Birmingham vs West Devon: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £5,000 (2%) more in West Devon than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Birmingham | West Devon | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 West Devon (£38,638) is 7% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 2% more (£225,000 against £220,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.1× annual pay in Birmingham and 5.8× in West Devon. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 26% in West Devon. 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 West Devon is around the middle of 316 areas (162nd most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and West Devon is the 55th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £41,000 in West Devon to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £31,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to West Devon 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 46.3 in West Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in West Devon. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 1.3 in West Devon.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | West Devon |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £38,638 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 5.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 86% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 26% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | West Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £440,000 | -3% in West Devon |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £281,000 | +6% in West Devon |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £225,000 | +2% in West Devon |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | West Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,148 | -20% in West Devon |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £912 | -21% in West Devon |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £843 | -23% in West Devon |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 46.3 in West Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 59% lower in West Devon.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | West Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 46.3 | -59% in West Devon |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 21.8 | -53% in West Devon |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.6 | -46% in West Devon |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.2 | -94% in West Devon |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 2.4 | -80% in West Devon |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 1.3 | -88% in West Devon |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.2 | -84% in West Devon |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 4.9 | -46% in West Devon |
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 | West Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 109 | 112 |
| 2008 | 105 | 109 |
| 2009 | 95 | 98 |
| 2010 | 100 | 102 |
| 2011 | 97 | 101 |
| 2012 | 98 | 104 |
| 2013 | 100 | 102 |
| 2014 | 106 | 105 |
| 2015 | 111 | 111 |
| 2016 | 120 | 115 |
| 2017 | 129 | 119 |
| 2018 | 136 | 124 |
| 2019 | 140 | 128 |
| 2020 | 142 | 129 |
| 2021 | 157 | 140 |
| 2022 | 172 | 153 |
| 2023 | 174 | 154 |
| 2024 | 174 | 150 |
| 2025 | 178 | 154 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 156 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £189,867 in West Devon. Now it is £232,548 and £296,134: Birmingham is up 79% and West Devon is up 56%. Prices have risen faster in Birmingham, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
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 | West Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | – |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | – |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 9.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2015 a home cost 5.8 years of pay in Birmingham and 8.4 years in West Devon. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Birmingham 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 | West Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 102 |
| 2017 | 108 | 104 |
| 2018 | 111 | 106 |
| 2019 | 113 | 107 |
| 2020 | 116 | 109 |
| 2021 | 118 | 113 |
| 2022 | 122 | 116 |
| 2023 | 132 | 119 |
| 2024 | 147 | 130 |
| 2025 | 156 | 136 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 139 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £607 in West Devon. Now it is £1,099 and £846: up 61% in Birmingham and up 39% in West Devon. 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 West Devon
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in West Devon | Equivalent to rent in West Devon |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £41,000 | £31,000 |
| £50,000 | £51,000 | £38,500 |
| £60,000 | £61,500 | £46,000 |
Moving from West Devon to Birmingham
| Earning in West Devon | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £39,000 |
| £40,000 | £39,000 | £52,000 |
| £50,000 | £49,000 | £65,000 |
| £60,000 | £58,500 | £78,000 |