List of settlements in Bedfordshire by population explained

This is a list of all the settlements in Bedfordshire. Population figures are taken from the 2001 UK census and 2011 UK Census. Population figures are given for the civil parishes as well as urban areas. There is no data for some of the smallest civil parishes in the 2011 census. The ONS definition of an urban area is based on the continuously built-up area, and is as follows:-

"The definition of an urban area is an extent of at least 20 hectares and at least 1,500 residents at the time of the 2001 Census. The starting point is the identification by OS (Ordnance Survey) of areas with land use which is irreversibly urban in character. This comprises permanent structures and the land on which they are situated, including land enclosed by or closely associated with such structures; transportation corridors such as roads, railways and canals which have built up land on one or both sides, or which link built-up sites which are less than 200 metres apart; transportation features such as airports and operational airfields, railway yards, motorway service areas and car parks; mine buildings, excluding mineral workings and quarries; and any area completely surrounded by builtup sites. Areas such as playing fields and golf courses are excluded unless completely surrounded by builtup sites. The prerequisite for the recognition of an urban area is that the area of urban land should extend for 20 hectares or more. Separate areas of urban land are linked if less than 200 metres apart. Land between built-up areas is not regarded as urban unless it satisfies one of the conditions listed above."^[1]

According to this definition of an Urban Area, Bedfordshire contains two urban areas that have populations over 100,000.

