Birmingham vs Newark and Sherwood: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £51,000 (30%) more in Birmingham than in Newark and Sherwood. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 4.6× in Newark and Sherwood.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Newark and Sherwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | About 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 Newark and Sherwood (£37,118) is 3% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 23% less (£169,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, Newark and Sherwood 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 4.6× in Newark and Sherwood. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 26% in Newark and Sherwood. 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 Newark and Sherwood is the 89th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Newark and Sherwood is the 61st least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £30,500 in Newark and Sherwood to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £29,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Newark and Sherwood 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 68.4 in Newark and Sherwood, so recorded crime per resident is 40% lower in Newark and Sherwood. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.1 in Newark and Sherwood.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Newark and Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £37,118 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 4.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 110% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 26% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Newark and Sherwood | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £334,995 | -26% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £196,000 | -26% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £169,000 | -23% in Newark and Sherwood |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Newark and Sherwood | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,067 | -26% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £860 | -25% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £797 | -27% in Newark and Sherwood |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 68.4 in Newark and Sherwood, so recorded crime per resident is 40% lower in Newark and Sherwood.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Newark and Sherwood | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 68.4 | -40% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 25.0 | -46% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.1 | -36% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.7 | -77% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.4 | -63% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.1 | -69% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.3 | -74% in Newark and Sherwood |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 8.7 | -4% in Newark and Sherwood |
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 | Newark and Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 102 |
| 2007 | 109 | 109 |
| 2008 | 105 | 104 |
| 2009 | 95 | 97 |
| 2010 | 100 | 100 |
| 2011 | 97 | 99 |
| 2012 | 98 | 98 |
| 2013 | 100 | 99 |
| 2014 | 106 | 105 |
| 2015 | 111 | 110 |
| 2016 | 120 | 116 |
| 2017 | 129 | 121 |
| 2018 | 136 | 128 |
| 2019 | 140 | 129 |
| 2020 | 142 | 132 |
| 2021 | 157 | 143 |
| 2022 | 172 | 156 |
| 2023 | 174 | 160 |
| 2024 | 174 | 159 |
| 2025 | 178 | 161 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 167 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £141,548 in Newark and Sherwood. Now it is £232,548 and £235,810: Birmingham is up 79% and Newark and Sherwood is up 67%. Prices have risen faster in Birmingham, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
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 | Newark and Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.7 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | – |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.7 years in Newark and Sherwood. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.2 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 | Newark and Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 110 |
| 2020 | 116 | 111 |
| 2021 | 118 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 | 124 |
| 2023 | 132 | 129 |
| 2024 | 147 | 138 |
| 2025 | 156 | 148 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 157 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £521 in Newark and Sherwood. Now it is £1,099 and £818: up 61% in Birmingham and up 57% in Newark and Sherwood.
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 Newark and Sherwood
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Newark and Sherwood | Equivalent to rent in Newark and Sherwood |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,000 | £22,000 |
| £40,000 | £30,500 | £29,000 |
| £50,000 | £38,500 | £36,500 |
| £60,000 | £46,000 | £43,500 |
Moving from Newark and Sherwood to Birmingham
| Earning in Newark and Sherwood | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £39,000 | £41,000 |
| £40,000 | £52,000 | £55,000 |
| £50,000 | £65,000 | £68,500 |
| £60,000 | £78,000 | £82,500 |