Birmingham vs North Devon: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £0 (0%) more in Birmingham than in North Devon. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in North Devon: it takes 6.7× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Devon | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| 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 North Devon (£32,682) is 9% lower than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£220,000 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 6.7× in North Devon. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 31% in North Devon. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in North Devon, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Birmingham.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Devon is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Devon is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £40,000 in North Devon to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £31,500 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 55.3 in North Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in North Devon. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.1 in North Devon.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £32,682 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 6.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 74% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £375,000 | -17% in North Devon |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £276,000 | +4% in North Devon |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £220,000 | 0% in North Devon |
| Flat | £145,000 | £160,000 | +10% in North Devon |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,124 | -22% in North Devon |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £915 | -21% in North Devon |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £857 | -22% in North Devon |
| Flat | £919 | £667 | -27% in North Devon |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 55.3 in North Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in North Devon.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 55.3 | -52% in North Devon |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 24.6 | -47% in North Devon |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.3 | -33% in North Devon |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.4 | -87% in North Devon |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 2.4 | -79% in North Devon |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.1 | -89% in North Devon |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.3 | -74% in North Devon |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.8 | -36% in North Devon |
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 | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 109 | 111 |
| 2008 | 105 | 107 |
| 2009 | 95 | 98 |
| 2010 | 100 | 104 |
| 2011 | 97 | 103 |
| 2012 | 98 | 103 |
| 2013 | 100 | 100 |
| 2014 | 106 | 108 |
| 2015 | 111 | 113 |
| 2016 | 120 | 116 |
| 2017 | 129 | 120 |
| 2018 | 136 | 120 |
| 2019 | 140 | 130 |
| 2020 | 142 | 132 |
| 2021 | 157 | 142 |
| 2022 | 172 | 162 |
| 2023 | 174 | 164 |
| 2024 | 174 | 156 |
| 2025 | 178 | 159 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 157 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £181,587 in North Devon. Now it is £232,548 and £285,012: Birmingham is up 79% and North Devon is up 57%. 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 | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 9.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 11.0 years in North Devon. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 8.8 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 | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 101 |
| 2017 | 108 | 101 |
| 2018 | 111 | 104 |
| 2019 | 113 | 106 |
| 2020 | 116 | 108 |
| 2021 | 118 | 112 |
| 2022 | 122 | 117 |
| 2023 | 132 | 124 |
| 2024 | 147 | 132 |
| 2025 | 156 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 142 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £597 in North Devon. Now it is £1,099 and £846: up 61% in Birmingham and up 42% in North Devon. 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 North Devon
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Devon | Equivalent to rent in North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £23,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £31,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £39,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £47,000 |
Moving from North Devon to Birmingham
| Earning in North Devon | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £38,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £51,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £64,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £76,500 |