List of Bedfordshire settlements by population


This is a list of all the settlements in Bedfordshire. Population figures are taken from the 2001 UK census. The population given is for the civil parish, Luton Borough in the case of Luton and the unparished area in the case of Bedford. Because of this some village's population may include hamlets which may or may not be considered separate settlements. As well as this some civil parishes include more than one village but they have been included together in this list because there is no reliable data for the populations of separate villages in a civil parish consisting of more than one village. Settlements which do not form part of urban areas have had their urban area listed as rural. However some villages may be only partly in one Urban Area with the rest of it not being in any urban areas in such cases the urban area has been listed as the urban area and Rural.
RanksettlementPopulation 2001 CensusTown or VillageUrban Area
1Luton206,850TownLuton/Dunstable Urban Area
2Bedford78,750TownBedford Urban Area
3Dunstable33,805TownLuton/Dunstable Urban Area
4Leighton Buzzard32,753TownLeighton Buzzard
5Kempston19,375TownBedford Urban Area
6Houghton Regis16,970TownLuton/Dunstable Urban Area
7Biggleswade15,383TownBiggleswade
8Flitwick12,700TownFlitwick/Ampthill
9Sandy10,887TownSandy
10Ampthill6,767TownFlitwick/Ampthill
11Stotfold6,109TownStotfold
12Shefford4,928TownHenlow/Shefford
13Cranfield4,909VillageCranfield
14Barton-le-Clay4,793VillageBarton in the clay
15Bromham4,768VillageBromham
16Arlesey4,741TownArlesey
17Potton4,473TownPotton
17Toddington4,459VillageToddington
18Wootton4,230VillageWootton
19Marston Moretaine3,684VillageMarston Moretaine
20Caddington3,673VillageCaddington
21Clapham3,643VillageClapham
22Eastcotts3,187Village-
23Henlow3,084VillageHenlow/Shefford
24Maulden2,900VillageMaulden
25Langford2,882VillageLangford
26Clifton2,730VillageHenlow/Shefford
27Eaton Bray2,591VillageEaton Bray
28Oakley2,438VillageOakley
29Shortstown2,401VillageShortsdown
30Harlington2,322VillageHarlington
31Northill2,288VillageRural
32Wilshamstead2,263VillageWilshamstead
33Aspley Guise2,185VillageRural
34Elstow2,049VillageBedford Urban Area and Rural
35Westoning2,001VillageWestoning
36Slip End1,976VillageRural
37Sharnbrook1,940VillageRural
38Great Barford1,864VillageGreat Barford
39Shillington1,831VillageRural
40Stondon1,821VillageRural
41Silsoe1,729VillageSilsoe
42Streatley1,707VillageRural
43Clophill1,702VillageClophill
44Biddenham1,640VillageBedford Urban Area and Rural
45Meppershall1,549VillageMeppershall
46Kensworth1,504VillageKensworth
47Renhold1,448VillageRural
48Campton and Chicksands1,388VillageRural
49Houghton Conquest1,299VillageRural
50Kempston Rural1,286VillageRural
51Heath and Reach1,285VillageRural
52Riseley1,284VillageRural
53Harrold1,235VillageRural
54Stewartby1,212VillageRural
55Flitton and Greenfield1,212VillageGreenfield/Flitton
56Turvey1,192VillageRural
57Totternhoe1,180VillageRural
58Lidlington1,145VillageRural
59Southill1,141VillageRural
60Studham1,125VillageRural
61Haynes1,122VillageRural
62Great Denham980VillageRural
63Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden946VillageRural
64Woburn945VillageRural
65Blunham926VillageRural
66Wymington868VillageRushden
67Pulloxhill850VillageRural
68Carlton and Chellington827VillageRural
69Willington782VillageRural
70Milton Ernest754VillageRural
71Stanbridge747VillageRural
72Felmersham and Radwell737VillageRural
73Wrestlingworth and Cockayne Hatley737VillageRural
74Cople736VillageRural
75Bolnhurst and Keysoe734VillageRural
76Hockliffe730VillageRural
77Ravensden706VillageRural
78Thurleigh696VillageRural
79Dunton653VillageRural
80Moggerhanger636VillageRural
81Great Billington632VillageRural
82Pavenham593VillageRural
83Stevington581VillageRural
84Gravenhurst581VillageRural
85Aspley Heath573VillageRural
86Tempsford564VillageRural
87Chalton549VillageRural
88Everton525VillageRural
89Sundon507VillageRural
90Chalgrave480VillageRural
91Whipsnade457VillageRural
92Little Staughton421VillageRural
93Ridgmont418VillageRural
94Podington417VillageRural
95Wilden412VillageRural
96Hyde402VillageRural
97Melchbourne and Yielden391VillageRural
98Eversholt387VillageRural
99Dean and Shelton386VillageRural
100Colmworth367VillageRural
101Tilsworth360VillageRural
102Stagsden354VillageRural
103Staploe347VillageRural
104Brogborough343VillageRural
105Roxton322VillageRural
106Cardington316VillageRural
107Sutton299VillageRural
108Eggington288VillageRural
109Bletsoe281VillageRural
110Old Warden275VillageRural
111Knotting and Souldrop269VillageRural
112Odell260VillageRural
113Steppingley233VillageRural
114Pertenhall231VillageRural
115Husborne Crawley217VillageRural
116Hulcote and Salford186VillageRural
117Swineshead150VillageRural
118Tingrith149VillageRural
119Milton Bryan144VillageRural
120Millbrook130VillageRural
121Eyeworth86VillageRural
122Edworth69VillageRural
123Little Barford44VillageRural
124Potsgrove44VillageRural
125Battlesden37VillageRural
126Astwick24VillageRural

List of [Urban area]s in Bedfordshire by Population

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 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."

According to this definition of an Urban Area Bedfordshire contains thirty one Urban Areas, most of which have populations less than 10,000 and only two have populations over 100,000.
RankUrban AreaPopulation 2001 CensusArea
1Luton/Dunstable Urban Area236,31848.95
2Bedford Urban Area101,92823.54
3Leighton Buzzard32,5737.95
4Flitwick/Ampthill19,4674.43
5Biggleswade15,3833.57
6Henlow/Shefford12,0526.24
7Sandy10,8872.82
8Stotfold6,1091.33
9Cranfield4,8023.25
10Barton in the clay4,7931.11
11Arlesey4,7411.23
12Bromham4,5991.35
13Potton4,4731.01
14Wootton4,4721.06
15Toddington4,1951.01
16Eaton Bray4,1391.13
17Clapham3,6431.12
18Caddington3,1000.69
19Marston Moretaine3,0410.72
20Langford2,8820.78
21Oakley2,4380.69
22Harlington2,3220.66
23Maulden2,2560.61
24Westoning2,0010.45
25Wilshamstead1,9690.58
26Clophill1,8820.60
27Great Barford1,8640.59
28Shortstown1,7450.87
29Silsoe1,7290.61
30Meppershall1,5490.57
31Greenfield/Flitton1,5290.49
32Kensworth1,5040.49
Total506,385120.36