Birmingham vs North Somerset: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £54,000 (25%) more in North Somerset than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in North Somerset: it takes 6.9× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | North Somerset | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| 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 Somerset (£39,969) is 11% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 25% more (£274,000 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 6.9× in North Somerset. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 36% in North Somerset. Buying is harder in North Somerset; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (142nd most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and North Somerset is the 121st most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £50,000 in North Somerset to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £44,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Somerset 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 81.8 in North Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 28% lower in North Somerset. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.7 in North Somerset.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £39,969 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 6.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 73% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 36% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £470,000 | +4% in North Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £320,000 | +21% in North Somerset |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £274,000 | +25% in North Somerset |
| Flat | £145,000 | £183,000 | +26% in North Somerset |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,594 | +11% in North Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,310 | +14% in North Somerset |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,212 | +11% in North Somerset |
| Flat | £919 | £988 | +8% in North Somerset |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 81.8 in North Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 28% lower in North Somerset.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 81.8 | -28% in North Somerset |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 35.2 | -24% in North Somerset |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.4 | -29% in North Somerset |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.9 | -70% in North Somerset |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 5.2 | -56% in North Somerset |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.7 | -63% in North Somerset |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -82% in North Somerset |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 6.9 | -24% in North Somerset |
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 Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 116 |
| 2008 | 105 | 113 |
| 2009 | 95 | 100 |
| 2010 | 100 | 107 |
| 2011 | 97 | 107 |
| 2012 | 98 | 107 |
| 2013 | 100 | 110 |
| 2014 | 106 | 119 |
| 2015 | 111 | 126 |
| 2016 | 120 | 139 |
| 2017 | 129 | 144 |
| 2018 | 136 | 151 |
| 2019 | 140 | 153 |
| 2020 | 142 | 156 |
| 2021 | 157 | 166 |
| 2022 | 172 | 184 |
| 2023 | 174 | 187 |
| 2024 | 174 | 185 |
| 2025 | 178 | 183 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 187 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £163,991 in North Somerset. Now it is £232,548 and £307,183: Birmingham is up 79% and North Somerset is up 87%. Prices have risen faster in North Somerset, 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 Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.5 years in North Somerset. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in North Somerset 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 Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 106 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 112 |
| 2020 | 116 | 114 |
| 2021 | 118 | 119 |
| 2022 | 122 | 126 |
| 2023 | 132 | 138 |
| 2024 | 147 | 151 |
| 2025 | 156 | 161 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 167 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £724 in North Somerset. Now it is £1,099 and £1,209: up 61% in Birmingham and up 67% in North Somerset. Rents have risen faster in North Somerset.
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 Somerset
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in North Somerset | Equivalent to rent in North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £37,500 | £33,000 |
| £40,000 | £50,000 | £44,500 |
| £50,000 | £62,500 | £55,500 |
| £60,000 | £74,500 | £66,500 |
Moving from North Somerset to Birmingham
| Earning in North Somerset | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £24,000 | £27,000 |
| £40,000 | £32,000 | £36,000 |
| £50,000 | £40,000 | £45,000 |
| £60,000 | £48,000 | £54,000 |