Cornwall: what a home costs and what you need to earn
South West. House prices are based on 6,888 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 Cornwall
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Cornwall over the past year cost £285,000, which is 8.1× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Cornwall is around the middle of 316 areas (136th most expensive) for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the South West it is around the middle of 26 areas (14th most expensive).
For a terraced house at £230,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £46,000, and the 10% deposit would be £23,000, about 8 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £35,002, 76% of the income needed, so on these assumptions it takes two median incomes, or one well above the median, to meet the test.
Renting a terraced house costs about £1,033 a month, which is 35% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £1,000 a month. Measured against pay, it is around the middle of 316 areas (142nd most expensive) for renting. Rents rose 1.8% over the latest year ONS measured, slower than the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £35,002 is the 59th lowest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Cornwall, wherever they work.
Police recorded 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 23% below average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the 112th lowest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest below average is vehicle offences (68% below).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 2,593 | £399,950 | 11.4× | £40,000 | £80,000 |
| Semi-detached | 1,579 | £265,000 | 7.6× | £26,500 | £53,000 |
| Terraced | 2,017 | £230,000 | 6.6× | £23,000 | £46,000 |
| Flat | 699 | £175,000 | 5.0× | £17,500 | £35,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,278 | £15,336 | 44% |
| Semi-detached | £1,070 | £12,840 | 37% |
| Terraced | £1,033 | £12,396 | 35% |
| Flat | £810 | £9,720 | 28% |
How prices in Cornwall 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 | £46,706 |
| 1996 | £47,761 |
| 1997 | £52,997 |
| 1998 | £57,815 |
| 1999 | £62,769 |
| 2000 | £73,334 |
| 2001 | £84,076 |
| 2002 | £107,137 |
| 2003 | £138,783 |
| 2004 | £165,322 |
| 2005 | £178,433 |
| 2006 | £187,024 |
| 2007 | £202,888 |
| 2008 | £197,095 |
| 2009 | £177,485 |
| 2010 | £189,589 |
| 2011 | £184,897 |
| 2012 | £184,628 |
| 2013 | £184,837 |
| 2014 | £191,595 |
| 2015 | £199,925 |
| 2016 | £203,394 |
| 2017 | £211,038 |
| 2018 | £221,001 |
| 2019 | £224,774 |
| 2020 | £233,156 |
| 2021 | £257,816 |
| 2022 | £291,146 |
| 2023 | £293,220 |
| 2024 | £283,743 |
| 2025 | £277,824 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £278,852 |
The average home price in Cornwall was £203,394 in 2016 and £278,852 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 37% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Cornwall around the middle of 316 areas (152nd fastest-rising) for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £178,433 to £278,852, a rise of 56% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 13% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £202,888 in 2007 to £177,485 in 2009. They did not get back to their 2007 level until 2016.
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.
Show the figures
| Year | Cornwall | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.4 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.6 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.9 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Cornwall cost 9.4 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 7.9 years, so homes have become easier to afford relative to local pay.
Homes were hardest to afford in 2005, at 9.4 years of pay. It has eased since.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Cornwall rose 84% (from £18,998 to £35,002), while the average house price rose 56%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Cornwall is above 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 Cornwall 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 | £678 a month |
| 2016 | £687 a month |
| 2017 | £696 a month |
| 2018 | £719 a month |
| 2019 | £739 a month |
| 2020 | £756 a month |
| 2021 | £776 a month |
| 2022 | £810 a month |
| 2023 | £862 a month |
| 2024 | £902 a month |
| 2025 | £971 a month |
| August 2026 | £1,000 a month |
The average rent in Cornwall was £678 a month in 2015 and £1,000 in August 2026, a rise of 47%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Cornwall the 101st slowest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 39%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 8 percentage points.
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) | 62.7 | 81.3 | 23% below average | +5% |
| Violence against the person | 29.7 | 31.0 | 4% below average | +11% |
| Sexual offences | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4% above average | −2% |
| Robbery | 0.3 | 1.4 | 75% below average | – |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.6 | 6.2 | 58% below average | +5% |
| Vehicle offences | 1.6 | 4.9 | 68% below average | +6% |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 1.6 | 80% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6% above average | +1% |
Recorded crime in Cornwall was 59.9 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 62.7 in the year ending March 2026, up 5%. Across England and Wales it was down 4%.
Violence against the person was up 11% over the same year.
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.