Birmingham vs Redcar and Cleveland: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £110,000 (100%) more in Birmingham than in Redcar and Cleveland. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 3.1× in Redcar and Cleveland.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Redcar and Cleveland | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Above 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 Redcar and Cleveland (£35,111) is 2% lower than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 50% less (£110,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, Redcar and Cleveland 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 3.1× in Redcar and Cleveland. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 22% in Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Redcar and Cleveland is the 14th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Redcar and Cleveland is the 4th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £20,000 in Redcar and Cleveland 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 Redcar and Cleveland 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 109.0 in Redcar and Cleveland, so recorded crime per resident is 5% lower in Redcar and Cleveland. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 4.2 in Redcar and Cleveland.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Redcar and Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £35,111 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 3.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 160% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 22% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Redcar and Cleveland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £275,000 | -39% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £168,000 | -37% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £110,000 | -50% in Redcar and Cleveland |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Redcar and Cleveland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £912 | -36% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £716 | -38% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £653 | -40% in Redcar and Cleveland |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 109.0 in Redcar and Cleveland, so recorded crime per resident is 5% lower in Redcar and Cleveland.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Redcar and Cleveland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 109.0 | -5% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 38.2 | -17% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 4.5 | -8% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 1.6 | -49% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 9.6 | -18% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 4.2 | -59% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -85% in Redcar and Cleveland |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 15.6 | +73% in Redcar and Cleveland |
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 | Redcar and Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 109 | 117 |
| 2008 | 105 | 113 |
| 2009 | 95 | 106 |
| 2010 | 100 | 108 |
| 2011 | 97 | 104 |
| 2012 | 98 | 102 |
| 2013 | 100 | 102 |
| 2014 | 106 | 105 |
| 2015 | 111 | 105 |
| 2016 | 120 | 107 |
| 2017 | 129 | 107 |
| 2018 | 136 | 108 |
| 2019 | 140 | 108 |
| 2020 | 142 | 111 |
| 2021 | 157 | 126 |
| 2022 | 172 | 138 |
| 2023 | 174 | 141 |
| 2024 | 174 | 145 |
| 2025 | 178 | 144 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 149 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £102,293 in Redcar and Cleveland. Now it is £232,548 and £152,518: Birmingham is up 79% and Redcar and Cleveland is up 49%. 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 | Redcar and Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 4.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.1 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 4.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 4.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 4.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 4.8 years in Redcar and Cleveland. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 4.2 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 | Redcar and Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 100 |
| 2017 | 108 | 100 |
| 2018 | 111 | 100 |
| 2019 | 113 | 100 |
| 2020 | 116 | 100 |
| 2021 | 118 | 101 |
| 2022 | 122 | 102 |
| 2023 | 132 | 109 |
| 2024 | 147 | 117 |
| 2025 | 156 | 127 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 131 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £490 in Redcar and Cleveland. Now it is £1,099 and £644: up 61% in Birmingham and up 31% in Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Redcar and Cleveland
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Redcar and Cleveland | Equivalent to rent in Redcar and Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £15,000 | £18,000 |
| £40,000 | £20,000 | £24,000 |
| £50,000 | £25,000 | £30,000 |
| £60,000 | £30,000 | £36,000 |
Moving from Redcar and Cleveland to Birmingham
| Earning in Redcar and Cleveland | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £60,000 | £50,500 |
| £40,000 | £80,000 | £67,000 |
| £50,000 | £100,000 | £84,000 |
| £60,000 | £120,000 | £100,500 |