Settlement	Built-Up Area 2001^[2]		Built-Up Area 2011^[3]		Parish Population		Notes
	Population	Area (km^2)	Population	Area (km^2)	2001	2011
Luton	236,318	48.95	258,018	50.71			Luton is an unparished area. The Borough of Luton had a population of .
Bedford	101,928	23.54	106,940	24.82			This figure is for the Bedford built-up-area. The area of the historic county town of Bedford is unparished, whilst the town of Kempston and the village of Biddenham are parished.
Leighton Buzzard	32,573	7.95	37,469	8.64	32,753	37,469	The parish is named Leighton–Linslade
Flitwick	19,467	4.43	20,026	4.84	12,700	12,998
Biggleswade	15,383	3.57	16,551	3.94	15,383	16,551
Sandy	10,887	2.82	11,657	3.22	10,887	11,657
Shefford	12,052	6.24	10,816	3.05	4,928	5,881
Stotfold	6,109	1.33	6,838	1.68	6,109	9,632
Arlesey	4,741	1.23	5,584	1.35	4,741	5,584
Cranfield	4,802	3.25	5,369	2.37	4,909	5,369
Barton-le-Clay	4,793	1.11	4,992	1.31	4,793	4,992
Potton	4,473	1.01	4,870	1.43	4,473	4,870
Bromham	4,599	1.35	4,670	1.57	4,768	4,957
Toddington	4,195	1.01	4,585	1.11	4,459	4,585
Clapham	3,643	1.12	4,560	1.34	3,643	4,560
Wootton	4,472	1.06	4,344	1.22	4,230	4,156
Eaton Bray	4,139	1.13	3,912	1.44	2,591	2,585
Stondon			3,857	1.44	1,821	2,295	The built-up area population includes Henlow Camp
Marston Moretaine	3,041	0.72	3,850	0.88	3,684	4,556
Caddington	3,100	0.69	3,112	0.78	3,673	3,703
Langford	2,882	0.78	3,091	1.03	2,882	3,091
Oakley	2,438	0.69	2,493	0.86	2,438	2,493
Shortstown	1,745	0.87	2,401	0.42			Part of Eastcotts civil parish until 2019^[4]
Clophill	1,882	0.60	2,369	0.78	1,702	1,738
Maulden	2,256	0.61	2,357	0.84	2,900	3,132
Harlington	2,322	0.66	2,297	0.68	2,322	2,297
Wilshamstead	1,969	0.58	2,177	0.82	2,263	3,270
Westoning	2,001	0.45	2,147	0.55	2,001	2,147
Great Barford	1,864	0.59	2,003	0.74	1,864	2,003
Greenfield	1,529	0.49	1,831	0.74	1,212	1,415
Sharnbrook			1,795	0.83	1,940	2,293
Silsoe	1,729	0.61	1,791	0.68	1,729	1,791
Meppershall	1,549	0.57	1,745	0.72	1,549	1,745
Harrold			1,691	0.63	1,235	1,691
Kensworth	1,504	0.49	1,455	0.54	1,504	1,455
Shillington			1,447	0.53	1,831	1,842
Campton and Chicksands			1,396	0.73	1,388	1,699
Slip End			1,358	0.51	1,976	1,831
Heath and Reach			1,346	0.40	1,285	1,346
Houghton Conquest			1,311	0.46	1,299	1,514
Riseley			1,286	0.62	1,284	1,286
Stewartby			1,190	0.96	1,212	1,190
Lidlington			1,185	0.31	1,145	1,347
Stanbridge			1,044	0.76	747	713
Totternhoe			982	0.52	1,180	1,172
Blunham			946	0.64	926	946
Turvey			940	0.34	1,192	1,225
Haynes			940	0.40	1,122	1,199
Woburn			933	0.31	945	933
Eastcotts			838	2.45	3,187	3,239	Eastcotts parish is split between two Built-Up areas, Cotton End and Shortstown. The latter of which became its own parish in 2019.
Hockliffe			823	0.29	730	823
Milton Ernest			761	0.30	754	761
Willington			751	0.52	782	751
Cople			722	0.39	736	722
Dunton			696	0.23	653	696
Thurleigh			694	0.22	696	694
Northill			636	0.48	2,288	2,270
Moggerhanger			620	0.30	636	620
Gravenhurst			595	0.32	581	595
Tempsford			590	0.26	564	590
Pulloxhill			569	0.32	850	985
Streatley			559	0.30	1,707	1,840
Stevington			552	0.32	581	552
Chalton			538	0.46	549	538
Pavenham			527	0.36	593	712
Everton			523	0.41	525	523
Radwell			509	0.20			In the parish of Felmersham
Studham			492	0.20	1,125	1,128
Little Staughton			440	0.28	421	440
Podington			435	0.22	417	435
Ridgmont			411	0.25	418	411
Stagsden			363	0.23	354	363
Roxton			348	0.24	322	348
Brogborough			302	0.38	343	302
Cardington			288	0.30	316	288
Whipsnade			279	0.28	457	420
Dunstable					33,805	36,253	Part of the Luton/Dunstable urban area
Houghton Regis					16,970	17,283	Part of the Luton/Dunstable urban area
Ampthill					6,767	7,028	Part of Flitwick's Built-up area
Henlow					3,084	3,815	Forms part of Shefford's built-up area
Clifton					2,730	2,878	Forms part of Shefford's built-up area
Elstow					2,049	2,702	Forms part of Bedford's built-up area
Renhold					1,448	2,451
Aspley Guise					2,185	2,195	Forms part of the Milton Keynes urban area
Ravensden					706	1,961
Biddenham					1,640	1,634	Part of Bedford's Built-up Area
Great Denham					980	1,553
Southill					1,141	1,192
Kempston					19,375	1,184	Forms part of Bedford's built-up area
Kempston Rural					1,286	1,184
Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden					946	936
Wymington					868	876
Carlton and Chellington					827	874
Wrestlingworth and Cockayne Hatley					737	744
Bolnhurst and Keysoe					734	719
Aspley Heath					573	578
Sundon					507	480
Chalgrave					480	475
Eversholt					387	442
Dean and Shelton					386	418
Wilden					412	399
Colmworth					367	393
Hyde					402	392
Melchbourne and Yielden					391	392
Sutton					299	366
Tilsworth					360	331
Staploe					347	331
Old Warden					275	328
Great Billington					632	291
Eggington					288	287
Odell					260	287
Bletsoe					281	260
Knotting and Souldrop					269	238
Husborne Crawley					217	237
Steppingley					233	236
Milton Bryan					144	220
Hulcote and Salford					186	209
Pertenhall					231	207
Tingrith					149	153
Millbrook					130	147
Swineshead					150	122
Eyeworth					86
Edworth					69
Little Barford					44
Potsgrove					44
Battlesden					37
Astwick					24

See also

• Civil parishes in Bedfordshire
• List of towns and cities in England by population

Notes and References

1. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/census2001/ks_urban_north_part_1.pdf ONS definition of urban areas
2. Web site: 2001 Key Statistics - Urban Areas in England and Wales . . 29 January 2022 .
3. Web site: 2011 Census – Built-up areas . . 29 January 2022 .
4. Web site: The Borough of Bedford (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2019. Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 29 January 2022. 11 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200711110628/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/Reviews/Eastern/Bedfordshire/CGR/Borough%20of%20Bedford%20CGR%202019.pdf. dead.