Pay vs Place

Where can you afford to live on £30,000?

On £30,000 a year before tax, a typical lender would lend enough for a home costing up to about £150,000, and you could rent up to about £875 a month while keeping rent to 35% of income.

Areas you could buy in
8 of 316
where the typical home sold costs £150,000 or less (3%)
Areas you could rent in
99 of 316
where the average rent is £875 a month or less (31%)

What the numbers say

Assuming a 10% deposit and borrowing of 4.5 times income, £30,000 meets a lender's test for the typical home sold in 8 of 316 areas (3%). The regions where the most areas fit are North East (2 of 12), Wales (2 of 22), North West (3 of 35). None of the areas in West Midlands, South West, London fit.

For renting, 99 of 316 areas have an average rent within £875 a month, which is 31%. Rent is easier to meet than a mortgage test in most places, because it does not need a deposit.

Change the numbers in the calculator to add your deposit, pick a type of home, or filter by region and crime.

Areas where you could buy on £30,000

Typical home price across all property types. Most expensive first.

Area Region Typical home price Average rent a month Recorded crime per 1,000 residents
Sunderland North East £150,000 £707 93.6
County Durham North East £145,000 £650 91.0
Merthyr Tydfil Wales £145,000 £754 76.5
Hyndburn North West £144,475 £648 96.9
Burnley North West £141,500 £631 107.5
Blackpool North West £140,000 £719 145.8
Blaenau Gwent Wales £140,000 £681 114.5
Kingston upon Hull Yorkshire and The Humber £140,000 £694 121.5
Estimates using the typical price or rent for each whole local authority area, not a particular street or town. Buying assumes a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income and a deposit of at least 10%. Renting assumes rent of up to 35% of gross income. Real lending and rents depend on your circumstances. This is not financial advice.

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