Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02007011

Wixams & Elstow

Wixams & Elstow is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,597 residents in Bedford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bedford
7,597

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,771

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

867

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

68.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

9.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

37.2%

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.

Augusta Park, East Anton & the Enhams, Test Valley7,668 residents · 58.5% owned · 10.4% no carBerryfields & Haydon Hill, Buckinghamshire14,108 residents · 60.6% owned · 12.2% no carUpton, West Northamptonshire7,657 residents · 56.7% owned · 13.6% no carPicket Twenty & Picket Piece, Test Valley7,476 residents · 58.9% owned · 9.9% no carWinnersh, Wokingham10,716 residents · 71.8% owned · 7.7% no carShinfield, Wokingham13,192 residents · 70.5% owned · 9.0% no car

Most similar within Bedford

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Wootton & Stewartby, Bedford10,346 residents · 73.4% owned · 9.2% no carBromham & Biddenham, Bedford12,828 residents · 77.8% owned · 7.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wixams & Elstow

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

Tenure

Owned68.4%
1,895 households
Social rented15.4%
426 households
Private rented9.2%
256 households
Shared ownership6.9%
190 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached32.5%
901 households
Semi-detached32.4%
899 households
Terraced22.9%
636 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement11.4%
316 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
10 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
6 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household42.6%
1,182 households
1 car or van in household36.5%
1,011 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.5%
320 households
No cars or vans in household9.3%
259 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39.9%
1,105 households
4 or more bedrooms34.5%
956 households
2 bedrooms19.7%
547 households
1 bedroom5.9%
163 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household72.9%
2,024 households
One-person household20.1%
558 households
Other household types7%
193 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household31.6%
874 households
1 person in household20.1%
557 households
4 people in household19.2%
533 households
3 people in household18.7%
517 households
5 people in household7.5%
208 households
6 people in household2%
56 households
7 people in household0.5%
15 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1525.6%
1,942 residents
15–2916.4%
1,246 residents
30–4426.8%
2,039 residents
45–6420.1%
1,530 residents
65 and over11.1%
841 residents
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White73.1%
5,555 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh14.3%
1,083 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.8%
444 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.1%
389 residents
Other ethnic group1.7%
126 residents
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above37.2%
2,074 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.9%
1,051 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.8%
825 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.5%
695 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.3%
521 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5%
280 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
129 residents aged 16 and over
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)70.5%
3,930 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive27.4%
1,526 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
121 residents aged 16 and over
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.5%
1,423 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.7%
933 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.2%
734 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10%
557 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.6%
537 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9%
500 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.8%
323 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
290 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5%
278 residents aged 16 and over
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health55.5%
4,217 residents
Good health32.3%
2,456 residents
Fair health9.1%
690 residents
Bad health2.5%
190 residents
Very bad health0.6%
44 residents
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.9%
6,601 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.1%
995 residents
Wixams & Elstow · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension59.7%
1,653 households
Household is deprived in one dimension28.9%
800 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.6%
267 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.8%
49 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Wixams & Elstow · 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.