# MK42

Postcode district covering Kempston and South End, in Bedford.

MK42 is a postcode district covering Kempston and South End, in Bedford. Median sale price £320,000 in 2025. Recorded crime 113.1 per 1,000 people.

Postcode district. Code MK42. In: [Postcodes](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode) › [MK](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk)

Approximate outline worked out by Open Index from the ONS Postcode Directory: each census output area belongs to the district that holds most of its postcodes. People, homes, recorded crime and broadband add up those output areas. House sales count every sale with an MK42 postcode. [How census figures are added up](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/population)

## Key figures

- **Median sale price: £320,000** (2025). The median price paid for a home in MK42 was £320,000 in 2025. Joint 961st most expensive of 2,235. Source: Worked out by Open Index from HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Published 28 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42#f-house-sales-median-price
- **Population: 56,180** (2021). MK42 had 56,180 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 126th most populated of 2,756. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 0%** (2022). About 0% of people in MK42 live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 93.7%** (January 2026). In MK42, 93.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42#f-gigabit-coverage

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by postcode district](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=MK42) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 0% of people in MK42 live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Sales per year by postcode district](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-sales-per-year?place=MK42) (Worked out by Open Index · 2025): 755 homes were sold in MK42 in 2025.
- [Crime and ASB by postcode district](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=MK42) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Crime and anti-social behaviour for MK42.
- [Population by postcode district](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=MK42) (Census 2021, England and Wales): MK42 had 56,180 usual residents at the census.

## How MK42 compares

Each postcode district against every other postcode district the measure covers.

| Measure | MK42 | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Median sale price | £320,000 | joint 5th cheapest | 25 postcode districts, MK · 2025 |
| Population | 56,180 | most populated | 27 postcode districts, MK · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 0% | joint fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 27 postcode districts, MK · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 93.7% | 11th lowest | 27 postcode districts, MK · Jan 2026 |

## Is MK42 safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in MK42 at a rate of 113.1 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 87.5 per 1,000 people across the MK postcode area.
In August 2026 alone, 695 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in MK42.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (2,319), other crime (1,189) and anti-social behaviour (1,057).
A year earlier, the recorded crime rate in MK42 was 111.5 per 1,000 people.
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.
Rates are per resident, so places that many people work in or visit, such as Westminster, the City of London and other city centres, have far higher rates than their residents alone would suggest.

## Deprivation in MK42, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

- Deprivation is ranked by neighbourhood, so MK42 has no single figure. Of its 35 neighbourhoods with a rank:
- Decile 1 (England’s most deprived 10%): 2 neighbourhoods
- Decile 2: 5 neighbourhoods
- Decile 3: 5 neighbourhoods
- Decile 4: 6 neighbourhoods
- Decile 5: 2 neighbourhoods
- Decile 6: 7 neighbourhoods
- Decile 7: 6 neighbourhoods
- Decile 8: 2 neighbourhoods

Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025. Decile 1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods in England.

## Neighbourhoods in MK42

| Area | People (census) | Recorded crime per 1,000 | Deprivation decile | Gigabit broadband |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Bedford 014A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017518) | 1,736 | 116.7 per 1,000 | 4 | 98.2% |
| [Bedford 014B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017519) | 1,635 | 199.8 per 1,000 | 2 | 98.1% |
| [Bedford 014C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017520) | 1,827 | 91.1 per 1,000 | 4 | 75.4% |
| [Bedford 014D](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017521) | 1,642 | 86.7 per 1,000 | 4 | 97.1% |
| [Bedford 014E](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017522) | 2,087 | 386.7 per 1,000 | 3 | 82.3% |
| [Bedford 014F](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017523) | 1,756 | 88.9 per 1,000 | 2 | 100.0% |
| [Bedford 015A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017472) | 1,540 | 97.1 per 1,000 | 2 | 99.3% |
| [Bedford 015C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017474) | 1,881 | 133.8 per 1,000 | 1 | 95.7% |
| [Bedford 015D](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017475) | 1,631 | 150.5 per 1,000 | 4 | 97.0% |
| [Bedford 015E](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017476) | 1,525 | 51.3 per 1,000 | 5 | 99.7% |
| [Bedford 015F](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017477) | 1,341 | 107.3 per 1,000 | 1 | 99.1% |
| [Bedford 015G](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034420) | 1,889 | 296.3 per 1,000 | 2 | 82.1% |
| [Bedford 015H](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034421) | 1,559 | 125.1 per 1,000 | 4 | 63.8% |
| [Bedford 016A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017509) | 1,230 | 50.0 per 1,000 | 2 | 81.7% |
| [Bedford 016B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017510) | 1,589 | 48.8 per 1,000 | 6 | 94.0% |
| [Bedford 016C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017511) | 1,183 | 58.4 per 1,000 | 6 | 100.0% |
| [Bedford 016D](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017512) | 1,505 | 116.9 per 1,000 | 3 | 96.9% |
| [Bedford 017A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017505) | 1,549 | 129.2 per 1,000 | 5 | 97.9% |
| [Bedford 017B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017506) | 1,569 | 58.0 per 1,000 | 3 | 96.4% |
| [Bedford 017C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017507) | 1,391 | 53.7 per 1,000 | 6 | 99.8% |
| [Bedford 017D](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017508) | 1,698 | 97.5 per 1,000 | 6 | 99.3% |
| [Bedford 018A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017513) | 1,477 | 79.9 per 1,000 | 6 | 99.7% |
| [Bedford 018B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017514) | 1,725 | 318.1 per 1,000 | 3 | 96.9% |
| [Bedford 018C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017515) | 1,651 | 69.9 per 1,000 | 3 | 98.9% |
| [Bedford 018E](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017517) | 1,568 | 79.2 per 1,000 | 7 | 96.0% |
| [Bedford 018F](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034422) | 1,540 | 58.1 per 1,000 | 8 | 98.4% |
| [Bedford 018G](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034423) | 1,061 | 113.6 per 1,000 | 7 | 100.0% |
| [Bedford 018H](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034424) | 1,540 | 65.5 per 1,000 | 8 | 93.9% |
| [Bedford 021A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034427) | 1,493 | 76.3 per 1,000 | 7 | 77.5% |
| [Bedford 021B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01017487) | 1,945 | 77.7 per 1,000 | 4 | 96.9% |
| [Bedford 021C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034428) | 1,402 | 56.6 per 1,000 | 7 | 98.5% |
| [Bedford 022A](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034431) | 1,914 | 68.8 per 1,000 | 6 | 96.3% |
| [Bedford 022B](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034432) | 1,240 | 146.9 per 1,000 | 7 | 96.8% |
| [Bedford 022C](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034433) | 2,406 | 109.9 per 1,000 | 7 | 94.7% |
| [Bedford 022D](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/neighbourhood/e01034434) | 2,037 | 50.6 per 1,000 | 6 | 96.9% |

