Birmingham vs High Peak: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £0 (0%) more in Birmingham than in High Peak. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Birmingham | High Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Fairly 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 High Peak (£37,184) is 3% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£220,000 against £220,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.1× annual pay in Birmingham and 5.9× in High Peak. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 29% in High Peak. Renting is harder in Birmingham; buying 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 High Peak is around the middle of 316 areas (190th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and High Peak is the 124th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £40,000 in High Peak to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £32,500 to be equally placed to rent one. 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 59.1 in High Peak, so recorded crime per resident is 48% lower in High Peak. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.5 in High Peak.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | High Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £37,184 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 85% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | High Peak | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £438,500 | -3% in High Peak |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £280,000 | +6% in High Peak |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £220,000 | 0% in High Peak |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | High Peak | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,309 | -9% in High Peak |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £969 | -16% in High Peak |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £892 | -19% in High Peak |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 59.1 in High Peak, so recorded crime per resident is 48% lower in High Peak.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | High Peak | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 59.1 | -48% in High Peak |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 24.9 | -46% in High Peak |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.3 | -33% in High Peak |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.3 | -90% in High Peak |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.4 | -63% in High Peak |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 2.5 | -76% in High Peak |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -82% in High Peak |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.8 | -37% in High Peak |
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 | High Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 109 | 113 |
| 2008 | 105 | 111 |
| 2009 | 95 | 99 |
| 2010 | 100 | 102 |
| 2011 | 97 | 101 |
| 2012 | 98 | 101 |
| 2013 | 100 | 101 |
| 2014 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 | 111 | 110 |
| 2016 | 120 | 117 |
| 2017 | 129 | 122 |
| 2018 | 136 | 127 |
| 2019 | 140 | 130 |
| 2020 | 142 | 135 |
| 2021 | 157 | 148 |
| 2022 | 172 | 165 |
| 2023 | 174 | 170 |
| 2024 | 174 | 172 |
| 2025 | 178 | 177 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 182 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £141,093 in High Peak. Now it is £232,548 and £256,671: Birmingham is up 79% and High Peak is up 82%.
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 | High Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.2 years in High Peak. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.7 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 | High Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 104 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 109 |
| 2020 | 116 | 113 |
| 2021 | 118 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 | 125 |
| 2023 | 132 | 131 |
| 2024 | 147 | 143 |
| 2025 | 156 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 157 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £596 in High Peak. Now it is £1,099 and £937: up 61% in Birmingham and up 57% in High Peak.
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 High Peak
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in High Peak | Equivalent to rent in High Peak |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £24,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £32,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £40,500 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £49,000 |
Moving from High Peak to Birmingham
| Earning in High Peak | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £37,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £49,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £61,500 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £73,500 |