Birmingham vs South Kesteven: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £25,000 (13%) more in Birmingham than in South Kesteven. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 5.6× in South Kesteven.
At a glance
| Birmingham | South Kesteven | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| 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 South Kesteven (£34,922) is 3% lower than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 11% less (£195,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, South Kesteven 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 5.6× in South Kesteven. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 28% in South Kesteven. Both are harder in Birmingham, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Birmingham is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and South Kesteven is around the middle of 316 areas (160th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and South Kesteven is the 108th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £35,500 in South Kesteven to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £30,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to South Kesteven 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 52.9 in South Kesteven, so recorded crime per resident is 54% lower in South Kesteven. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 11.7 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 3.0 in South Kesteven.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | South Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £34,922 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 90% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 28% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | South Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £350,000 | -23% in South Kesteven |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £228,000 | -14% in South Kesteven |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £195,000 | -11% in South Kesteven |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | South Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,106 | -23% in South Kesteven |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £886 | -23% in South Kesteven |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £829 | -24% in South Kesteven |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 52.9 in South Kesteven, so recorded crime per resident is 54% lower in South Kesteven.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | South Kesteven | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 52.9 | -54% in South Kesteven |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 21.4 | -54% in South Kesteven |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.8 | -42% in South Kesteven |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.4 | -86% in South Kesteven |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 3.0 | -75% in South Kesteven |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 3.0 | -70% in South Kesteven |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.1 | -93% in South Kesteven |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 5.2 | -42% in South Kesteven |
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 | South Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 107 |
| 2007 | 109 | 115 |
| 2008 | 105 | 111 |
| 2009 | 95 | 97 |
| 2010 | 100 | 102 |
| 2011 | 97 | 102 |
| 2012 | 98 | 103 |
| 2013 | 100 | 105 |
| 2014 | 106 | 108 |
| 2015 | 111 | 116 |
| 2016 | 120 | 124 |
| 2017 | 129 | 132 |
| 2018 | 136 | 140 |
| 2019 | 140 | 141 |
| 2020 | 142 | 143 |
| 2021 | 157 | 155 |
| 2022 | 172 | 172 |
| 2023 | 174 | 174 |
| 2024 | 174 | 172 |
| 2025 | 178 | 175 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 176 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £145,803 in South Kesteven. Now it is £232,548 and £255,903: Birmingham is up 79% and South Kesteven is up 76%.
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 | South Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.4 years in South Kesteven. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in South Kesteven 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 | South Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 109 |
| 2019 | 113 | 113 |
| 2020 | 116 | 118 |
| 2021 | 118 | 118 |
| 2022 | 122 | 118 |
| 2023 | 132 | 127 |
| 2024 | 147 | 140 |
| 2025 | 156 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 150 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £564 in South Kesteven. Now it is £1,099 and £845: up 61% in Birmingham and up 50% in South Kesteven. 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 South Kesteven
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in South Kesteven | Equivalent to rent in South Kesteven |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £26,500 | £22,500 |
| £40,000 | £35,500 | £30,500 |
| £50,000 | £44,500 | £38,000 |
| £60,000 | £53,000 | £45,500 |
Moving from South Kesteven to Birmingham
| Earning in South Kesteven | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £34,000 | £39,500 |
| £40,000 | £45,000 | £53,000 |
| £50,000 | £56,500 | £66,000 |
| £60,000 | £67,500 | £79,500 |