Folkestone and Hythe: what a home costs and what you need to earn
South East. House prices are based on 1,392 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 Folkestone and Hythe
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Folkestone and Hythe over the past year cost £317,750, which is 8.2× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Folkestone and Hythe is around the middle of 316 areas (135th most expensive) for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the South East it is the 11th least expensive of 64 areas.
For a terraced house at £280,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £56,000, and the 10% deposit would be £28,000, about 9 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £38,864, 69% 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 £1,201 a month, which is 37% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £1,178 a month. Measured against pay, it is the 120th most expensive of 316 areas for renting. Rents rose 10.6% over the latest year ONS measured, faster than the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £38,864 is around the middle of 316 areas (145th highest); the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Folkestone and Hythe, wherever they work.
Police recorded 74.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 8% below average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it around the middle of 310 areas (139th highest) for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest below average is vehicle offences (52% below).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 357 | £460,000 | 11.8× | £46,000 | £92,000 |
| Semi-detached | 354 | £345,000 | 8.9× | £34,500 | £69,000 |
| Terraced | 389 | £280,000 | 7.2× | £28,000 | £56,000 |
| Flat | 292 | £185,500 | 4.8× | £18,500 | £37,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,610 | £19,320 | 50% |
| Semi-detached | £1,328 | £15,936 | 41% |
| Terraced | £1,201 | £14,412 | 37% |
| Flat | £919 | £11,028 | 28% |
How prices in Folkestone and Hythe 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 | £46,833 |
| 1996 | £48,944 |
| 1997 | £52,496 |
| 1998 | £58,311 |
| 1999 | £62,259 |
| 2000 | £74,154 |
| 2001 | £82,977 |
| 2002 | £103,339 |
| 2003 | £129,569 |
| 2004 | £152,145 |
| 2005 | £162,080 |
| 2006 | £170,000 |
| 2007 | £183,821 |
| 2008 | £180,096 |
| 2009 | £160,152 |
| 2010 | £173,929 |
| 2011 | £165,647 |
| 2012 | £168,857 |
| 2013 | £171,334 |
| 2014 | £185,323 |
| 2015 | £198,997 |
| 2016 | £221,691 |
| 2017 | £235,070 |
| 2018 | £247,841 |
| 2019 | £250,571 |
| 2020 | £257,739 |
| 2021 | £277,243 |
| 2022 | £311,717 |
| 2023 | £308,042 |
| 2024 | £299,225 |
| 2025 | £305,925 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £306,553 |
The average home price in Folkestone and Hythe was £221,691 in 2016 and £306,553 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 38% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Folkestone and Hythe around the middle of 316 areas (140th fastest-rising) for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £162,080 to £306,553, a rise of 89% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 13% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £183,821 in 2007 to £160,152 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.
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 | Folkestone and Hythe | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.1 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.1 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 7.1 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.3 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 Folkestone and Hythe cost 7.1 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 7.9 years, so homes have become harder to afford relative to local pay.
Homes were hardest to afford in 2020, at 8.3 years of pay. It has eased since.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Folkestone and Hythe rose 71% (from £22,794 to £38,864), while the average house price rose 89%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe 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 | £638 a month |
| 2016 | £656 a month |
| 2017 | £675 a month |
| 2018 | £697 a month |
| 2019 | £727 a month |
| 2020 | £740 a month |
| 2021 | £768 a month |
| 2022 | £790 a month |
| 2023 | £855 a month |
| 2024 | £1,004 a month |
| 2025 | £1,068 a month |
| August 2026 | £1,178 a month |
The average rent in Folkestone and Hythe was £638 a month in 2015 and £1,178 in August 2026, a rise of 85%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Folkestone and Hythe the fastest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 54%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 31 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) | 74.5 | 81.3 | 8% below average | −5% |
| Violence against the person | 31.4 | 31.0 | about average | −10% |
| Sexual offences | 3.4 | 3.4 | about average | −2% |
| Robbery | 0.6 | 1.4 | 54% below average | – |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 3.8 | 6.2 | 38% below average | −7% |
| Vehicle offences | 2.3 | 4.9 | 52% below average | −5% |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 1.6 | 73% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.1 | 7.1 | 15% above average | −7% |
Recorded crime in Folkestone and Hythe was 78.2 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 74.5 in the year ending March 2026, down 5%. Across England and Wales it was down 4%.
Violence against the person was down 10% 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.