-Sea13,008 residents · 33.9% owned · 40.5% no car

Most similar within Bedford

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Castle & Kingsway, Bedford10,648 residents · 38.8% owned · 36.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Harpur

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

Tenure

Private rented38.6%
1,625 households
Owned38.3%
1,611 households
Social rented22.2%
932 households
Shared ownership0.8%
32 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement40.5%
1,703 households
Terraced18.4%
775 households
Semi-detached15.1%
636 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits13.2%
555 households
Detached8.9%
375 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.1%
87 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
69 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%
9 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.3%
1,820 households
No cars or vans in household38.5%
1,619 households
2 cars or vans in household14.5%
612 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.7%
157 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom37.5%
1,576 households
2 bedrooms25.4%
1,067 households
3 bedrooms24.8%
1,043 households
4 or more bedrooms12.4%
522 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household47.3%
1,989 households
Single family household46.7%
1,965 households
Other household types6%
252 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household47.2%
1,989 households
2 people in household28.3%
1,190 households
3 people in household12.6%
531 households
4 people in household7.6%
322 households
5 people in household2.5%
104 households
6 people in household1%
43 households
7 people in household0.4%
18 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
13 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.7%
1,218 residents
15–2920.5%
1,817 residents
30–4423.9%
2,123 residents
45–6424.7%
2,193 residents
65 and over17.1%
1,519 residents
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White73.7%
6,541 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh10.3%
915 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African7.9%
697 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.8%
517 residents
Other ethnic group2.3%
207 residents
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above36.6%
2,775 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.6%
1,557 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.2%
997 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.8%
894 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.9%
677 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.6%
422 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.3%
252 residents aged 16 and over
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.4%
4,504 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.3%
2,905 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
168 residents aged 16 and over
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19%
1,437 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations17.1%
1,295 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed11.4%
862 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.3%
857 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.9%
826 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.9%
752 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.3%
705 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.9%
450 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
394 residents aged 16 and over
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.8%
3,970 residents
Good health34.3%
3,041 residents
Fair health14.4%
1,278 residents
Bad health5%
446 residents
Very bad health1.5%
135 residents
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.2%
7,025 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.8%
1,845 residents
Harpur · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension44.6%
1,874 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.1%
1,478 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.1%
593 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.3%
222 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.9%
39 households
Harpur · 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.