Birmingham vs Reigate and Banstead: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £218,000 (99%) more in Reigate and Banstead than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Reigate and Banstead: it takes 10.1× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Reigate and Banstead | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| 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 Reigate and Banstead (£43,434) is 21% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 99% more (£438,000 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 10.1× in Reigate and Banstead. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 46% in Reigate and Banstead. Both are harder in Reigate and Banstead, 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 Reigate and Banstead is the 29th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Reigate and Banstead is the 48th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £79,500 in Reigate and Banstead to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £60,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Reigate and Banstead 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 59.8 in Reigate and Banstead, so recorded crime per resident is 48% lower in Reigate and Banstead. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.8 in Reigate and Banstead.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £43,434 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 10.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 50% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 46% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Reigate and Banstead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £812,500 | +80% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £540,000 | +104% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £438,000 | +99% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Flat | £145,000 | £260,000 | +79% in Reigate and Banstead |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Reigate and Banstead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £2,396 | +67% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,751 | +52% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,654 | +51% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Flat | £919 | £1,318 | +43% in Reigate and Banstead |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 59.8 in Reigate and Banstead, so recorded crime per resident is 48% lower in Reigate and Banstead.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Reigate and Banstead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 59.8 | -48% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 24.2 | -48% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.4 | -51% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.5 | -83% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 5.2 | -56% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.8 | -63% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.3 | -74% in Reigate and Banstead |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.6 | -38% in Reigate and Banstead |
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 | Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 103 |
| 2007 | 109 | 116 |
| 2008 | 105 | 115 |
| 2009 | 95 | 102 |
| 2010 | 100 | 113 |
| 2011 | 97 | 113 |
| 2012 | 98 | 116 |
| 2013 | 100 | 121 |
| 2014 | 106 | 136 |
| 2015 | 111 | 151 |
| 2016 | 120 | 165 |
| 2017 | 129 | 169 |
| 2018 | 136 | 171 |
| 2019 | 140 | 168 |
| 2020 | 142 | 174 |
| 2021 | 157 | 178 |
| 2022 | 172 | 193 |
| 2023 | 174 | 194 |
| 2024 | 174 | 193 |
| 2025 | 178 | 195 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 194 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £247,666 in Reigate and Banstead. Now it is £232,548 and £481,000: Birmingham is up 79% and Reigate and Banstead is up 94%. Prices have risen faster in Reigate and Banstead, 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 | Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 8.1 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 10.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 10.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 11.1 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 8.6 years in Reigate and Banstead. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 11.1 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Reigate and Banstead 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 | Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 107 |
| 2018 | 111 | 107 |
| 2019 | 113 | 108 |
| 2020 | 116 | 110 |
| 2021 | 118 | 112 |
| 2022 | 122 | 115 |
| 2023 | 132 | 124 |
| 2024 | 147 | 135 |
| 2025 | 156 | 143 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 147 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £1,117 in Reigate and Banstead. Now it is £1,099 and £1,640: up 61% in Birmingham and up 47% in Reigate and Banstead. 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 Reigate and Banstead
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to rent in Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £59,500 | £45,500 |
| £40,000 | £79,500 | £60,500 |
| £50,000 | £99,500 | £75,500 |
| £60,000 | £119,500 | £90,500 |
Moving from Reigate and Banstead to Birmingham
| Earning in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £15,000 | £20,000 |
| £40,000 | £20,000 | £26,500 |
| £50,000 | £25,000 | £33,000 |
| £60,000 | £30,000 | £39,500 |