Birmingham vs North Lincolnshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £96,500 (78%) more in Birmingham than in North Lincolnshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 3.6× in North Lincolnshire.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Lincolnshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | 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 North Lincolnshire (£34,738) is 3% lower than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 44% less (£123,500 against £220,000). Set against local pay, North Lincolnshire 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 3.6× in North Lincolnshire. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 23% in North Lincolnshire. Both are harder in Birmingham, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Lincolnshire is the 25th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Lincolnshire is the 9th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £22,500 in North Lincolnshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £24,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Lincolnshire 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 77.7 in North Lincolnshire, so recorded crime per resident is 32% lower in North Lincolnshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.1 in North Lincolnshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £34,738 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 3.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 141% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Lincolnshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £270,000 | -40% in North Lincolnshire |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £160,000 | -40% in North Lincolnshire |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £123,500 | -44% in North Lincolnshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Lincolnshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £878 | -39% in North Lincolnshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £702 | -39% in North Lincolnshire |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £656 | -40% in North Lincolnshire |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 77.7 in North Lincolnshire, so recorded crime per resident is 32% lower in North Lincolnshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Lincolnshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 77.7 | -32% in North Lincolnshire |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 31.5 | -32% in North Lincolnshire |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.1 | -36% in North Lincolnshire |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 1.0 | -69% in North Lincolnshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 7.1 | -39% in North Lincolnshire |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.1 | -69% in North Lincolnshire |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -86% in North Lincolnshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 7.5 | -17% in North Lincolnshire |
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 Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 109 | 110 |
| 2008 | 105 | 109 |
| 2009 | 95 | 100 |
| 2010 | 100 | 104 |
| 2011 | 97 | 99 |
| 2012 | 98 | 97 |
| 2013 | 100 | 97 |
| 2014 | 106 | 101 |
| 2015 | 111 | 105 |
| 2016 | 120 | 109 |
| 2017 | 129 | 115 |
| 2018 | 136 | 120 |
| 2019 | 140 | 123 |
| 2020 | 142 | 127 |
| 2021 | 157 | 139 |
| 2022 | 172 | 150 |
| 2023 | 174 | 153 |
| 2024 | 174 | 152 |
| 2025 | 178 | 155 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 159 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £112,542 in North Lincolnshire. Now it is £232,548 and £178,883: Birmingham is up 79% and North Lincolnshire is up 59%. Prices have risen faster in Birmingham, 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 | North Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 4.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 4.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 4.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 4.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 5.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 4.4 years in North Lincolnshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 5.0 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 Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 104 |
| 2018 | 111 | 105 |
| 2019 | 113 | 106 |
| 2020 | 116 | 108 |
| 2021 | 118 | 110 |
| 2022 | 122 | 115 |
| 2023 | 132 | 121 |
| 2024 | 147 | 127 |
| 2025 | 156 | 135 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 144 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £453 in North Lincolnshire. Now it is £1,099 and £653: up 61% in Birmingham and up 44% in North Lincolnshire. 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 Lincolnshire
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Lincolnshire | Equivalent to rent in North Lincolnshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £17,000 | £18,000 |
| £40,000 | £22,500 | £24,000 |
| £50,000 | £28,000 | £30,000 |
| £60,000 | £33,500 | £36,000 |
Moving from North Lincolnshire to Birmingham
| Earning in North Lincolnshire | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £53,500 | £50,000 |
| £40,000 | £71,500 | £67,000 |
| £50,000 | £89,000 | £83,500 |
| £60,000 | £107,000 | £100,000 |