## Your MP

- [Bedford](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/bedford): Mohammad Yasin (Labour), MP since July 2024. 71% of the people here.
- [Mid Bedfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/mid-bedfordshire): Blake Stephenson (Conservative), MP since July 2024. 15% of the people here.
- [North Bedfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/north-bedfordshire): Richard Fuller (Conservative), MP since July 2024. 14% of the people here.

As of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Middle areas in MK42

[Cauldwell](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/cauldwell), [Kempston Central & East](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/kempston-central-and-east), [Kempston North](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/kempston-north), [Kempston West & South](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/kempston-west-and-south), [Kingsbrook](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/kingsbrook), [Wilstead & Shortstown](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/wilstead-and-shortstown), [Wixams & Elstow](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford/wixams-and-elstow)

## Postcode sectors in MK42

[MK42 0 (346 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-0), [MK42 5 (40 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-5), [MK42 6 (126 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-6), [MK42 7 (250 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-7), [MK42 8 (233 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-8), [MK42 9 (293 postcodes)](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42-9)

## Council

[Bedford](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford)

## Towns in MK42

[Bedford](https://openindex.co.uk/town/bedford), [Kempston](https://openindex.co.uk/town/kempston)

## Postcode districts next to MK42

[MK40](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk40), [MK41](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk41), [MK43](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk43), [MK44](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk44), [MK45](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk45), [SG18](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/sg18)

## Nearest rail stations

[Bedford St Johns (2.1 km from the middle)](https://openindex.co.uk/map/rail-stations?around=-0.4675,52.1295), [Bedford (2.7 km from the middle)](https://openindex.co.uk/map/rail-stations?around=-0.4794,52.1362), [Kempston Hardwick (2.8 km from the middle)](https://openindex.co.uk/map/rail-stations?around=-0.5039,52.0922), [Stewartby (5.6 km from the middle)](https://openindex.co.uk/map/rail-stations?around=-0.5207,52.0691)

## More in the MK postcode area

[All MK postcode districts](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk), [Every UK postcode area](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode)

## MK42 in brief

MK42 is a postcode district covering Kempston and South End, in Bedford.
About 61,031 people lived in MK42 in mid-2024 (worked out by Open Index from ONS small-area estimates); the median price paid for a home was £320,000 in 2025 across 755 sales (HM Land Registry) and police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour at a rate of 113.1 per 1,000 people in the 12 months to August 2026 (police.uk).
The median price paid for a home in MK42 was £320,000 in 2025.
MK42 had 56,180 usual residents at the census.
About 0% of people in MK42 live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In MK42, 93.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.

## About

- Type: Postcode district
- Code: MK42
- Postcode area: [MK](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk)
- Constituency: [Bedford †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/bedford)
- Council: [Bedford †](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford)
- Area: 33.78 km²
- People, mid-2024: 61,031*
- Neighbourhoods: 35
- Output areas: 157

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency, council, region and nation this postcode district mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[MK45](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk45), [MK44](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk44), [MK40](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk40), [MK43](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk43), [SG18](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/sg18), [MK41](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk41)

## Latest updates for MK42

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/MK42

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42#f-house-sales-median-price.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/mk42