Westminster: what a home costs and what you need to earn
London. House prices are based on 1,449 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 Westminster
Across all property types, the typical home sold in Westminster over the past year cost £800,000, which is 15.2× median full-time pay. Measured against pay, Westminster is the 2nd most expensive of 316 areas for buying; the typical area is 7.6×. Within London it is the 2nd most expensive of 32 areas.
For a terraced house at £1,985,000, a lender would typically look for an income of around £397,000, and the 10% deposit would be £198,500, about 45 months of median gross pay. Median full-time pay here is £52,610, 13% of the income needed, so on these assumptions even two median incomes would fall short of the test.
Renting a terraced house costs about £3,810 a month, which is 87% of median gross pay. Across all property types the average rent is £3,196 a month. Measured against pay, it is the 2nd most expensive of 316 areas for renting. Rents fell 0.6% over the latest year ONS measured, against a rise of the typical area (3.9%).
Median full-time pay of £52,610 is the 5th highest of 316 areas; the typical area is £38,328. This is pay for people who live in Westminster, wherever they work.
Police recorded 355.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year, which is 4.4 times the average for England and Wales (81.3). That makes it the highest of 310 areas for recorded crime per resident. The category furthest above average is vehicle offences (3.0 times the average). Rates per resident are inflated where many people visit but few live, as in city centres, so this figure overstates the risk to residents.
Buying
| Property type | Sales | Median price | Price ÷ pay | Deposit (10%) | Income typically needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 166 | £1,985,000 | 37.7× | £198,500 | £397,000 |
| Flat | 1,251 | £735,000 | 14.0× | £73,500 | £147,000 |
Renting
| Property type | Average rent a month | Rent a year | Share of median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £3,810 | £45,720 | 87% |
| Flat | £2,957 | £35,484 | 67% |
How prices in Westminster 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 | £142,123 |
| 1996 | £147,969 |
| 1997 | £175,885 |
| 1998 | £202,552 |
| 1999 | £227,546 |
| 2000 | £276,925 |
| 2001 | £314,785 |
| 2002 | £361,048 |
| 2003 | £386,395 |
| 2004 | £403,330 |
| 2005 | £424,580 |
| 2006 | £464,424 |
| 2007 | £546,879 |
| 2008 | £574,275 |
| 2009 | £565,664 |
| 2010 | £644,972 |
| 2011 | £672,416 |
| 2012 | £740,892 |
| 2013 | £839,808 |
| 2014 | £980,911 |
| 2015 | £1,025,498 |
| 2016 | £1,058,347 |
| 2017 | £1,131,943 |
| 2018 | £1,084,205 |
| 2019 | £1,013,009 |
| 2020 | £1,022,381 |
| 2021 | £1,083,784 |
| 2022 | £1,155,571 |
| 2023 | £1,148,412 |
| 2024 | £1,082,168 |
| 2025 | £1,028,751 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | £932,605 |
The average home price in Westminster was £1,058,347 in 2016 and £932,605 in the 12 months to July 2026, a fall of 12% over ten years. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 36%. That makes Westminster the slowest-rising of 316 areas for ten-year price growth.
Going back to 2005, the average price has moved from £424,580 to £932,605, which is 2.2 times as much (the typical area: 1.8 times).
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 | Westminster | Typical area in England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 13.0 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 14.0 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 23.9 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 23.0 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 19.6 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 the average home in Westminster cost 13.0 years of median full-time pay. By 2025 it cost 19.6 years, so homes have become harder to afford relative to local pay.
Homes were hardest to afford in 2015, at 23.9 years of pay. It has eased since.
Between 2005 and 2025, median pay in Westminster rose 61% (from £32,738 to £52,610), while the average house price rose 142%.
The typical area of England and Wales needed 7.5 years of pay in 2025, so Westminster 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 Westminster 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 | £2,462 a month |
| 2016 | £2,488 a month |
| 2017 | £2,451 a month |
| 2018 | £2,415 a month |
| 2019 | £2,452 a month |
| 2020 | £2,527 a month |
| 2021 | £2,394 a month |
| 2022 | £2,436 a month |
| 2023 | £2,765 a month |
| 2024 | £3,045 a month |
| 2025 | £3,252 a month |
| August 2026 | £3,196 a month |
The average rent in Westminster was £2,462 a month in 2015 and £3,196 in August 2026, a rise of 30%. The typical area of England and Wales saw a rise of 52%. That makes Westminster the 5th slowest-rising of 316 areas for rent growth since 2015.
Over the same period the average house price rose 9%. Rents have risen faster than house prices here, by 39 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) | 355.5 | 81.3 | 337% above average | −16% |
| Violence against the person | 52.9 | 31.0 | 71% above average | +4% |
| Sexual offences | 7.6 | 3.4 | 126% above average | +8% |
| Robbery | 14.5 | 1.4 | 968% above average | −17% |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 12.5 | 6.2 | 104% above average | −4% |
| Vehicle offences | 14.4 | 4.9 | 197% above average | −26% |
| Theft from the person | 92.5 | 1.6 | 5578% above average | −39% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.8 | 7.1 | 53% above average | −5% |
Recorded crime in Westminster was 423.2 per 1,000 residents in the year ending March 2025 and 355.5 in the year ending March 2026, down 16%. Across England and Wales it was down 4%.
Violence against the person was up 4% 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.