Pay vs Place

Birmingham vs York: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £55,000 (25%) more in York than in Birmingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in York: it takes 6.8× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Birmingham.

Birmingham, terraced
£220,000
Income typically needed: £44,000
Median full-time pay: £35,989
York, terraced
£275,000
Income typically needed: £55,000
Median full-time pay: £40,496

At a glance

Birmingham York
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive Expensive
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 York (£40,496) is 13% higher than in Birmingham (£35,989), while a typical terraced house costs 25% more (£275,000 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 6.8× in York. Renting one takes 37% of pay in Birmingham and 35% in York. Buying is harder in York; 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 York is around the middle of 316 areas (170th most expensive). For renting against pay, Birmingham is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas and York is the 126th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Birmingham would need about £50,000 in York to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £43,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to York 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 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 42% lower in York. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.2 per 1,000 in Birmingham against 2.4 in York.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Birmingham York
Median full-time pay £35,989 £40,496
House price ÷ pay 6.1× 6.8×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 82% 74%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 37% 35%

Buying, by property type

Type Birmingham York Difference
Detached £452,500 £435,000 -4% in York
Semi-detached £265,000 £304,500 +15% in York
Terraced £220,000 £275,000 +25% in York
Flat £145,000 £192,000 +32% in York

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Birmingham York Difference
Detached £1,434 £1,561 +9% in York
Semi-detached £1,151 £1,287 +12% in York
Terraced £1,095 £1,191 +9% in York
Flat £919 £1,010 +10% in York

Crime

Police recorded 114.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Birmingham and 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 42% lower in York.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Birmingham York Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.2 65.7 -42% in York
Violence against the person 46.1 24.3 -47% in York
Sexual offences 4.8 3.0 -38% in York
Robbery 3.1 0.9 -70% in York
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 11.7 4.1 -65% in York
Vehicle offences 10.2 2.4 -76% in York
Theft from the person 1.3 0.4 -68% in York
Criminal damage and arson 9.1 6.5 -28% in York

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.

Birmingham: 179York: 183
House prices in Birmingham and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Birmingham now 179, York now 183.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Birmingham and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Birmingham now 179, York now 183.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearBirminghamYork
2005100100
2006104105
2007109115
2008105109
200995101
2010100107
201197107
201298109
2013100111
2014106119
2015111127
2016120135
2017129141
2018136144
2019140148
2020142151
2021157165
2022172180
2023174182
2024174184
2025178181
12 months to July 2026179183

In 2005 the average home cost £130,237 in Birmingham and £168,002 in York. Now it is £232,548 and £307,747: Birmingham is up 79% and York is up 83%.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.

Birmingham: 6.5 years of payYork: 7.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Birmingham and YorkBirmingham now 6.5, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Birmingham and YorkBirmingham now 6.5, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearBirminghamYork
20056.1 years of pay7.0 years of pay
20105.5 years of pay7.3 years of pay
20155.8 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20206.3 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay7.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Birmingham and 7.0 years in York. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.5 years.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Birmingham: 161York: 153
Rents in Birmingham and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Birmingham now 161, York now 153.100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Birmingham and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Birmingham now 161, York now 153.100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearBirminghamYork
2015100100
2016105104
2017108106
2018111108
2019113112
2020116110
2021118113
2022122117
2023132126
2024147139
2025156143
August 2026161153

In 2015 the average rent was £682 a month in Birmingham and £786 in York. Now it is £1,099 and £1,199: up 61% in Birmingham and up 53% in York. 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 York

Earning in Birmingham Equivalent to buy in York Equivalent to rent in York
£30,000 £37,500 £32,500
£40,000 £50,000 £43,500
£50,000 £62,500 £54,500
£60,000 £75,000 £65,500

Moving from York to Birmingham

Earning in York Equivalent to buy in Birmingham Equivalent to rent in Birmingham
£30,000 £24,000 £27,500
£40,000 £32,000 £37,000
£50,000 £40,000 £46,000
£60,000 £48,000 £55,000
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Birmingham figures · All York figures