Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02007010

Wilstead & Shortstown

Wilstead & Shortstown is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,533 residents in Bedford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bedford
8,533

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,464

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

309.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

70.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

9.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.6%

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.

Clifton, Meppershall & Stondon, Central Bedfordshire9,889 residents · 76.0% owned · 6.7% no carPucklechurch & Westerleigh, South Gloucestershire12,709 residents · 73.9% owned · 8.8% no carWillington North, Findern & Stenson Fields, South Derbyshire10,939 residents · 79.2% owned · 8.4% no carBiggleswade East, Central Bedfordshire11,227 residents · 72.5% owned · 9.4% no carGrove, Vale of White Horse9,126 residents · 72.7% owned · 10.0% no carAmesbury, Wiltshire12,997 residents · 60.6% owned · 14.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wilstead & Shortstown

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

Tenure

Owned70.5%
2,441 households
Social rented15.2%
528 households
Private rented11%
381 households
Shared ownership3.3%
114 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached33.4%
1,158 households
Semi-detached33.3%
1,154 households
Terraced20.5%
709 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement6.4%
223 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure4.4%
154 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
33 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.7%
23 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
9 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.2%
1,358 households
2 cars or vans in household37.3%
1,293 households
3 or more cars or vans in household13.9%
482 households
No cars or vans in household9.5%
330 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms40.1%
1,388 households
4 or more bedrooms27.4%
950 households
2 bedrooms26.7%
923 households
1 bedroom5.8%
202 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household70%
2,423 households
One-person household24.5%
848 households
Other household types5.5%
191 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.2%
1,254 households
1 person in household24.5%
848 households
3 people in household17.8%
616 households
4 people in household14.5%
501 households
5 people in household4.9%
170 households
6 people in household1.5%
53 households
7 people in household0.5%
17 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.2%
1,721 residents
15–2916.9%
1,439 residents
30–4422.8%
1,946 residents
45–6424.4%
2,085 residents
65 and over15.7%
1,343 residents
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.4%
6,945 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.2%
612 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.7%
485 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.1%
433 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
59 residents
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.6%
2,256 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,231 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.3%
963 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.2%
951 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.3%
761 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.1%
413 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)67.2%
4,510 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31%
2,079 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
124 residents aged 16 and over
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.9%
1,675 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.5%
975 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.8%
860 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.8%
726 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.5%
705 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.2%
686 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.1%
408 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.1%
345 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5%
335 residents aged 16 and over
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.9%
4,341 residents
Good health34.8%
2,968 residents
Fair health10.7%
917 residents
Bad health2.9%
251 residents
Very bad health0.7%
56 residents
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.6%
7,299 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.4%
1,232 residents
Wilstead & Shortstown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.8%
1,899 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33%
1,142 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.4%
360 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.7%
58 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Wilstead & Shortstown · 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.