Birmingham vs Folkestone and Hythe: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £60,000 (27%) more in Folkestone and Hythe than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Folkestone and Hythe: it takes 7.2× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | 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 Folkestone and Hythe (£38,864) is 8% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 27% more (£280,000 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 7.2× in Folkestone and Hythe. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 37% in Folkestone and Hythe. Buying is harder in Folkestone and Hythe; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Folkestone and Hythe is around the middle of 316 areas (135th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Folkestone and Hythe is the 120th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £51,000 in Folkestone and Hythe to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £44,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Folkestone and Hythe 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 74.5 in Folkestone and Hythe, so recorded crime per resident is 35% lower in Folkestone and Hythe. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.3 in Folkestone and Hythe.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £38,864 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 7.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 69% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 37% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £460,000 | +2% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £345,000 | +30% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £280,000 | +27% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Flat | £145,000 | £185,500 | +28% in Folkestone and Hythe |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,610 | +12% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,328 | +15% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,201 | +10% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Flat | £919 | £919 | 0% in Folkestone and Hythe |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 74.5 in Folkestone and Hythe, so recorded crime per resident is 35% lower in Folkestone and Hythe.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 74.5 | -35% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 31.4 | -32% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.4 | -31% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.6 | -80% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 3.8 | -67% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 2.3 | -77% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.4 | -65% in Folkestone and Hythe |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 8.1 | -10% in Folkestone and Hythe |
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 | Folkestone and Hythe |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 113 |
| 2008 | 105 | 111 |
| 2009 | 95 | 99 |
| 2010 | 100 | 107 |
| 2011 | 97 | 102 |
| 2012 | 98 | 104 |
| 2013 | 100 | 106 |
| 2014 | 106 | 114 |
| 2015 | 111 | 123 |
| 2016 | 120 | 137 |
| 2017 | 129 | 145 |
| 2018 | 136 | 153 |
| 2019 | 140 | 155 |
| 2020 | 142 | 159 |
| 2021 | 157 | 171 |
| 2022 | 172 | 192 |
| 2023 | 174 | 190 |
| 2024 | 174 | 185 |
| 2025 | 178 | 189 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 189 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £162,080 in Folkestone and Hythe. Now it is £232,548 and £306,553: Birmingham is up 79% and Folkestone and Hythe is up 89%. Prices have risen faster in Folkestone and Hythe, 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 | Folkestone and Hythe |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 8.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.1 years in Folkestone and Hythe. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.9 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 | Birmingham | Folkestone and Hythe |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 106 |
| 2018 | 111 | 109 |
| 2019 | 113 | 114 |
| 2020 | 116 | 116 |
| 2021 | 118 | 120 |
| 2022 | 122 | 124 |
| 2023 | 132 | 134 |
| 2024 | 147 | 157 |
| 2025 | 156 | 167 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 185 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £638 in Folkestone and Hythe. Now it is £1,099 and £1,178: up 61% in Birmingham and up 85% in Folkestone and Hythe. Rents have risen faster in Folkestone and Hythe.
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 Folkestone and Hythe
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Folkestone and Hythe | Equivalent to rent in Folkestone and Hythe |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £38,000 | £33,000 |
| £40,000 | £51,000 | £44,000 |
| £50,000 | £63,500 | £55,000 |
| £60,000 | £76,500 | £66,000 |
Moving from Folkestone and Hythe to Birmingham
| Earning in Folkestone and Hythe | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,500 | £27,500 |
| £40,000 | £31,500 | £36,500 |
| £50,000 | £39,500 | £45,500 |
| £60,000 | £47,000 | £54,500 |