Putnoe
Bedford 006 · 6 sub-areas · 8,140 residents
Bedford 006 is a residential stretch of Bedford, home to around 8,140 people and skewing noticeably older than much of the town. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,020 a month — below the UK median for a two-bed — though renters are a small slice of the mix here: over four in five households own their home outright or with a mortgage.
Putnoe is a mid-density neighbourhood of Bedford in the East of England region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Putnoe?
2 parks and 1 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,163 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 6 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Putnoe in Bedford
Living in Putnoe
Bedford 006 sits firmly in owner-occupier territory. With 82.5% of households owning their home, this is one of the more settled, established parts of Bedford — the kind of area where people tend to stay rather than pass through. The age profile reflects that: over a quarter of residents are 65 or older, and the 50–64 group makes up another fifth. It's quieter and more suburban in character than the town centre neighbourhoods.
For renters, the cost picture is relatively manageable by national standards. A one-bed typically runs around £793 a month, a two-bed about £1,020, and a three-bed around £1,247. That puts a two-bed here modestly below the UK median of roughly £1,200, though rents did rise 4.3% over the past year. Council tax (Band D) comes to around £2,472 a year — something to factor in alongside the rent.
The demographic make-up is relatively settled and homogeneous: around 84% of residents were born in the UK, and the ethnic diversity index sits at 30.9. Degree-level qualifications are held by around 35% of residents, a reasonable share for a commuter-adjacent area. Single-person households account for about a quarter of homes — consistent with the older age skew.
Practically speaking, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 3.4 km away — about a 42-minute walk or a short drive. Most residents here travel by car: 53% commute that way, while working from home accounts for a striking 34% of residents — well above typical rates, which helps explain why public transport use is low at just 3.2%. The rail commute to London runs around 82 minutes. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Bedford 006 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled, predominantly owner-occupied neighbourhood that suits people who want stability over buzz. Crime is low — around 44 incidents per 1,000 residents annually, roughly half the national rate — and deprivation is minimal. The trade-off is that it skews older and lacks the energy of Bedford's more central areas. Good if you value calm; less so if you want nightlife or a young community on your doorstep.
- What is the rent in Bedford 006?
- A one-bed typically costs around £793 a month, a two-bed about £1,020, and a three-bed around £1,247. Rents rose roughly 4.3% over the past year. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Private rental stock is limited here — only about 9% of households rent privately — so available properties can be sparse.
- Is Bedford 006 safe?
- Yes, it's one of the lower-crime parts of Bedford. The crime rate runs at around 44 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, roughly half the UK national average. The neighbourhood sits in the least-deprived decile nationally, and the combination of high owner-occupancy and an older, settled population tends to keep crime rates down.
- What's the commute from Bedford 006 to Bedford town centre?
- Most residents drive — 53% commute by car — and the nearest mainline rail station is about 3.4 km away, roughly a 42-minute walk or a short drive. Public transport use is very low at 3.2%. Notably, 34% of residents work from home, so for many the commute question doesn't arise. For longer-distance trips, the rail journey to London takes around 82 minutes.
- Who lives in Bedford 006?
- Predominantly older, settled homeowners. Over a quarter of residents are 65 or above, and nearly half are over 50. More than four in five households own their home. It's not a particularly diverse neighbourhood — around 84% of residents were born in the UK — and single-person households make up about a quarter of homes, reflecting the older age profile.
- What schools are near Bedford 006?
- There are 66 schools within 2 km of typical residents, so there's no shortage of options nearby. However, around 43% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is well below the national share of roughly 89% — meaning quality is more variable than average. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 3.1 km away. It's worth checking individual school Ofsted reports before relying on area averages.
- Is Bedford 006 good for working from home?
- It's well set up for it. Around 34% of residents already work from home — one of the higher rates you'll find locally. Broadband is excellent: 100% of premises have gigabit-capable connections, and none fall below the minimum universal service standard. The quieter, suburban character of the neighbourhood suits home working well.