Salph End’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Salph End’s built-up area.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Salph EndBedfordshire
Some 485 people live in this village, in Bedfordshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Adrian Cable · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
485
Census 2021 · Bedford council
Median home
£480K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.6
36% are 65+ · Bedfordshire 15%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Salph End a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Salph End is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 6 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Over-65s are 36% of the population.
What makes Salph End stand out
The 3 things Salph End does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 5.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
36% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bedford Castle and 10 more in and around Salph End
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Salph End. Best known first.
CastleBedford Castle3.5 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumJohn Bunyan museum3.4 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumThe Higgins3.5 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumPanacea Museum3.4 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric siteHistoric site · National TrustWillington Dovecote3.5 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric site · National TrustWillington Stables3.5 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Bedford Castle: Matthew Paris, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Bunyan museum: Simon Speed, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Higgins: Simon Speed, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Panacea Museum: Paul Harrop, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Salph End.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Salph End: 36% are 65 or over, above Bedfordshire’s towns and England’s towns
Under 15: 12% of residents. 7.7% of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Ages in Salph End split evenly at 55.6: half are older, half younger.
55.6median age
Salph EndBedfordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
36%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship11%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Salph End | Bedfordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 20% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 29% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 36% | 15% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 11% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Bedfordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 91% of commuters in Salph End, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Working from home was the norm for 41% of workers at the census. 50% of commuters travelled under 5 km, higher than both Bedfordshire’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). The average household earns £66K a year before tax.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot6%
Train2%
50%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£66K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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
More households own their home in Salph End than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
Private renters make up 10% of households, lower than both Bedfordshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (21%). The social rented sector houses 3% of households. The £480,000 median rests on 22 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£480Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Salph End£480K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £577,500 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | 6 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,173
average private rent a month, Bedford council area
£2,453
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
Salph End records less burglary and damage per resident than Bedfordshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 6.2 per 1,000 a year
Salph End logged 20 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 7 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violence and sexual offences made up 55% of the total. Violent crime ran at 22.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above Bedfordshire’s towns (18.6) and close to England’s towns (22).
22.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social7
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.
22.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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
Fewer people in Salph End say their health is good than in Bedfordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
A disability affects nearly a fifth of people in Salph End. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.1 miles off. The nearest A&E to Salph End is Bedford Hospital, 3.1 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Salph End | Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 15% | 17% |
80.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Salph End is rich in listed buildings: 124 per 10,000 residents, more than in Bedfordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
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 12% of the total, near Bedfordshire’s towns (11%) and lower than England’s towns (16%).
6listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
12%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
124
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Salph End
13pages on Salph End
The big questions
Safety22.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £480K · rent £1,173 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hookhams LaneSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.5 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards5.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Salph End’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BedfordGreat BarfordClaphamShortstownOakleyGreat DenhamKempstonSalph End
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salph End | 485 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bedford | 97,226 | 2.2 | C− | B | D | C− |
| Great Barford | 2,254 | 3.1 | — | C+ | B+ | B |
| Clapham | 4,502 | 3.2 | B | B+ | B | B |
| Shortstown | 4,837 | 3.5 | C+ | B | C | C+ |
| Oakley | 2,507 | 4.2 | A | C+ | A | B+ |
| Great Denham | 4,363 | 4.3 | B+ | B− | B− | A |
| Kempston | 22,779 | 4.4 | C | B+ | C− | C− |
Great Barford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Salph End
How many listed buildings are there in Salph End?
That is 5.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Salph End expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £480,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £310,000 and detached houses £577,500. Private rents in the Bedford council area averaged £1,173 a month in August 2026.
About Salph End
Village in Bedfordshire, England
Salph End is a built-up area of 485 people, in the Bedford 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
- 485 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Bedford
- County
- Bedfordshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003542
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.