Birmingham vs North Norfolk: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £5,000 (2%) more in North Norfolk than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in North Norfolk: it takes 6.5× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Norfolk | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Norfolk (£34,362) is 5% lower than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 2% more (£225,000 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 6.5× in North Norfolk. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 30% in North Norfolk. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in North Norfolk, 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 Norfolk is the 113th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Norfolk is the 123rd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £41,000 in North Norfolk to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £31,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Norfolk would leave you worse 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 42.0 in North Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 63% lower in North Norfolk. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 0.7 in North Norfolk.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £34,362 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 6.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 76% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 30% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £385,000 | -15% in North Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £260,000 | -2% in North Norfolk |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £225,000 | +2% in North Norfolk |
| Flat | £145,000 | £171,500 | +18% in North Norfolk |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,130 | -21% in North Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £948 | -18% in North Norfolk |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £849 | -22% in North Norfolk |
| Flat | £919 | £707 | -23% in North Norfolk |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 42.0 in North Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 63% lower in North Norfolk.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 42.0 | -63% in North Norfolk |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 19.6 | -58% in North Norfolk |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.0 | -37% in North Norfolk |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.2 | -93% in North Norfolk |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 1.3 | -89% in North Norfolk |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 0.7 | -93% in North Norfolk |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -85% in North Norfolk |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 4.3 | -52% in North Norfolk |
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 Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 106 |
| 2007 | 109 | 116 |
| 2008 | 105 | 116 |
| 2009 | 95 | 105 |
| 2010 | 100 | 111 |
| 2011 | 97 | 109 |
| 2012 | 98 | 109 |
| 2013 | 100 | 112 |
| 2014 | 106 | 120 |
| 2015 | 111 | 128 |
| 2016 | 120 | 137 |
| 2017 | 129 | 146 |
| 2018 | 136 | 155 |
| 2019 | 140 | 157 |
| 2020 | 142 | 161 |
| 2021 | 157 | 171 |
| 2022 | 172 | 191 |
| 2023 | 174 | 192 |
| 2024 | 174 | 187 |
| 2025 | 178 | 183 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 181 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £161,634 in North Norfolk. Now it is £232,548 and £293,346: Birmingham is up 79% and North Norfolk 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 Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 8.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 8.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 8.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 9.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 8.9 years in North Norfolk. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 8.6 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 Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 107 |
| 2018 | 111 | 111 |
| 2019 | 113 | 114 |
| 2020 | 116 | 118 |
| 2021 | 118 | 120 |
| 2022 | 122 | 125 |
| 2023 | 132 | 132 |
| 2024 | 147 | 140 |
| 2025 | 156 | 149 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 156 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £554 in North Norfolk. Now it is £1,099 and £865: up 61% in Birmingham and up 56% in North Norfolk. 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 Norfolk
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Norfolk | Equivalent to rent in North Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £23,500 |
| £40,000 | £41,000 | £31,000 |
| £50,000 | £51,000 | £39,000 |
| £60,000 | £61,500 | £46,500 |
Moving from North Norfolk to Birmingham
| Earning in North Norfolk | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £38,500 |
| £40,000 | £39,000 | £51,500 |
| £50,000 | £49,000 | £64,500 |
| £60,000 | £58,500 | £77,500 |