Birmingham vs Tunbridge Wells: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £165,000 (75%) more in Tunbridge Wells than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Tunbridge Wells: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | Tunbridge Wells | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | 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 Tunbridge Wells (£47,896) is 33% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 75% more (£385,000 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 Tunbridge Wells. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 38% in Tunbridge Wells. Buying is harder in Tunbridge Wells; renting 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 Tunbridge Wells is the 86th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and Tunbridge Wells is the 97th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £70,000 in Tunbridge Wells to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £55,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Tunbridge Wells 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 | Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £47,896 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 8.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 62% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 38% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | Tunbridge Wells | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £771,583 | +71% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £450,000 | +70% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £385,000 | +75% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Flat | £145,000 | £255,883 | +76% in Tunbridge Wells |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | Tunbridge Wells | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £2,206 | +54% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,668 | +45% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,525 | +39% in Tunbridge Wells |
| Flat | £919 | £1,228 | +34% in Tunbridge Wells |
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 | Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 106 |
| 2007 | 109 | 115 |
| 2008 | 105 | 113 |
| 2009 | 95 | 103 |
| 2010 | 100 | 114 |
| 2011 | 97 | 116 |
| 2012 | 98 | 117 |
| 2013 | 100 | 122 |
| 2014 | 106 | 131 |
| 2015 | 111 | 142 |
| 2016 | 120 | 157 |
| 2017 | 129 | 162 |
| 2018 | 136 | 168 |
| 2019 | 140 | 165 |
| 2020 | 142 | 167 |
| 2021 | 157 | 180 |
| 2022 | 172 | 194 |
| 2023 | 174 | 191 |
| 2024 | 174 | 191 |
| 2025 | 178 | 196 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 196 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £230,136 in Tunbridge Wells. Now it is £232,548 and £452,000: Birmingham is up 79% and Tunbridge Wells is up 96%. Prices have risen faster in Tunbridge Wells, 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 | Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 8.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 8.9 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 8.6 years in Tunbridge Wells. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 9.4 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Tunbridge Wells 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 | Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 104 |
| 2017 | 108 | 107 |
| 2018 | 111 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 109 |
| 2020 | 116 | 112 |
| 2021 | 118 | 115 |
| 2022 | 122 | 120 |
| 2023 | 132 | 128 |
| 2024 | 147 | 135 |
| 2025 | 156 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 155 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £989 in Tunbridge Wells. Now it is £1,099 and £1,533: up 61% in Birmingham and up 55% in Tunbridge Wells. 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 Tunbridge Wells
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in Tunbridge Wells | Equivalent to rent in Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £52,500 | £42,000 |
| £40,000 | £70,000 | £55,500 |
| £50,000 | £87,500 | £69,500 |
| £60,000 | £105,000 | £83,500 |
Moving from Tunbridge Wells to Birmingham
| Earning in Tunbridge Wells | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £17,000 | £21,500 |
| £40,000 | £23,000 | £28,500 |
| £50,000 | £28,500 | £36,000 |
| £60,000 | £34,500 | £43,000 |