Birmingham vs North Kesteven: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £43,500 (25%) more in Birmingham than in North Kesteven. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 4.7× in North Kesteven.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Kesteven | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Kesteven (£37,305) is 4% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 20% less (£176,500 against £220,000). Set against local pay, North Kesteven 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 4.7× in North Kesteven. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 26% in North Kesteven. 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 Kesteven is the 87th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Kesteven is the 62nd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £32,000 in North Kesteven to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £29,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Kesteven 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 39.1 in North Kesteven, so recorded crime per resident is 66% lower in North Kesteven. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.4 in North Kesteven.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £37,305 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 4.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 106% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 26% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £300,000 | -34% in North Kesteven |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £210,000 | -21% in North Kesteven |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £176,500 | -20% in North Kesteven |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,073 | -25% in North Kesteven |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £838 | -27% in North Kesteven |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £809 | -26% in North Kesteven |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 39.1 in North Kesteven, so recorded crime per resident is 66% lower in North Kesteven.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 39.1 | -66% in North Kesteven |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 17.5 | -62% in North Kesteven |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.4 | -51% in North Kesteven |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.2 | -92% in North Kesteven |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 2.8 | -76% in North Kesteven |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.4 | -87% in North Kesteven |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.1 | -94% in North Kesteven |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 3.7 | -59% in North Kesteven |
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 Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 103 |
| 2007 | 109 | 111 |
| 2008 | 105 | 105 |
| 2009 | 95 | 97 |
| 2010 | 100 | 103 |
| 2011 | 97 | 101 |
| 2012 | 98 | 100 |
| 2013 | 100 | 103 |
| 2014 | 106 | 110 |
| 2015 | 111 | 115 |
| 2016 | 120 | 123 |
| 2017 | 129 | 131 |
| 2018 | 136 | 138 |
| 2019 | 140 | 141 |
| 2020 | 142 | 144 |
| 2021 | 157 | 155 |
| 2022 | 172 | 172 |
| 2023 | 174 | 170 |
| 2024 | 174 | 165 |
| 2025 | 178 | 171 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 174 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £139,075 in North Kesteven. Now it is £232,548 and £242,284: Birmingham is up 79% and North Kesteven is up 74%.
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 Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.1 years in North Kesteven. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.4 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 Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 106 |
| 2018 | 111 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 112 |
| 2020 | 116 | 114 |
| 2021 | 118 | 119 |
| 2022 | 122 | 125 |
| 2023 | 132 | 130 |
| 2024 | 147 | 141 |
| 2025 | 156 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 156 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £527 in North Kesteven. Now it is £1,099 and £824: up 61% in Birmingham and up 56% in North Kesteven.
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 Kesteven
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Kesteven | Equivalent to rent in North Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £24,000 | £22,000 |
| £40,000 | £32,000 | £29,500 |
| £50,000 | £40,000 | £37,000 |
| £60,000 | £48,000 | £44,500 |
Moving from North Kesteven to Birmingham
| Earning in North Kesteven | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £37,500 | £40,500 |
| £40,000 | £50,000 | £54,000 |
| £50,000 | £62,500 | £67,500 |
| £60,000 | £75,000 | £81,000 |