Birmingham vs King's Lynn and West Norfolk: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £20,000 (10%) more in Birmingham than in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 5.4× in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
At a glance
| Birmingham | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£36,835) is 2% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 9% less (£200,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 5.4× in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 31% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (176th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (187th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £36,500 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 57.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 50% lower in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £36,835 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 92% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £335,000 | -26% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £241,750 | -9% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £200,000 | -9% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,276 | -11% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,004 | -13% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £945 | -14% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 57.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 50% lower in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 57.3 | -50% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 25.2 | -45% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.9 | -39% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.3 | -92% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 2.7 | -77% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.3 | -87% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.3 | -74% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.8 | -35% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
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 | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 113 |
| 2008 | 105 | 112 |
| 2009 | 95 | 102 |
| 2010 | 100 | 109 |
| 2011 | 97 | 105 |
| 2012 | 98 | 105 |
| 2013 | 100 | 108 |
| 2014 | 106 | 115 |
| 2015 | 111 | 124 |
| 2016 | 120 | 132 |
| 2017 | 129 | 143 |
| 2018 | 136 | 148 |
| 2019 | 140 | 150 |
| 2020 | 142 | 154 |
| 2021 | 157 | 165 |
| 2022 | 172 | 185 |
| 2023 | 174 | 188 |
| 2024 | 174 | 182 |
| 2025 | 178 | 179 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 180 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £145,320 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Now it is £232,548 and £261,901: Birmingham is up 79% and King's Lynn and West Norfolk is up 80%.
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 | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 7.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.4 years in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.1 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 | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 107 |
| 2018 | 111 | 111 |
| 2019 | 113 | 114 |
| 2020 | 116 | 118 |
| 2021 | 118 | 121 |
| 2022 | 122 | 128 |
| 2023 | 132 | 135 |
| 2024 | 147 | 144 |
| 2025 | 156 | 156 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 163 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £577 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Now it is £1,099 and £941: up 61% in Birmingham and up 63% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Equivalent to rent in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,500 | £26,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £34,500 |
| £50,000 | £45,500 | £43,000 |
| £60,000 | £54,500 | £52,000 |
Moving from King's Lynn and West Norfolk to Birmingham
| Earning in King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,000 | £35,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,000 | £46,500 |
| £50,000 | £55,000 | £58,000 |
| £60,000 | £66,000 | £69,500 |
All Birmingham figures · All King's Lynn and West Norfolk figures