Birmingham vs North East Derbyshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £60,000 (38%) more in Birmingham than in North East Derbyshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 4.4× in North East Derbyshire.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North East Derbyshire | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 North East Derbyshire (£36,422) is 1% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 27% less (£160,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, North East Derbyshire 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 4.4× in North East Derbyshire. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 25% in North East Derbyshire. 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 North East Derbyshire is the 119th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North East Derbyshire is the 52nd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £29,000 in North East Derbyshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £27,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North East Derbyshire 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 54.9 in North East Derbyshire, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in North East Derbyshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.1 in North East Derbyshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North East Derbyshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £36,422 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 4.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 114% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 25% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North East Derbyshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £340,000 | -25% in North East Derbyshire |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £211,000 | -20% in North East Derbyshire |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £160,000 | -27% in North East Derbyshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North East Derbyshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,039 | -28% in North East Derbyshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £853 | -26% in North East Derbyshire |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £745 | -32% in North East Derbyshire |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 54.9 in North East Derbyshire, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in North East Derbyshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North East Derbyshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 54.9 | -52% in North East Derbyshire |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 25.7 | -44% in North East Derbyshire |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.5 | -49% in North East Derbyshire |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.2 | -93% in North East Derbyshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.0 | -66% in North East Derbyshire |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 2.1 | -79% in North East Derbyshire |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -82% in North East Derbyshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.1 | -43% in North East Derbyshire |
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 East Derbyshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 112 |
| 2008 | 105 | 110 |
| 2009 | 95 | 105 |
| 2010 | 100 | 105 |
| 2011 | 97 | 103 |
| 2012 | 98 | 103 |
| 2013 | 100 | 103 |
| 2014 | 106 | 111 |
| 2015 | 111 | 114 |
| 2016 | 120 | 119 |
| 2017 | 129 | 126 |
| 2018 | 136 | 132 |
| 2019 | 140 | 135 |
| 2020 | 142 | 140 |
| 2021 | 157 | 147 |
| 2022 | 172 | 161 |
| 2023 | 174 | 163 |
| 2024 | 174 | 164 |
| 2025 | 178 | 175 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 181 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £138,031 in North East Derbyshire. Now it is £232,548 and £249,775: Birmingham is up 79% and North East Derbyshire is up 81%.
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 East Derbyshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 5.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | – |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.4 years in North East Derbyshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.6 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 | North East Derbyshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 109 |
| 2020 | 116 | 111 |
| 2021 | 118 | 115 |
| 2022 | 122 | 121 |
| 2023 | 132 | 126 |
| 2024 | 147 | 136 |
| 2025 | 156 | 143 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 150 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £526 in North East Derbyshire. Now it is £1,099 and £791: up 61% in Birmingham and up 50% in North East Derbyshire. 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 East Derbyshire
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North East Derbyshire | Equivalent to rent in North East Derbyshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £22,000 | £20,500 |
| £40,000 | £29,000 | £27,000 |
| £50,000 | £36,500 | £34,000 |
| £60,000 | £43,500 | £41,000 |
Moving from North East Derbyshire to Birmingham
| Earning in North East Derbyshire | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £41,500 | £44,000 |
| £40,000 | £55,000 | £59,000 |
| £50,000 | £69,000 | £73,500 |
| £60,000 | £82,500 | £88,000 |