Birmingham vs West Oxfordshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £115,000 (52%) more in West Oxfordshire than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in West Oxfordshire: it takes 7.6× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.
At a glance
| Birmingham | West Oxfordshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| 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 Oxfordshire (£43,932) is 22% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 52% more (£335,000 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 7.6× in West Oxfordshire. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 36% in West Oxfordshire. Buying is harder in West Oxfordshire; 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 West Oxfordshire is the 95th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and West Oxfordshire is the 125th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £61,000 in West Oxfordshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £48,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to West Oxfordshire 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 42.8 in West Oxfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 63% lower in West Oxfordshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.3 in West Oxfordshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Birmingham | West Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,989 | £43,932 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.1× | 7.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 82% | 66% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 37% | 36% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Birmingham | West Oxfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | £552,500 | +22% in West Oxfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £385,000 | +45% in West Oxfordshire |
| Terraced | £220,000 | £335,000 | +52% in West Oxfordshire |
| Flat | £145,000 | £200,000 | +38% in West Oxfordshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Birmingham | West Oxfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,434 | £1,738 | +21% in West Oxfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,151 | £1,458 | +27% in West Oxfordshire |
| Terraced | £1,095 | £1,319 | +20% in West Oxfordshire |
| Flat | £919 | £1,048 | +14% in West Oxfordshire |
Crime
Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 42.8 in West Oxfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 63% lower in West Oxfordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Birmingham | West Oxfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.2 | 42.8 | -63% in West Oxfordshire |
| Violence against the person | 46.1 | 18.9 | -59% in West Oxfordshire |
| Sexual offences | 4.8 | 2.2 | -55% in West Oxfordshire |
| Robbery | 3.1 | 0.3 | -91% in West Oxfordshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 11.7 | 4.4 | -62% in West Oxfordshire |
| Vehicle offences | 10.2 | 2.3 | -77% in West Oxfordshire |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.3 | -79% in West Oxfordshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 3.7 | -60% in West Oxfordshire |
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 Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 107 |
| 2007 | 109 | 116 |
| 2008 | 105 | 112 |
| 2009 | 95 | 104 |
| 2010 | 100 | 113 |
| 2011 | 97 | 112 |
| 2012 | 98 | 116 |
| 2013 | 100 | 120 |
| 2014 | 106 | 127 |
| 2015 | 111 | 139 |
| 2016 | 120 | 148 |
| 2017 | 129 | 156 |
| 2018 | 136 | 157 |
| 2019 | 140 | 153 |
| 2020 | 142 | 158 |
| 2021 | 157 | 156 |
| 2022 | 172 | 170 |
| 2023 | 174 | 178 |
| 2024 | 174 | 176 |
| 2025 | 178 | 185 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 179 | 185 |
In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £229,671 in West Oxfordshire. Now it is £232,548 and £424,836: Birmingham is up 79% and West Oxfordshire is up 85%. Prices have risen faster in West Oxfordshire, 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 Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.8 years of pay | 10.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 10.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 9.4 years in West Oxfordshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 9.7 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 | West Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 99 |
| 2017 | 108 | 105 |
| 2018 | 111 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 109 |
| 2020 | 116 | 110 |
| 2021 | 118 | 113 |
| 2022 | 122 | 118 |
| 2023 | 132 | 128 |
| 2024 | 147 | 136 |
| 2025 | 156 | 140 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 143 |
In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £910 in West Oxfordshire. Now it is £1,099 and £1,305: up 61% in Birmingham and up 43% in West Oxfordshire. 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 Oxfordshire
| Earning in Birmingham | Equivalent to buy in West Oxfordshire | Equivalent to rent in West Oxfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £45,500 | £36,000 |
| £40,000 | £61,000 | £48,000 |
| £50,000 | £76,000 | £60,000 |
| £60,000 | £91,500 | £72,500 |
Moving from West Oxfordshire to Birmingham
| Earning in West Oxfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Birmingham | Equivalent to rent in Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £19,500 | £25,000 |
| £40,000 | £26,500 | £33,000 |
| £50,000 | £33,000 | £41,500 |
| £60,000 | £39,500 | £50,000 |