Birmingham vs South Staffordshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £10,000 (5%) more in South Staffordshire than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Birmingham | South Staffordshire | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Staffordshire (£38,788) is 8% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 5% more (£230,000 against £220,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.1× annual pay in Birmingham and 5.9× in South Staffordshire. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 29% in South Staffordshire. Renting is harder in Birmingham; buying 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 South Staffordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (164th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and South Staffordshire is the 118th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £42,000 in South Staffordshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to South Staffordshire 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 50.8 in South Staffordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 56% lower in South Staffordshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 4.1 in South Staffordshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | South Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £38,788 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 84% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £420,000 | -7% in South Staffordshire |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £259,975 | -2% in South Staffordshire |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £230,000 | +5% in South Staffordshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,334 | -7% in South Staffordshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £970 | -16% in South Staffordshire |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £938 | -14% in South Staffordshire |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 50.8 in South Staffordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 56% lower in South Staffordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 50.8 | -56% in South Staffordshire |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 22.7 | -51% in South Staffordshire |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.6 | -47% in South Staffordshire |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.4 | -86% in South Staffordshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.8 | -59% in South Staffordshire |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 4.1 | -60% in South Staffordshire |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.1 | -96% in South Staffordshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 4.4 | -52% in South Staffordshire |
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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 112 |
| 2008 | 105 | 111 |
| 2009 | 95 | 103 |
| 2010 | 100 | 107 |
| 2011 | 97 | 104 |
| 2012 | 98 | 102 |
| 2013 | 100 | 102 |
| 2014 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 | 111 | 112 |
| 2016 | 120 | 117 |
| 2017 | 129 | 124 |
| 2018 | 136 | 129 |
| 2019 | 140 | 131 |
| 2020 | 142 | 137 |
| 2021 | 157 | 150 |
| 2022 | 172 | 164 |
| 2023 | 174 | 166 |
| 2024 | 174 | 168 |
| 2025 | 178 | 178 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 182 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £167,700 in South Staffordshire. Now it is £232,548 and £305,952: Birmingham is up 79% and South Staffordshire is up 82%.
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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.9 years in South Staffordshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.7 years.
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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 111 |
| 2020 | 116 | 112 |
| 2021 | 118 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 | 122 |
| 2023 | 132 | 126 |
| 2024 | 147 | 138 |
| 2025 | 156 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 155 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £617 in South Staffordshire. Now it is £1,099 and £958: up 61% in Birmingham and up 55% in South Staffordshire. 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 Staffordshire
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in South Staffordshire | Equivalent to rent in South Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £25,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £34,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £43,000 |
| £60,000 | £62,500 | £51,500 |
Moving from South Staffordshire to Birmingham
| Earning in South Staffordshire | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £35,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,500 | £46,500 |
| £50,000 | £48,000 | £58,500 |
| £60,000 | £57,500 | £70,000 |