Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003626

Newnham

Newnham is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,610 residents in Bedford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bedford
5,610

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,359

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,593.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

68.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

14.3%

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.

Banbury Calthorpe, Cherwell5,648 residents · 68.3% owned · 17.3% no carDane Hills & Western Park, Leicester7,558 residents · 72.9% owned · 19.1% no carSt Ives North, Huntingdonshire9,600 residents · 71.4% owned · 13.0% no carCalcot South, West Berkshire5,863 residents · 71.4% owned · 11.8% no carViables, Basingstoke and Deane8,123 residents · 72.4% owned · 10.7% no carWigmore & Airport, Luton10,215 residents · 67.6% owned · 13.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Newnham

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

Tenure

Owned68.8%
1,624 households
Private rented19.8%
467 households
Social rented10.7%
253 households
Shared ownership0.6%
15 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached43.5%
1,028 households
Detached25.7%
607 households
Terraced21.3%
504 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement5.9%
140 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure2.7%
64 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
11 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
0 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.8%
1,012 households
2 cars or vans in household32.9%
778 households
No cars or vans in household14.3%
338 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.9%
234 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms47.9%
1,133 households
4 or more bedrooms22.8%
538 households
2 bedrooms19.3%
456 households
1 bedroom10%
236 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65.5%
1,547 households
One-person household28.2%
667 households
Other household types6.3%
149 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.9%
825 households
1 person in household28.3%
667 households
3 people in household17.5%
414 households
4 people in household13.6%
321 households
5 people in household3.7%
88 households
6 people in household1.3%
30 households
7 people in household0.3%
8 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.8%
945 residents
15–2917%
955 residents
30–4420.9%
1,175 residents
45–6429%
1,628 residents
65 and over16.2%
906 residents
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White79.5%
4,455 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh8.2%
459 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.1%
286 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.1%
285 residents
Other ethnic group2.2%
122 residents
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above36.6%
1,679 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.7%
769 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15%
687 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.5%
619 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.7%
447 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.9%
273 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
119 residents aged 16 and over
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64.8%
2,979 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive33.1%
1,522 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
93 residents aged 16 and over
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.6%
1,084 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.4%
614 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13%
596 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.9%
545 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.6%
486 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.7%
446 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.2%
284 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.1%
279 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.7%
262 residents aged 16 and over
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.6%
2,725 residents
Good health36.4%
2,040 residents
Fair health11.5%
646 residents
Bad health2.7%
153 residents
Very bad health0.8%
44 residents
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.9%
4,763 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.1%
844 residents
Newnham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.6%
1,266 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.5%
792 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10%
237 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
60 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
8 households
Newnham · 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.