Birmingham vs Epsom and Ewell: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £269,000 (122%) more in Epsom and Ewell than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Epsom and Ewell: it takes 9.8× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Epsom and Ewell | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | About 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 Epsom and Ewell (£50,121) is 39% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 122% more (£489,000 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 9.8× in Epsom and Ewell. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 40% in Epsom and Ewell. Both are harder in Epsom and Ewell, 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 Epsom and Ewell is the 26th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Epsom and Ewell is the 81st most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £89,000 in Epsom and Ewell to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £60,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Epsom and Ewell 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 67.0 in Epsom and Ewell, so recorded crime per resident is 41% lower in Epsom and Ewell. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 4.8 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.0 in Epsom and Ewell.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £50,121 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 9.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 51% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 40% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Epsom and Ewell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £852,500 | +88% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £628,000 | +137% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £489,000 | +122% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Flat | £145,000 | £319,000 | +120% in Epsom and Ewell |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Epsom and Ewell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £2,469 | +72% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,883 | +64% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,660 | +52% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Flat | £919 | £1,347 | +47% in Epsom and Ewell |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 67.0 in Epsom and Ewell, so recorded crime per resident is 41% lower in Epsom and Ewell.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Epsom and Ewell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 67.0 | -41% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 24.2 | -48% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.0 | -59% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.7 | -77% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 7.7 | -34% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 6.0 | -41% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.5 | -57% in Epsom and Ewell |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.8 | -36% in Epsom and Ewell |
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 | Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 106 |
| 2007 | 109 | 117 |
| 2008 | 105 | 117 |
| 2009 | 95 | 103 |
| 2010 | 100 | 116 |
| 2011 | 97 | 116 |
| 2012 | 98 | 122 |
| 2013 | 100 | 128 |
| 2014 | 106 | 145 |
| 2015 | 111 | 160 |
| 2016 | 120 | 175 |
| 2017 | 129 | 179 |
| 2018 | 136 | 181 |
| 2019 | 140 | 177 |
| 2020 | 142 | 183 |
| 2021 | 157 | 192 |
| 2022 | 172 | 207 |
| 2023 | 174 | 210 |
| 2024 | 174 | 203 |
| 2025 | 178 | 207 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 208 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £264,746 in Epsom and Ewell. Now it is £232,548 and £551,734: Birmingham is up 79% and Epsom and Ewell is up 108%. Prices have risen faster in Epsom and Ewell, 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 | Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 12.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 13.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 9.3 years in Epsom and Ewell. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 11.0 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Epsom and Ewell 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 | Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 105 |
| 2017 | 108 | 107 |
| 2018 | 111 | 106 |
| 2019 | 113 | 107 |
| 2020 | 116 | 109 |
| 2021 | 118 | 112 |
| 2022 | 122 | 118 |
| 2023 | 132 | 118 |
| 2024 | 147 | 128 |
| 2025 | 156 | 131 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 133 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £1,270 in Epsom and Ewell. Now it is £1,099 and £1,690: up 61% in Birmingham and up 33% in Epsom and Ewell. 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 Epsom and Ewell
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Epsom and Ewell | Equivalent to rent in Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £66,500 | £45,500 |
| £40,000 | £89,000 | £60,500 |
| £50,000 | £111,000 | £76,000 |
| £60,000 | £133,500 | £91,000 |
Moving from Epsom and Ewell to Birmingham
| Earning in Epsom and Ewell | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £13,500 | £20,000 |
| £40,000 | £18,000 | £26,500 |
| £50,000 | £22,500 | £33,000 |
| £60,000 | £27,000 | £39,500 |