Birmingham vs Hammersmith and Fulham: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £1,145,000 (520%) more in Hammersmith and Fulham than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Hammersmith and Fulham: it takes 28.9× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Hammersmith and Fulham | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Very 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 Hammersmith and Fulham (£47,192) is 31% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 520% more (£1,365,000 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 28.9× in Hammersmith and Fulham. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 96% in Hammersmith and Fulham. Both are harder in Hammersmith and Fulham, 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 Hammersmith and Fulham is the 3rd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Hammersmith and Fulham is the 3rd most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £248,000 in Hammersmith and Fulham to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £137,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Hammersmith and Fulham 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 107.0 in Hammersmith and Fulham, so recorded crime per resident is 6% lower in Hammersmith and Fulham. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 46.1 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 30.8 in Hammersmith and Fulham.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Hammersmith and Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £47,192 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 28.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 17% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 96% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Hammersmith and Fulham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £220,000 | £1,365,000 | +520% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Flat | £145,000 | £570,000 | +293% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Hammersmith and Fulham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £1,095 | £3,766 | +244% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Flat | £919 | £2,347 | +155% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 107.0 in Hammersmith and Fulham, so recorded crime per resident is 6% lower in Hammersmith and Fulham.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Hammersmith and Fulham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 107.0 | -6% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 30.8 | -33% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.7 | -23% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 3.1 | -1% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 10.0 | -15% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 8.1 | -20% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 4.5 | +260% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 6.1 | -33% in Hammersmith and Fulham |
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 | Hammersmith and Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 110 |
| 2007 | 109 | 131 |
| 2008 | 105 | 131 |
| 2009 | 95 | 120 |
| 2010 | 100 | 139 |
| 2011 | 97 | 143 |
| 2012 | 98 | 156 |
| 2013 | 100 | 174 |
| 2014 | 106 | 199 |
| 2015 | 111 | 210 |
| 2016 | 120 | 208 |
| 2017 | 129 | 209 |
| 2018 | 136 | 200 |
| 2019 | 140 | 198 |
| 2020 | 142 | 201 |
| 2021 | 157 | 211 |
| 2022 | 172 | 214 |
| 2023 | 174 | 228 |
| 2024 | 174 | 218 |
| 2025 | 178 | 211 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 200 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £375,524 in Hammersmith and Fulham. Now it is £232,548 and £751,998: Birmingham is up 79% and Hammersmith and Fulham is up 100%. Prices have risen faster in Hammersmith and Fulham, 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 | Hammersmith and Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 12.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 14.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 20.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 18.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 16.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 12.8 years in Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 16.8 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Hammersmith and Fulham 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 | Hammersmith and Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 101 |
| 2017 | 108 | 104 |
| 2018 | 111 | 101 |
| 2019 | 113 | 105 |
| 2020 | 116 | 107 |
| 2021 | 118 | 109 |
| 2022 | 122 | 112 |
| 2023 | 132 | 121 |
| 2024 | 147 | 133 |
| 2025 | 156 | 143 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £1,909 in Hammersmith and Fulham. Now it is £1,099 and £2,825: up 61% in Birmingham and up 48% in Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Hammersmith and Fulham
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Hammersmith and Fulham | Equivalent to rent in Hammersmith and Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £186,000 | £103,000 |
| £40,000 | £248,000 | £137,500 |
| £50,000 | £310,000 | £172,000 |
| £60,000 | £372,500 | £206,500 |
Moving from Hammersmith and Fulham to Birmingham
| Earning in Hammersmith and Fulham | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £5,000 | £8,500 |
| £40,000 | £6,500 | £11,500 |
| £50,000 | £8,000 | £14,500 |
| £60,000 | £9,500 | £17,500 |