Tunbridge Wells: what a home costs and what you need to earn
South East. House prices are based on 1,301 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 Tunbridge Wells
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Tunbridge Wells over the past year cost £435,000, which is 9.1× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Tunbridge Wells is the 86th most expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within the South East it is around the middle of 64 areas (37th most expensive).
For a terraced house at £385,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £77,000, and the 10% deposit would be £38,500, about 10 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £47,896, 62% 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 £1,525 a month, which is 38% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £1,533 a month. Measured against pay, it is the 97th most expensive of 316 areas for renting. Rents rose 4.5% over the latest year ONS measured, faster than the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £47,896 is the 24th highest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Tunbridge Wells, wherever they work. ONS rates the pay estimate for this area as less reliable than most, so treat it with caution.
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 320 | £771,583 | 16.1× | £77,000 | £154,500 |
| Semi-detached | 369 | £450,000 | 9.4× | £45,000 | £90,000 |
| Terraced | 304 | £385,000 | 8.0× | £38,500 | £77,000 |
| Flat | 308 | £255,883 | 5.3× | £25,500 | £51,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,206 | £26,472 | 55% |
| Semi-detached | £1,668 | £20,016 | 42% |
| Terraced | £1,525 | £18,300 | 38% |
| Flat | £1,228 | £14,736 | 31% |
How prices in Tunbridge Wells 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 | £73,114 |
| 1996 | £75,695 |
| 1997 | £84,709 |
| 1998 | £99,459 |
| 1999 | £110,274 |
| 2000 | £133,191 |
| 2001 | £149,559 |
| 2002 | £173,132 |
| 2003 | £197,746 |
| 2004 | £224,952 |
| 2005 | £230,136 |
| 2006 | £244,360 |
| 2007 | £265,801 |
| 2008 | £258,977 |
| 2009 | £236,959 |
| 2010 | £262,298 |
| 2011 | £266,417 |
| 2012 | £268,426 |
| 2013 | £281,744 |
| 2014 | £302,299 |
| 2015 | £326,247 |
| 2016 | £360,639 |
| 2017 | £373,207 |
| 2018 | £387,450 |
| 2019 | £380,633 |
| 2020 | £384,632 |
| 2021 | £413,375 |
| 2022 | £447,308 |
| 2023 | £440,410 |
| 2024 | £438,956 |
| 2025 | £451,082 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £452,000 |
The average home price in Tunbridge Wells was £360,639 in 2016 and £452,000 in the 12 months to July 2026, a rise of 25% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Tunbridge Wells the 84th slowest-rising of 316 areas for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £230,136 to £452,000, a rise of 96% (the typical area: a rise of 84%).
Prices fell 11% after the 2008 financial crisis, from £265,801 in 2007 to £236,959 in 2009. They did not get back to their 2007 level until 2011.
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 | Tunbridge Wells | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.5 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 9.3 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.9 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.4 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Tunbridge Wells cost 8.6 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 9.4 years, so homes have become harder to afford relative to local pay.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Tunbridge Wells rose 78% (from £26,863 to £47,896), while the average house price rose 96%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells 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 | £989 a month |
| 2016 | £1,030 a month |
| 2017 | £1,061 a month |
| 2018 | £1,064 a month |
| 2019 | £1,079 a month |
| 2020 | £1,110 a month |
| 2021 | £1,139 a month |
| 2022 | £1,189 a month |
| 2023 | £1,261 a month |
| 2024 | £1,335 a month |
| 2025 | £1,450 a month |
| August 2026 | £1,533 a month |
The average rent in Tunbridge Wells was £989 a month in 2015 and £1,533 in August 2026, a rise of 55%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Tunbridge Wells around the middle of 316 areas (135th fastest-rising) for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 39%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 16 percentage points.
Rent figures are from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents and are cash figures, not adjusted for inflation.