Basingstoke and Deane vs Dartford: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £46,000 (15%) more in Dartford than in Basingstoke and Deane. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Dartford: it takes 8.2× median annual pay, against 7.0× in Basingstoke and Deane.
At a glance
| Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | 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 Dartford (£44,091) is 2% lower than in Basingstoke and Deane (£44,809), while a typical terraced house costs 15% more (£360,000 against £314,000). Set against local pay, Basingstoke and Deane is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 7.0× annual pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 8.2× in Dartford. Renting one takes 35% of pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 43% in Dartford. Both are harder in Dartford, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Basingstoke and Deane is the 122nd most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Dartford is the 119th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Basingstoke and Deane is around the middle of 316 areas (129th most expensive) and Dartford is the 61st most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Basingstoke and Deane would need about £46,000 in Dartford to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £48,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Dartford would leave you worse placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £44,809 | £44,091 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.0× | 8.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 61% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 35% | 43% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £566,250 | £627,500 | +11% in Dartford |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | £437,500 | +9% in Dartford |
| Terraced | £314,000 | £360,000 | +15% in Dartford |
| Flat | £190,750 | £225,000 | +18% in Dartford |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,871 | £2,297 | +23% in Dartford |
| Semi-detached | £1,430 | £1,705 | +19% in Dartford |
| Terraced | £1,302 | £1,578 | +21% in Dartford |
| Flat | £1,068 | £1,277 | +20% in Dartford |
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 | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 115 | 113 |
| 2008 | 112 | 112 |
| 2009 | 100 | 98 |
| 2010 | 108 | 103 |
| 2011 | 108 | 101 |
| 2012 | 111 | 106 |
| 2013 | 115 | 109 |
| 2014 | 124 | 123 |
| 2015 | 136 | 139 |
| 2016 | 152 | 157 |
| 2017 | 158 | 167 |
| 2018 | 160 | 167 |
| 2019 | 157 | 168 |
| 2020 | 158 | 172 |
| 2021 | 166 | 178 |
| 2022 | 181 | 189 |
| 2023 | 184 | 192 |
| 2024 | 182 | 189 |
| 2025 | 192 | 193 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 192 | 193 |
In 2005 the average home cost £192,151 in Basingstoke and Deane and £182,505 in Dartford. Now it is £368,737 and £352,187: Basingstoke and Deane is up 92% and Dartford is up 93%.
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 | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.3 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.1 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.2 years of pay | 8.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.3 years of pay | 8.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.2 years of pay | 8.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.3 years of pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 7.4 years in Dartford. In 2025 it was 8.2 years and 8.0 years.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | Basingstoke and Deane | Dartford |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 106 |
| 2017 | 107 | 112 |
| 2018 | 108 | 114 |
| 2019 | 109 | 117 |
| 2020 | 110 | 118 |
| 2021 | 113 | 123 |
| 2022 | 116 | 129 |
| 2023 | 123 | 138 |
| 2024 | 134 | 151 |
| 2025 | 144 | 162 |
| August 2026 | 148 | 169 |
In 2015 the average rent was £886 a month in Basingstoke and Deane and £934 in Dartford. Now it is £1,309 and £1,575: up 48% in Basingstoke and Deane and up 69% in Dartford. Rents have risen faster in Dartford.
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 Basingstoke and Deane to Dartford
| Earning in Basingstoke and Deane | Equivalent to buy in Dartford | Equivalent to rent in Dartford |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £34,500 | £36,500 |
| £40,000 | £46,000 | £48,500 |
| £50,000 | £57,500 | £60,500 |
| £60,000 | £69,000 | £72,500 |
Moving from Dartford to Basingstoke and Deane
| Earning in Dartford | Equivalent to buy in Basingstoke and Deane | Equivalent to rent in Basingstoke and Deane |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £26,000 | £25,000 |
| £40,000 | £35,000 | £33,000 |
| £50,000 | £43,500 | £41,500 |
| £60,000 | £52,500 | £49,500 |