City comparison
Bedford vs West Suffolk
Bedford, East of England · West Suffolk, East of England
Bedford · 9Bedford leads on 9 of 23 metrics · 9 tiesWest Suffolk · 5
Headline scores
Composite indexes, 0–100 (higher is better).
55
Liveability
Weighted index of safety, schools, transport, affordability and amenities.
Δ -1 pts
54
63
Safety
Higher = lower crime and ASB rates per 1,000 residents.
Δ +10 pts
74
✓ leads
51
✓ leads
Transport
Higher = closer to rail, more bus stops, faster commute reach.
Δ -15 pts
36
67
✓ leads
Schools
Higher = more Good/Outstanding Ofsted schools within 2 km.
Δ -26 pts
41
Cost of living
Native units — what residents actually pay.
£1,164/mo
Est. rent
LAD-published rent scaled by within-LAD price gradient (HMLR sales) with neighbour smoothing. Within ±15-25% of true market median; varies LSOA-to-LSOA.
Δ -£8/mo
£1,156/mo
£1,472/mo
Total monthly cost
Rent + council tax (1/12) + EPC-band utility estimate.
Δ -£6/mo
£1,466/mo
£2,332/yr
Council tax
Δ -£227/yr
£2,105/yr
✓ leads
4.9 yrs
Years to 10% deposit
Years for the local median earner to save a 10% deposit at the local median price.
Δ -0.7 yrs
4.2 yrs
✓ leads
Earning power
£35,987/yr
✓ leads
Median salary
Δ -£2,550/yr
£33,437/yr
55%
✓ leads
Rent ÷ take-home pay
How much of the local median take-home goes on rent.
Δ +4 pp
59%
0.45
Jobs per resident
Workplace job count divided by working-age residents.
Δ +0.12
0.57
✓ leads
Safety detail
66.7
Crime per 1,000 / yr
Δ -17.8
48.9
✓ leads
Schools detail
48%
✓ leads
% Good/Outstanding (within 2 km)
Δ -6 pp
42%
Connectivity
2.4 km
✓ leads
Nearest rail station
Δ +1.4 km
3.9 km
71 min
✓ leads
Commute to nearest job hub
Public-transport time to the nearest of 10 major UK job hubs.
Δ +72 min
144 min
100%
Gigabit broadband coverage
Δ 0 pp
100%
People & vibe
How busy and varied the neighbourhood is — what's actually around to do.
—
Population
—
3,056 / km²
Population density
People per km². Higher = denser urban; lower = leafier.
1,439 / km²
34%
✓ leads
% with a degree
Δ -6 pp
28%
33%
✓ leads
% working from home
Δ -9 pp
24%
0
Restaurants nearby
Restaurants within ~5 minutes' walk (500 m).
Δ 0
0
—
Pubs & bars nearby
Pubs and bars combined, within 500 m.
—
0
Cafés nearby
Cafés within 500 m.
Δ 0
0
0
Supermarkets nearby
Supermarkets within 500 m.
Δ 0
0
0
Gyms within 1 km
Δ 0
0
0
Parks within 500 m
Δ 0
0