Birmingham vs Forest of Dean: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £12,000 (6%) more in Birmingham than in Forest of Dean. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 4.9× in Forest of Dean.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Forest of Dean | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | 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 Forest of Dean (£42,326) is 18% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 5% less (£208,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, Forest of Dean 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 4.9× in Forest of Dean. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 24% in Forest of Dean. Both are harder in Birmingham, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Forest of Dean is the 94th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Forest of Dean is the 23rd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £38,000 in Forest of Dean to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £30,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Forest of Dean 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 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 46.6 in Forest of Dean, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in Forest of Dean. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.6 in Forest of Dean.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Forest of Dean |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £42,326 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 4.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 102% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 24% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Forest of Dean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £376,000 | -17% in Forest of Dean |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £242,250 | -9% in Forest of Dean |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £208,000 | -5% in Forest of Dean |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Forest of Dean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,121 | -22% in Forest of Dean |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £911 | -21% in Forest of Dean |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £831 | -24% in Forest of Dean |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 46.6 in Forest of Dean, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in Forest of Dean.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Forest of Dean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 46.6 | -59% in Forest of Dean |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 22.0 | -52% in Forest of Dean |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.3 | -52% in Forest of Dean |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.2 | -94% in Forest of Dean |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.8 | -59% in Forest of Dean |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.6 | -84% in Forest of Dean |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.1 | -90% in Forest of Dean |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.0 | -45% in Forest of Dean |
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 | Forest of Dean |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 107 |
| 2007 | 109 | 113 |
| 2008 | 105 | 110 |
| 2009 | 95 | 97 |
| 2010 | 100 | 104 |
| 2011 | 97 | 103 |
| 2012 | 98 | 101 |
| 2013 | 100 | 101 |
| 2014 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 | 111 | 110 |
| 2016 | 120 | 117 |
| 2017 | 129 | 122 |
| 2018 | 136 | 134 |
| 2019 | 140 | 138 |
| 2020 | 142 | 141 |
| 2021 | 157 | 150 |
| 2022 | 172 | 167 |
| 2023 | 174 | 170 |
| 2024 | 174 | 166 |
| 2025 | 178 | 173 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 175 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £166,791 in Forest of Dean. Now it is £232,548 and £291,818: Birmingham is up 79% and Forest of Dean is up 75%.
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 | Forest of Dean |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.9 years in Forest of Dean. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.8 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Birmingham 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 | Forest of Dean |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 110 |
| 2020 | 116 | 111 |
| 2021 | 118 | 114 |
| 2022 | 122 | 121 |
| 2023 | 132 | 127 |
| 2024 | 147 | 135 |
| 2025 | 156 | 148 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 150 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £553 in Forest of Dean. Now it is £1,099 and £828: up 61% in Birmingham and up 50% in Forest of Dean. 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 Forest of Dean
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Forest of Dean | Equivalent to rent in Forest of Dean |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £30,500 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £38,000 |
| £60,000 | £56,500 | £45,500 |
Moving from Forest of Dean to Birmingham
| Earning in Forest of Dean | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £39,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,500 | £52,500 |
| £50,000 | £53,000 | £66,000 |
| £60,000 | £63,500 | £79,000 |