Birmingham vs Tonbridge and Malling: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £120,000 (55%) more in Tonbridge and Malling than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Tonbridge and Malling: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Tonbridge and Malling | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | 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 Tonbridge and Malling (£42,752) is 19% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 55% more (£340,000 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 8.0× in Tonbridge and Malling. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 40% in Tonbridge and Malling. Both are harder in Tonbridge and Malling, 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 Tonbridge and Malling is the 73rd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Tonbridge and Malling is the 68th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £62,000 in Tonbridge and Malling to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £52,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Tonbridge and Malling 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £42,752 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 8.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 63% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 40% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Tonbridge and Malling | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £650,000 | +44% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £421,250 | +59% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £340,000 | +55% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Flat | £145,000 | £240,750 | +66% in Tonbridge and Malling |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Tonbridge and Malling | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £2,200 | +53% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,593 | +38% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,427 | +30% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Flat | £919 | £1,219 | +33% in Tonbridge and Malling |
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 | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 109 |
| 2007 | 109 | 117 |
| 2008 | 105 | 116 |
| 2009 | 95 | 103 |
| 2010 | 100 | 113 |
| 2011 | 97 | 115 |
| 2012 | 98 | 117 |
| 2013 | 100 | 121 |
| 2014 | 106 | 132 |
| 2015 | 111 | 143 |
| 2016 | 120 | 161 |
| 2017 | 129 | 166 |
| 2018 | 136 | 174 |
| 2019 | 140 | 176 |
| 2020 | 142 | 179 |
| 2021 | 157 | 185 |
| 2022 | 172 | 204 |
| 2023 | 174 | 202 |
| 2024 | 174 | 198 |
| 2025 | 178 | 202 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 202 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £199,361 in Tonbridge and Malling. Now it is £232,548 and £403,269: Birmingham is up 79% and Tonbridge and Malling is up 102%. Prices have risen faster in Tonbridge and Malling, 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 | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 8.3 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | – |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 8.3 years in Tonbridge and Malling. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 9.4 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Tonbridge and Malling 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 | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 108 | 109 |
| 2018 | 111 | 112 |
| 2019 | 113 | 115 |
| 2020 | 116 | 116 |
| 2021 | 118 | 119 |
| 2022 | 122 | 124 |
| 2023 | 132 | 132 |
| 2024 | 147 | 141 |
| 2025 | 156 | 150 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 156 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £955 in Tonbridge and Malling. Now it is £1,099 and £1,489: up 61% in Birmingham and up 56% in Tonbridge and Malling. 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 Tonbridge and Malling
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Tonbridge and Malling | Equivalent to rent in Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £46,500 | £39,000 |
| £40,000 | £62,000 | £52,000 |
| £50,000 | £77,500 | £65,000 |
| £60,000 | £92,500 | £78,000 |
Moving from Tonbridge and Malling to Birmingham
| Earning in Tonbridge and Malling | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £19,500 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £26,000 | £30,500 |
| £50,000 | £32,500 | £38,500 |
| £60,000 | £39,000 | £46,000 |