Basingstoke and Deane vs Wealden: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £19,000 (6%) more in Basingstoke and Deane than in Wealden. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 Wealden (£43,589) is 3% lower than in Basingstoke and Deane (£44,809), while a typical terraced house costs 6% less (£295,000 against £314,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.0× annual pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 6.8× in Wealden. Renting one takes 35% of pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 35% in Wealden. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Basingstoke and Deane is the 122nd most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Wealden is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Basingstoke and Deane is around the middle of 316 areas (129th most expensive) and Wealden is around the middle of 316 areas (134th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Basingstoke and Deane would need about £37,500 in Wealden to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £38,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wealden 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 58.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Basingstoke and Deane and 41.0 in Wealden, so recorded crime per resident is 29% lower in Wealden. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 3.0 per 1,000 in Basingstoke and Deane against 1.6 in Wealden.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £44,809 | £43,589 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.0× | 6.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 74% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 35% | 35% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £566,250 | £520,000 | -8% in Wealden |
| Semi-detached | £400,000 | £350,000 | -13% in Wealden |
| Terraced | £314,000 | £295,000 | -6% in Wealden |
| Flat | £190,750 | £184,500 | -3% in Wealden |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,871 | £1,847 | -1% in Wealden |
| Semi-detached | £1,430 | £1,372 | -4% in Wealden |
| Terraced | £1,302 | £1,260 | -3% in Wealden |
| Flat | £1,068 | £993 | -7% in Wealden |
Crime
Police recorded 58.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Basingstoke and Deane and 41.0 in Wealden, so recorded crime per resident is 29% lower in Wealden.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 58.2 | 41.0 | -29% in Wealden |
| Violence against the person | 24.4 | 16.4 | -33% in Wealden |
| Sexual offences | 2.6 | 2.1 | -19% in Wealden |
| Robbery | 0.6 | 0.3 | -61% in Wealden |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.4 | 3.3 | -25% in Wealden |
| Vehicle offences | 3.0 | 1.6 | -45% in Wealden |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.1 | -72% in Wealden |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.2 | 4.2 | -19% in Wealden |
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 | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 115 | 113 |
| 2008 | 112 | 114 |
| 2009 | 100 | 103 |
| 2010 | 108 | 109 |
| 2011 | 108 | 107 |
| 2012 | 111 | 109 |
| 2013 | 115 | 113 |
| 2014 | 124 | 119 |
| 2015 | 136 | 129 |
| 2016 | 152 | 141 |
| 2017 | 158 | 147 |
| 2018 | 160 | 151 |
| 2019 | 157 | 152 |
| 2020 | 158 | 154 |
| 2021 | 166 | 164 |
| 2022 | 181 | 180 |
| 2023 | 184 | 179 |
| 2024 | 182 | 177 |
| 2025 | 192 | 175 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 192 | 174 |
In 2005 the average home cost £192,151 in Basingstoke and Deane and £223,962 in Wealden. Now it is £368,737 and £389,536: Basingstoke and Deane is up 92% and Wealden is up 74%. Prices have risen faster in Basingstoke and Deane, 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 | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.3 years of pay | 9.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.1 years of pay | 8.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.2 years of pay | 9.5 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.3 years of pay | 9.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.2 years of pay | 9.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.3 years of pay in Basingstoke and Deane and 9.5 years in Wealden. In 2025 it was 8.2 years and 9.0 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Basingstoke and Deane 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 | Basingstoke and Deane | Wealden |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 102 |
| 2017 | 107 | 105 |
| 2018 | 108 | 109 |
| 2019 | 109 | 110 |
| 2020 | 110 | 113 |
| 2021 | 113 | 120 |
| 2022 | 116 | 127 |
| 2023 | 123 | 134 |
| 2024 | 134 | 141 |
| 2025 | 144 | 144 |
| August 2026 | 148 | 147 |
In 2015 the average rent was £886 a month in Basingstoke and Deane and £860 in Wealden. Now it is £1,309 and £1,262: up 48% in Basingstoke and Deane and up 47% in Wealden.
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 Wealden
| Earning in Basingstoke and Deane | Equivalent to buy in Wealden | Equivalent to rent in Wealden |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,000 | £29,000 |
| £40,000 | £37,500 | £38,500 |
| £50,000 | £47,000 | £48,500 |
| £60,000 | £56,500 | £58,000 |
Moving from Wealden to Basingstoke and Deane
| Earning in Wealden | Equivalent to buy in Basingstoke and Deane | Equivalent to rent in Basingstoke and Deane |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £32,000 | £31,000 |
| £40,000 | £42,500 | £41,500 |
| £50,000 | £53,000 | £51,500 |
| £60,000 | £64,000 | £62,000 |