Birmingham vs Richmond upon Thames: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £655,000 (298%) more in Richmond upon Thames than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Richmond upon Thames: it takes 15.3× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Richmond upon Thames | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Richmond upon Thames (£57,233) is 59% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 298% more (£875,000 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 15.3× in Richmond upon Thames. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 56% in Richmond upon Thames. Both are harder in Richmond upon Thames, 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 Richmond upon Thames is the 14th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Richmond upon Thames is the 30th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £159,000 in Richmond upon Thames to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £98,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Richmond upon Thames 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 57.3 in Richmond upon Thames, so recorded crime per resident is 50% lower in Richmond upon Thames. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 46.1 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 15.1 in Richmond upon Thames.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £57,233 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 15.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 33% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 56% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £1,450,000 | +220% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £950,000 | +258% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £875,000 | +298% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Flat | £145,000 | £470,000 | +224% in Richmond upon Thames |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £3,957 | +176% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £3,036 | +164% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £2,681 | +145% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Flat | £919 | £2,045 | +123% in Richmond upon Thames |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 57.3 in Richmond upon Thames, so recorded crime per resident is 50% lower in Richmond upon Thames.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 57.3 | -50% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 15.1 | -67% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 1.8 | -63% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 1.3 | -58% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 7.8 | -33% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 7.6 | -25% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 1.2 | -2% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.3 | -41% in Richmond upon Thames |
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 | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 109 | 127 |
| 2008 | 105 | 127 |
| 2009 | 95 | 114 |
| 2010 | 100 | 130 |
| 2011 | 97 | 134 |
| 2012 | 98 | 141 |
| 2013 | 100 | 152 |
| 2014 | 106 | 178 |
| 2015 | 111 | 191 |
| 2016 | 120 | 202 |
| 2017 | 129 | 206 |
| 2018 | 136 | 202 |
| 2019 | 140 | 200 |
| 2020 | 142 | 210 |
| 2021 | 157 | 216 |
| 2022 | 172 | 230 |
| 2023 | 174 | 230 |
| 2024 | 174 | 227 |
| 2025 | 178 | 236 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 234 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £343,295 in Richmond upon Thames. Now it is £232,548 and £802,985: Birmingham is up 79% and Richmond upon Thames is up 134%. Prices have risen faster in Richmond upon Thames, 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 | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 9.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 11.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 16.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 14.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 14.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 9.8 years in Richmond upon Thames. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 14.2 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Richmond upon Thames 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 | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 100 |
| 2017 | 108 | 98 |
| 2018 | 111 | 101 |
| 2019 | 113 | 102 |
| 2020 | 116 | 105 |
| 2021 | 118 | 105 |
| 2022 | 122 | 107 |
| 2023 | 132 | 111 |
| 2024 | 147 | 120 |
| 2025 | 156 | 133 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 141 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £1,660 in Richmond upon Thames. Now it is £1,099 and £2,333: up 61% in Birmingham and up 41% in Richmond upon Thames. 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 Richmond upon Thames
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Richmond upon Thames | Equivalent to rent in Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £119,500 | £73,500 |
| £40,000 | £159,000 | £98,000 |
| £50,000 | £199,000 | £122,500 |
| £60,000 | £238,500 | £147,000 |
Moving from Richmond upon Thames to Birmingham
| Earning in Richmond upon Thames | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £7,500 | £12,500 |
| £40,000 | £10,000 | £16,500 |
| £50,000 | £12,500 | £20,500 |
| £60,000 | £15,000 | £24,500 |