Birmingham vs Brighton and Hove: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £280,000 (127%) more in Brighton and Hove than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Brighton and Hove: it takes 12.7× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Brighton and Hove | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Above average |
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 Brighton and Hove (£39,347) is 9% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 127% more (£500,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, Birmingham is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 6.1× annual pay in Birmingham and 12.7× in Brighton and Hove. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 61% in Brighton and Hove. Both are harder in Brighton and Hove, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Brighton and Hove is the 34th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Brighton and Hove is the 17th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £91,000 in Brighton and Hove to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £72,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Brighton and Hove 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.
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 99.8 in Brighton and Hove, so recorded crime per resident is 13% lower in Brighton and Hove. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.0 in Brighton and Hove.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £39,347 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 12.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 39% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 61% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £700,000 | +55% in Brighton and Hove |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £499,500 | +88% in Brighton and Hove |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £500,000 | +127% in Brighton and Hove |
| Flat | £145,000 | £300,000 | +107% in Brighton and Hove |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £2,219 | +55% in Brighton and Hove |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £2,023 | +76% in Brighton and Hove |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,986 | +81% in Brighton and Hove |
| Flat | £919 | £1,381 | +50% in Brighton and Hove |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 99.8 in Brighton and Hove, so recorded crime per resident is 13% lower in Brighton and Hove.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 99.8 | -13% in Brighton and Hove |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 32.4 | -30% in Brighton and Hove |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 4.3 | -11% in Brighton and Hove |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 1.9 | -39% in Brighton and Hove |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.3 | -64% in Brighton and Hove |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.0 | -71% in Brighton and Hove |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 1.6 | +30% in Brighton and Hove |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 7.3 | -20% in Brighton and Hove |
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 | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 106 |
| 2007 | 109 | 121 |
| 2008 | 105 | 117 |
| 2009 | 95 | 105 |
| 2010 | 100 | 119 |
| 2011 | 97 | 119 |
| 2012 | 98 | 123 |
| 2013 | 100 | 128 |
| 2014 | 106 | 139 |
| 2015 | 111 | 153 |
| 2016 | 120 | 166 |
| 2017 | 129 | 175 |
| 2018 | 136 | 177 |
| 2019 | 140 | 178 |
| 2020 | 142 | 181 |
| 2021 | 157 | 194 |
| 2022 | 172 | 212 |
| 2023 | 174 | 213 |
| 2024 | 174 | 206 |
| 2025 | 178 | 206 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 204 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £200,241 in Brighton and Hove. Now it is £232,548 and £409,046: Birmingham is up 79% and Brighton and Hove is up 104%. Prices have risen faster in Brighton and Hove, so the gap between the two has widened.
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 | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 8.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 10.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 10.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 10.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 8.5 years in Brighton and Hove. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 10.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Brighton and Hove 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 | Birmingham | Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 105 |
| 2017 | 108 | 109 |
| 2018 | 111 | 111 |
| 2019 | 113 | 114 |
| 2020 | 116 | 115 |
| 2021 | 118 | 115 |
| 2022 | 122 | 118 |
| 2023 | 132 | 131 |
| 2024 | 147 | 139 |
| 2025 | 156 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 144 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £1,252 in Brighton and Hove. Now it is £1,099 and £1,808: up 61% in Birmingham and up 44% in Brighton and Hove. Rents have risen faster in Birmingham.
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 Birmingham to Brighton and Hove
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to rent in Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £68,000 | £54,500 |
| £40,000 | £91,000 | £72,500 |
| £50,000 | £113,500 | £90,500 |
| £60,000 | £136,500 | £109,000 |
Moving from Brighton and Hove to Birmingham
| Earning in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £13,000 | £16,500 |
| £40,000 | £17,500 | £22,000 |
| £50,000 | £22,000 | £27,500 |
| £60,000 | £26,500 | £33,000 |