Epping Forest: what a home costs and what you need to earn
East of England. House prices are based on 1,348 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 Epping Forest
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Epping Forest over the past year cost £515,000, which is 11.3× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Epping Forest is the 25th most expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the East of England it is the 3rd most expensive of 45 areas.
For a terraced house at £475,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £95,000, and the 10% deposit would be £47,500, about 12 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £45,618, 48% of the income needed, so on these assumptions even two median incomes would fall short of the test.
Renting a terraced house costs about £1,820 a month, which is 48% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £1,844 a month. Measured against pay, it is the 33rd most expensive of 316 areas for renting. Rents rose 5.6% over the latest year ONS measured, faster than the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £45,618 is the 42nd highest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Epping Forest, wherever they work.
Police recorded 63.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 22% below average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the 113th lowest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest above average is vehicle offences (48% above). The category furthest below average is sexual offences (47% below).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 301 | £845,000 | 18.5× | £84,500 | £169,000 |
| Semi-detached | 389 | £570,000 | 12.5× | £57,000 | £114,000 |
| Terraced | 362 | £475,000 | 10.4× | £47,500 | £95,000 |
| Flat | 296 | £310,000 | 6.8× | £31,000 | £62,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,563 | £30,756 | 67% |
| Semi-detached | £1,970 | £23,640 | 52% |
| Terraced | £1,820 | £21,840 | 48% |
| Flat | £1,436 | £17,232 | 38% |
How prices in Epping Forest 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 | £87,475 |
| 1996 | £89,628 |
| 1997 | £101,444 |
| 1998 | £115,647 |
| 1999 | £125,291 |
| 2000 | £150,236 |
| 2001 | £171,858 |
| 2002 | £199,815 |
| 2003 | £237,529 |
| 2004 | £257,245 |
| 2005 | £261,039 |
| 2006 | £276,460 |
| 2007 | £303,624 |
| 2008 | £312,434 |
| 2009 | £277,479 |
| 2010 | £309,230 |
| 2011 | £308,216 |
| 2012 | £315,492 |
| 2013 | £328,184 |
| 2014 | £364,993 |
| 2015 | £403,190 |
| 2016 | £455,377 |
| 2017 | £478,869 |
| 2018 | £483,317 |
| 2019 | £478,332 |
| 2020 | £484,291 |
| 2021 | £497,260 |
| 2022 | £533,307 |
| 2023 | £528,814 |
| 2024 | £530,802 |
| 2025 | £528,408 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £530,962 |
The average home price in Epping Forest was £455,377 in 2016 and £530,962 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 17% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Epping Forest the 36th slowest-rising of 316 areas for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £261,039 to £530,962, which is 2.0 times as much (the typical area: 1.8 times).
Prices fell 11% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £312,434 in 2008 to £277,479 in 2009. They did not get back to their 2008 level until 2012.
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 | Epping Forest | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.7 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 10.2 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 11.8 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.2 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.6 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Epping Forest cost 8.7 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 11.6 years, so homes have become harder to afford relative to local pay.
Homes were hardest to afford in 2020, at 13.2 years of pay. It has eased since.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Epping Forest rose 53% (from £29,888 to £45,618), while the average house price rose 102%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Epping Forest 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 Epping Forest 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 | £1,160 a month |
| 2016 | £1,238 a month |
| 2017 | £1,316 a month |
| 2018 | £1,361 a month |
| 2019 | £1,381 a month |
| 2020 | £1,399 a month |
| 2021 | £1,419 a month |
| 2022 | £1,445 a month |
| 2023 | £1,504 a month |
| 2024 | £1,602 a month |
| 2025 | £1,739 a month |
| August 2026 | £1,844 a month |
The average rent in Epping Forest was £1,160 a month in 2015 and £1,844 in August 2026, a rise of 59%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Epping Forest the 97th fastest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 32%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 27 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) | 63.3 | 81.3 | 22% below average | −8% |
| Violence against the person | 24.6 | 31.0 | 21% below average | +9% |
| Sexual offences | 1.8 | 3.4 | 47% below average | −2% |
| Robbery | 0.8 | 1.4 | 43% below average | – |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.4 | 6.2 | 3% above average | −6% |
| Vehicle offences | 7.2 | 4.9 | 48% above average | −24% |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 | 1.6 | 71% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.6 | 7.1 | 21% below average | +4% |
Recorded crime in Epping Forest was 68.8 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 63.3 in the year ending March 2026, down 8%. Across England and Wales it was down 4%.
Violence against the person was up 9% 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.