Dorset: what a home costs and what you need to earn
South West. House prices are based on 5,095 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 Dorset
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Dorset over the past year cost £340,000, which is 9.1× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Dorset is the 87th most expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the South West it is the 4th most expensive of 26 areas.
For a terraced house at £265,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £53,000, and the 10% deposit would be £26,500, about 8 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £37,462, 71% 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 £1,045 a month, which is 33% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £1,056 a month. Measured against pay, it is around the middle of 316 areas (148th most expensive) for renting. Rents rose 4.9% over the latest year ONS measured, faster than the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £37,462 is around the middle of 316 areas (185th highest); the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Dorset, wherever they work.
Police recorded 44.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 45% below average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the 17th lowest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest below average is vehicle offences (57% below).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 2,018 | £475,000 | 12.7× | £47,500 | £95,000 |
| Semi-detached | 1,015 | £332,000 | 8.9× | £33,000 | £66,500 |
| Terraced | 1,314 | £265,000 | 7.1× | £26,500 | £53,000 |
| Flat | 748 | £177,750 | 4.7× | £18,000 | £35,500 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,442 | £17,304 | 46% |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £13,812 | 37% |
| Terraced | £1,045 | £12,540 | 33% |
| Flat | £841 | £10,092 | 27% |
How prices in Dorset 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 | £59,924 |
| 1996 | £61,293 |
| 1997 | £67,901 |
| 1998 | £76,017 |
| 1999 | £84,894 |
| 2000 | £101,088 |
| 2001 | £113,117 |
| 2002 | £137,060 |
| 2003 | £164,008 |
| 2004 | £185,527 |
| 2005 | £196,167 |
| 2006 | £206,362 |
| 2007 | £226,975 |
| 2008 | £220,434 |
| 2009 | £197,378 |
| 2010 | £215,458 |
| 2011 | £211,939 |
| 2012 | £214,134 |
| 2013 | £217,410 |
| 2014 | £230,402 |
| 2015 | £240,722 |
| 2016 | £255,133 |
| 2017 | £269,918 |
| 2018 | £276,417 |
| 2019 | £275,304 |
| 2020 | £280,877 |
| 2021 | £301,015 |
| 2022 | £338,102 |
| 2023 | £337,514 |
| 2024 | £328,154 |
| 2025 | £327,598 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £327,915 |
The average home price in Dorset was £255,133 in 2016 and £327,915 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 29% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Dorset the 106th slowest-rising of 316 areas for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £196,167 to £327,915, a rise of 67% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 13% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £226,975 in 2007 to £197,378 in 2009. They did not get back to their 2007 level until 2014.
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.
How rents in Dorset 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 | £714 a month |
| 2016 | £734 a month |
| 2017 | £757 a month |
| 2018 | £781 a month |
| 2019 | £800 a month |
| 2020 | £813 a month |
| 2021 | £827 a month |
| 2022 | £882 a month |
| 2023 | £918 a month |
| 2024 | £974 a month |
| 2025 | £1,010 a month |
| August 2026 | £1,056 a month |
The average rent in Dorset was £714 a month in 2015 and £1,056 in August 2026, a rise of 48%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Dorset the 109th slowest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 36%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 12 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) | 44.5 | 81.3 | 45% below average | −10% |
| Violence against the person | 18.9 | 31.0 | 39% below average | −5% |
| Sexual offences | 2.3 | 3.4 | 33% below average | −2% |
| Robbery | 0.3 | 1.4 | 80% below average | – |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 3.3 | 6.2 | 46% below average | −4% |
| Vehicle offences | 2.1 | 4.9 | 57% below average | −33% |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 1.6 | 88% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.8 | 7.1 | 31% below average | −9% |
Recorded crime in Dorset was 49.4 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 44.5 in the year ending March 2026, down 10%. 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.