Birmingham vs West Lindsey: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £77,500 (54%) more in Birmingham than in West Lindsey. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Birmingham: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 3.7× in West Lindsey.
At a glance
| Birmingham | West Lindsey | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | About 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 West Lindsey (£38,377) is 7% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 35% less (£142,500 against £220,000). Set against local pay, West Lindsey 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 3.7× in West Lindsey. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 23% in West Lindsey. Both are harder in Birmingham, 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 West Lindsey is the 63rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and West Lindsey is the 18th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £26,000 in West Lindsey to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £26,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to West Lindsey 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 62.0 in West Lindsey, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in West Lindsey. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.4 in West Lindsey.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £38,377 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 3.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 135% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £315,000 | -30% in West Lindsey |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £192,500 | -27% in West Lindsey |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £142,500 | -35% in West Lindsey |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £967 | -33% in West Lindsey |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £781 | -32% in West Lindsey |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £727 | -34% in West Lindsey |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 62.0 in West Lindsey, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in West Lindsey.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 62.0 | -46% in West Lindsey |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 25.5 | -45% in West Lindsey |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 3.5 | -29% in West Lindsey |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.6 | -82% in West Lindsey |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 5.7 | -52% in West Lindsey |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 2.4 | -76% in West Lindsey |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.0 | -97% in West Lindsey |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 7.8 | -14% in West Lindsey |
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 Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 109 | 112 |
| 2008 | 105 | 109 |
| 2009 | 95 | 100 |
| 2010 | 100 | 106 |
| 2011 | 97 | 101 |
| 2012 | 98 | 100 |
| 2013 | 100 | 101 |
| 2014 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 | 111 | 109 |
| 2016 | 120 | 113 |
| 2017 | 129 | 121 |
| 2018 | 136 | 125 |
| 2019 | 140 | 126 |
| 2020 | 142 | 130 |
| 2021 | 157 | 144 |
| 2022 | 172 | 159 |
| 2023 | 174 | 158 |
| 2024 | 174 | 157 |
| 2025 | 178 | 159 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 164 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £128,893 in West Lindsey. Now it is £232,548 and £210,752: Birmingham is up 79% and West Lindsey is up 64%. Prices have risen faster in Birmingham, 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 | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 5.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 6.4 years in West Lindsey. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 5.3 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 Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 110 |
| 2020 | 116 | 113 |
| 2021 | 118 | 118 |
| 2022 | 122 | 124 |
| 2023 | 132 | 130 |
| 2024 | 147 | 135 |
| 2025 | 156 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £461 in West Lindsey. Now it is £1,099 and £741: up 61% in Birmingham and up 61% in West Lindsey.
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 Lindsey
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in West Lindsey | Equivalent to rent in West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £19,500 | £20,000 |
| £40,000 | £26,000 | £26,500 |
| £50,000 | £32,500 | £33,000 |
| £60,000 | £39,000 | £40,000 |
Moving from West Lindsey to Birmingham
| Earning in West Lindsey | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £46,500 | £45,000 |
| £40,000 | £62,000 | £60,000 |
| £50,000 | £77,000 | £75,500 |
| £60,000 | £92,500 | £90,500 |