Chicksands’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Chicksands’ built-up area.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ChicksandsBedfordshire
722 people live in this village in Bedfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Marcus de Figueiredo · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
722
Census 2021 · Central Bedfordshire council
Median home
£353K
21 sales in 3 years
Median age
35.9
7% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
19%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Chicksands a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Chicksands is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. Only 7% of residents are 65 or over. Private renters make up 30% of households.
What makes Chicksands stand out
The 2 things Chicksands does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chicksands.
Work & commute
Chicksands is better off than Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns: households earn £71K a year
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Four in five commuters drove, above both Bedfordshire’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). For just over a third of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Among 16 to 64s, 1.4% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
19%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving80%
On foot11%
Bicycle7%
34%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Homes in Chicksands sell for a median £353,000
Two thirds of households own their home. Social housing holds 3% of households, below Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,250 a month across the Central Bedfordshire council area.
£353Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chicksands£353K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £380,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £350,000 | 15 |
67%
of households own their home · England 61%
30%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,250
average private rent a month, Central Bedfordshire council area
£2,412
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Chicksands than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 1.4 per 1,000 residents a year
Violence and sexual offences made up 56% of the total. Chicksands logged 16 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 5 complaints of anti-social conduct. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 6.5 reports per 1,000, below both Bedfordshire’s towns (10.2) and England’s towns (7.8).
22.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Weapons3
Public order2
Drugs2
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social5
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
22.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Just 1.9% of people in Chicksands say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Self-reported good health: 91% of Chicksands’ residents. At the census, just over a tenth of people here had a disability, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Chicksands is Bedford Hospital, 7.9 miles away.
91%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Chicksands | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 11% | 15% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Chicksands’s listed buildings: 1, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 16% of the total, above Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and close to England’s towns (16%). Chicksands has one registered historic park or garden. Scaled to its population, that is 14 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in the town.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
14
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
A town of families: 24% of people in Chicksands are under 15, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
14% of the population is aged 15 to 24, above Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Over-65s are 7.2% of the population. The age that splits Chicksands in two is 35.9.
35.9median age
ChicksandsBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Chicksands | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 7.2% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.5% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Military Intelligence Museum and 7 more in and around Chicksands
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Chicksands. Best known first.
MuseumMilitary Intelligence Museumin town
Historic house · English HeritageWrest Park4.3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumRAF Henlow4.4 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseThe Mansion House4.8 km outside town, to the northeastGardenGarden · English HeritageWrest Park & Gardens4.5 km outside town, to the southwestCastleCastleMeppershall Castel2.8 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Military Intelligence Museum: Gothic20, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wrest Park: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- RAF Henlow: M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Mansion House: Giles Keen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chicksands
13pages on Chicksands
The big questions
Safety22.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £353K · rent £1,250 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hoover PlaceSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.6 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards4.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Chicksands’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SheffordMeppershallClophillShillingtonCliftonSilsoeLower StondonChicksands
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicksands | 722 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shefford | 7,317 | 1.3 | B | B+ | C | A− |
| Meppershall | 2,044 | 1.7 | — | C+ | B+ | B+ |
| Clophill | 2,515 | 2.5 | A− | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Shillington | 1,629 | 2.7 | — | B+ | B | B+ |
| Clifton | 2,769 | 2.7 | B | B | C+ | B+ |
| Silsoe | 3,419 | 3.3 | A+ | B | A | A |
| Lower Stondon | 3,966 | 3.4 | B+ | B | B | A− |
Meppershall and Shillington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chicksands
Who lives in Chicksands?
A young village. At the 2021 Census, 24% of residents were under 15 and 29% were 25 to 44, against 18% and 27% across England’s towns; only 7.2% were 65 or over.
Is Chicksands expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £350,000 and semi-detached houses £380,000.
How much is council tax in Chicksands?
Band D council tax in Chicksands is £2,412 for 2026–27, less than in 56% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Chicksands
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Chicksands is a built-up area of 722 people, in the Central Bedfordshire council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 722 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003840
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.