Basildon vs Central Bedfordshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £14,500 (5%) more in Basildon than in Central Bedfordshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Basildon: it takes 8.2× median annual pay, against 7.1× in Central Bedfordshire.
At a glance
| Basildon | Central Bedfordshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | About average | Low |
Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.
What the numbers say
Median full-time pay in Central Bedfordshire (£43,645) is 10% higher than in Basildon (£39,734), while a typical terraced house costs 4% less (£312,000 against £326,500). Set against local pay, Central Bedfordshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.2× annual pay in Basildon and 7.1× in Central Bedfordshire. Renting one takes 43% of pay in Basildon and 33% in Central Bedfordshire. Both are harder in Basildon, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Basildon is the 88th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Central Bedfordshire is the 125th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Basildon is the 59th most expensive of 316 areas and Central Bedfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (139th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Basildon would need about £38,000 in Central Bedfordshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £33,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Central Bedfordshire would leave you better placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 84.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Basildon and 47.3 in Central Bedfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 44% lower in Central Bedfordshire. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 34.2 per 1,000 in Basildon against 17.7 in Central Bedfordshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,734 | £43,645 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.2× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 61% | 70% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 43% | 33% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £570,500 | £521,500 | -9% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £415,000 | £370,000 | -11% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Terraced | £326,500 | £312,000 | -4% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Flat | £200,000 | £190,000 | -5% in Central Bedfordshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,963 | £1,761 | -10% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,494 | £1,352 | -10% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Terraced | £1,435 | £1,205 | -16% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Flat | £1,131 | £989 | -13% in Central Bedfordshire |
Crime
Police recorded 84.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Basildon and 47.3 in Central Bedfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 44% lower in Central Bedfordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 84.8 | 47.3 | -44% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Violence against the person | 34.2 | 17.7 | -48% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Sexual offences | 3.3 | 2.1 | -36% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Robbery | 1.0 | 0.7 | -34% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.5 | 3.2 | -42% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Vehicle offences | 6.5 | 4.5 | -31% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 | 0.2 | -63% in Central Bedfordshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.2 | 4.4 | -46% in Central Bedfordshire |
Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.
How prices have changed in each area
Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.
Show the figures
| Year | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 104 |
| 2007 | 112 | 113 |
| 2008 | 112 | 112 |
| 2009 | 100 | 99 |
| 2010 | 107 | 105 |
| 2011 | 107 | 104 |
| 2012 | 109 | 105 |
| 2013 | 111 | 108 |
| 2014 | 123 | 118 |
| 2015 | 137 | 132 |
| 2016 | 159 | 151 |
| 2017 | 171 | 162 |
| 2018 | 175 | 167 |
| 2019 | 173 | 163 |
| 2020 | 179 | 164 |
| 2021 | 189 | 169 |
| 2022 | 206 | 184 |
| 2023 | 207 | 187 |
| 2024 | 204 | 185 |
| 2025 | 210 | 193 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 210 | 196 |
In 2005 the average home cost £171,681 in Basildon and £181,536 in Central Bedfordshire. Now it is £360,838 and £355,075: Basildon is up 110% and Central Bedfordshire is up 96%. Prices have risen faster in Basildon, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
Buying a home against local pay, over time
Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.
Show the figures
| Year | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.1 years of pay | – |
| 2010 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.1 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.4 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.1 years of pay | 8.0 years of pay |
In 2010 a home cost 6.5 years of pay in Basildon and 6.6 years in Central Bedfordshire. In 2025 it was 9.1 years and 8.0 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Basildon over that time.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | Basildon | Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 108 |
| 2017 | 112 | 115 |
| 2018 | 115 | 116 |
| 2019 | 118 | 116 |
| 2020 | 120 | 117 |
| 2021 | 124 | 122 |
| 2022 | 129 | 127 |
| 2023 | 135 | 132 |
| 2024 | 143 | 142 |
| 2025 | 153 | 152 |
| August 2026 | 162 | 159 |
In 2015 the average rent was £881 a month in Basildon and £786 in Central Bedfordshire. Now it is £1,424 and £1,250: up 62% in Basildon and up 59% in Central Bedfordshire.
What your salary is worth in each area
Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.
Moving from Basildon to Central Bedfordshire
| Earning in Basildon | Equivalent to buy in Central Bedfordshire | Equivalent to rent in Central Bedfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £25,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £33,500 |
| £50,000 | £48,000 | £42,000 |
| £60,000 | £57,500 | £50,500 |
Moving from Central Bedfordshire to Basildon
| Earning in Central Bedfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Basildon | Equivalent to rent in Basildon |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £35,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £47,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £59,500 |
| £60,000 | £63,000 | £71,500 |