Birmingham vs Medway: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £60,000 (27%) more in Medway than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Medway: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Medway | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | 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 Medway (£39,622) is 10% 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 7.1× in Medway. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 38% in Medway. Buying is harder in Medway; 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 Medway is around the middle of 316 areas (150th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Medway is the 108th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £51,000 in Medway to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £45,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Medway 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £39,622 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 38% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Medway | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £490,000 | +8% in Medway |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £350,000 | +32% in Medway |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £280,000 | +27% in Medway |
| Flat | £145,000 | £170,000 | +17% in Medway |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Medway | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,653 | +15% in Medway |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,380 | +20% in Medway |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,249 | +14% in Medway |
| Flat | £919 | £1,016 | +11% in Medway |
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 | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 109 | 112 |
| 2008 | 105 | 109 |
| 2009 | 95 | 95 |
| 2010 | 100 | 103 |
| 2011 | 97 | 101 |
| 2012 | 98 | 101 |
| 2013 | 100 | 106 |
| 2014 | 106 | 118 |
| 2015 | 111 | 130 |
| 2016 | 120 | 150 |
| 2017 | 129 | 162 |
| 2018 | 136 | 167 |
| 2019 | 140 | 165 |
| 2020 | 142 | 166 |
| 2021 | 157 | 179 |
| 2022 | 172 | 199 |
| 2023 | 174 | 200 |
| 2024 | 174 | 193 |
| 2025 | 178 | 201 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 203 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £146,349 in Medway. Now it is £232,548 and £296,457: Birmingham is up 79% and Medway is up 103%. Prices have risen faster in Medway, 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 | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.6 years in Medway. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.4 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 | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 105 |
| 2017 | 108 | 112 |
| 2018 | 111 | 115 |
| 2019 | 113 | 119 |
| 2020 | 116 | 122 |
| 2021 | 118 | 125 |
| 2022 | 122 | 130 |
| 2023 | 132 | 138 |
| 2024 | 147 | 152 |
| 2025 | 156 | 167 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 171 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £720 in Medway. Now it is £1,099 and £1,232: up 61% in Birmingham and up 71% in Medway. Rents have risen faster in Medway.
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 Medway
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Medway | Equivalent to rent in Medway |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £38,000 | £34,000 |
| £40,000 | £51,000 | £45,500 |
| £50,000 | £63,500 | £57,000 |
| £60,000 | £76,500 | £68,500 |
Moving from Medway to Birmingham
| Earning in Medway | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,500 | £26,500 |
| £40,000 | £31,500 | £35,000 |
| £50,000 | £39,500 | £44,000 |
| £60,000 | £47,000 | £52,500 |