Bolton: what a home costs and what you need to earn
North West. House prices are based on 2,771 sales over the last 12 months.
How we rate: buying compares the typical home price with median pay (under 5× affordable, 5 to 8× fairly affordable, 8 to 11× expensive, over 11× very expensive). Renting compares a year of average rent with median pay (under 25% affordable, 25 to 33% fairly affordable, 33 to 40% expensive, over 40% very expensive). Crime compares the rate per resident with the England and Wales average.
What the numbers say about Bolton
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Bolton over the past year cost £205,000, which is 6.0× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Bolton is the 65th least expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the North West it is around the middle of 35 areas (16th most expensive).
For a terraced house at £162,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £32,500, and the 10% deposit would be £16,000, about 6 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £34,186, 106% of the income needed, so on these assumptions one median earner could meet the test alone.
Renting a terraced house costs about £860 a month, which is 30% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £894 a month. Measured against pay, it is around the middle of 316 areas (181st most expensive) for renting. Rents rose 11.1% over the latest year ONS measured, faster than the typical area (3.9%). Renting is relatively harder here than buying: the area ranks much higher for rents against pay than for house prices against pay.
Median full-time pay of £34,186 is the 33rd lowest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Bolton, wherever they work.
Police recorded 98.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 21% above average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the 53rd highest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest above average is violence against the person (38% above).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 545 | £360,000 | 10.5× | £36,000 | £72,000 |
| Semi-detached | 1,002 | £225,000 | 6.6× | £22,500 | £45,000 |
| Terraced | 1,004 | £162,000 | 4.7× | £16,000 | £32,500 |
| Flat | 220 | £115,500 | 3.4× | £11,500 | £23,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,354 | £16,248 | 48% |
| Semi-detached | £969 | £11,628 | 34% |
| Terraced | £860 | £10,320 | 30% |
| Flat | £784 | £9,408 | 28% |
How prices in Bolton have changed
Average house price for all property types, by year. The last point is the latest 12 months.
Show the figures
| Year | Average price |
|---|---|
| 1995 | £37,222 |
| 1996 | £37,040 |
| 1997 | £38,612 |
| 1998 | £39,598 |
| 1999 | £40,883 |
| 2000 | £42,923 |
| 2001 | £47,083 |
| 2002 | £53,291 |
| 2003 | £66,015 |
| 2004 | £86,777 |
| 2005 | £105,242 |
| 2006 | £114,480 |
| 2007 | £125,481 |
| 2008 | £122,456 |
| 2009 | £108,046 |
| 2010 | £108,573 |
| 2011 | £104,549 |
| 2012 | £102,890 |
| 2013 | £104,787 |
| 2014 | £107,609 |
| 2015 | £111,788 |
| 2016 | £116,009 |
| 2017 | £122,909 |
| 2018 | £127,503 |
| 2019 | £132,102 |
| 2020 | £138,155 |
| 2021 | £157,001 |
| 2022 | £175,434 |
| 2023 | £180,754 |
| 2024 | £188,478 |
| 2025 | £195,663 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £200,205 |
The average home price in Bolton was £116,009 in 2016 and £200,205 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 73% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Bolton the 11th fastest-rising of 316 areas for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £105,242 to £200,205, a rise of 90% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 18% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £125,481 in 2007 to £102,890 in 2012. They did not get back to their 2007 level until 2018.
Prices are cash figures, not adjusted for inflation, and come from the HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, which uses a different method from the median prices above, so the two will not match exactly.
Buying a home against local pay, over time
Average house price divided by median full-time pay, in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025. A higher number means homes are harder to afford.
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| Year | Bolton | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5.1 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 4.9 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 4.7 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 5.1 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 5.7 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Bolton cost 5.1 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 5.7 years, so homes have become harder to afford relative to local pay.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Bolton rose 67% (from £20,479 to £34,186), while the average house price rose 86%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Bolton is below the typical area.
Pay is the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax, in cash terms (not adjusted for inflation). The 2025 figure is provisional. Where ONS withheld a figure because it was unreliable, or the council did not exist in its current form, that year is left out.
How rents in Bolton have changed
Average monthly rent for all property types, by year. The last point is the latest month.
Show the figures
| Year | Average rent |
|---|---|
| 2015 | £513 a month |
| 2016 | £532 a month |
| 2017 | £552 a month |
| 2018 | £565 a month |
| 2019 | £572 a month |
| 2020 | £582 a month |
| 2021 | £602 a month |
| 2022 | £644 a month |
| 2023 | £696 a month |
| 2024 | £751 a month |
| 2025 | £816 a month |
| August 2026 | £894 a month |
The average rent in Bolton was £513 a month in 2015 and £894 in August 2026, a rise of 74%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Bolton the 12th fastest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 79%. Rents and house prices have risen at a similar pace here.
Rent figures are from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents and are cash figures, not adjusted for inflation.
Crime
Police recorded crime in the year ending March 2026, per 1,000 residents, against the average for the areas of England and Wales covered here.
| Type of crime | Per 1,000 residents | England and Wales average | Compared with average | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 98.0 | 81.3 | 21% above average | −7% |
| Violence against the person | 42.7 | 31.0 | 38% above average | −3% |
| Sexual offences | 4.0 | 3.4 | 18% above average | +0% |
| Robbery | 1.4 | 1.4 | about average | – |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.9 | 6.2 | 13% above average | −18% |
| Vehicle offences | 4.5 | 4.9 | 7% below average | −9% |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 | 1.6 | 70% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.6 | 7.1 | 7% above average | −12% |
Recorded crime in Bolton was 105.0 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 98.0 in the year ending March 2026, down 7%. Across England and Wales it was down 4%.
Changes are left blank where the rate is very low, as a few extra crimes would look like a big swing. This is one year's change only, so it can reflect one-off events or changes in how police record crime, not just a real trend. Rates per resident use ONS population estimates for each year.