Middlesbrough: what a home costs and what you need to earn
North East. House prices are based on 1,205 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 Middlesbrough
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Middlesbrough over the past year cost £160,000, which is 4.5× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Middlesbrough is the 10th least expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the North East it is the 2nd least expensive of 12 areas.
For a terraced house at £94,950, a lender would typically look for an income of around £19,000, and the 10% deposit would be £9,500, about 3 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £35,177, 185% of the income needed, so on these assumptions one median earner could meet the test alone.
Renting a terraced house costs about £710 a month, which is 24% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £698 a month. Measured against pay, it is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas for renting. Rents rose 4.0% over the latest year ONS measured, in line with the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £35,177 is the 63rd lowest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Middlesbrough, wherever they work.
Police recorded 149.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 84% above average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the 3rd highest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest above average is criminal damage and arson (2.8 times the average).
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 271 | £270,000 | 7.7× | £27,000 | £54,000 |
| Semi-detached | 548 | £165,000 | 4.7× | £16,500 | £33,000 |
| Terraced | 339 | £94,950 | 2.7× | £9,500 | £19,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £951 | £11,412 | 32% |
| Semi-detached | £757 | £9,084 | 26% |
| Terraced | £710 | £8,520 | 24% |
How prices in Middlesbrough 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 | £37,735 |
| 1996 | £37,896 |
| 1997 | £38,692 |
| 1998 | £38,396 |
| 1999 | £39,940 |
| 2000 | £40,509 |
| 2001 | £40,745 |
| 2002 | £45,683 |
| 2003 | £54,496 |
| 2004 | £75,196 |
| 2005 | £91,205 |
| 2006 | £106,396 |
| 2007 | £116,101 |
| 2008 | £111,677 |
| 2009 | £107,769 |
| 2010 | £103,351 |
| 2011 | £98,923 |
| 2012 | £101,177 |
| 2013 | £96,872 |
| 2014 | £99,542 |
| 2015 | £100,593 |
| 2016 | £102,541 |
| 2017 | £102,880 |
| 2018 | £102,243 |
| 2019 | £104,040 |
| 2020 | £103,619 |
| 2021 | £115,819 |
| 2022 | £127,224 |
| 2023 | £128,701 |
| 2024 | £130,128 |
| 2025 | £136,735 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £137,721 |
The average home price in Middlesbrough was £102,541 in 2016 and £137,721 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 34% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Middlesbrough around the middle of 316 areas (171st fastest-rising) for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £91,205 to £137,721, a rise of 51% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 17% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £116,101 in 2007 to £96,872 in 2013. They did not get back to their 2007 level until 2022.
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 | Middlesbrough | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5.0 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 4.9 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 4.1 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 3.9 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 3.9 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Middlesbrough cost 5.0 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 3.9 years, so homes have become easier to afford relative to local pay.
Homes were hardest to afford in 2005, at 5.0 years of pay. It has eased since.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Middlesbrough rose 91% (from £18,418 to £35,177), while the average house price rose 50%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough 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 | £504 a month |
| 2016 | £507 a month |
| 2017 | £511 a month |
| 2018 | £514 a month |
| 2019 | £512 a month |
| 2020 | £518 a month |
| 2021 | £527 a month |
| 2022 | £536 a month |
| 2023 | £564 a month |
| 2024 | £610 a month |
| 2025 | £665 a month |
| August 2026 | £698 a month |
The average rent in Middlesbrough was £504 a month in 2015 and £698 in August 2026, a rise of 38%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Middlesbrough the 20th slowest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 37%. 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) | 149.9 | 81.3 | 84% above average | −5% |
| Violence against the person | 53.4 | 31.0 | 72% above average | −6% |
| Sexual offences | 5.5 | 3.4 | 63% above average | −4% |
| Robbery | 3.7 | 1.4 | 169% above average | +38% |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 12.5 | 6.2 | 103% above average | −27% |
| Vehicle offences | 7.7 | 4.9 | 59% above average | −22% |
| Theft from the person | 0.7 | 1.6 | 58% below average | – |
| Criminal damage and arson | 19.6 | 7.1 | 178% above average | −6% |
Recorded crime in Middlesbrough was 158.3 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 149.9 in the year ending March 2026, down 5%. 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.