Blaenau Gwent vs Merthyr Tydfil: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £500 (0%) more in Blaenau Gwent than in Merthyr Tydfil. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Affordable | Affordable |
| Renting a home | Affordable | Fairly 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 Merthyr Tydfil (£35,152) is 1% higher than in Blaenau Gwent (£34,797), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£124,500 against £125,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 3.6× annual pay in Blaenau Gwent and 3.5× in Merthyr Tydfil. Renting one takes 22% of pay in Blaenau Gwent and 23% in Merthyr Tydfil. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Blaenau Gwent is the least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Merthyr Tydfil is the 3rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Blaenau Gwent is the 25th least expensive of 316 areas and Merthyr Tydfil is the 44th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Blaenau Gwent would need about £40,000 in Merthyr Tydfil to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £42,500 to be equally placed to rent one. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 114.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Blaenau Gwent and 76.5 in Merthyr Tydfil, so recorded crime per resident is 33% lower in Merthyr Tydfil. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 17.1 per 1,000 in Blaenau Gwent against 7.1 in Merthyr Tydfil.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £34,797 | £35,152 |
| House price ÷ pay | 3.6× | 3.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 139% | 141% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 22% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £185,000 | £183,000 | -1% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Terraced | £125,000 | £124,500 | -0% in Merthyr Tydfil |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £720 | £765 | +6% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Terraced | £646 | £684 | +6% in Merthyr Tydfil |
Crime
Police recorded 114.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Blaenau Gwent and 76.5 in Merthyr Tydfil, so recorded crime per resident is 33% lower in Merthyr Tydfil.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.5 | 76.5 | -33% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Violence against the person | 45.0 | 34.0 | -24% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Sexual offences | 4.4 | 3.5 | -20% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Robbery | 0.7 | 0.4 | -37% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 7.8 | 3.4 | -56% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Vehicle offences | 7.3 | 3.6 | -51% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Theft from the person | 0.1 | 0.3 | +220% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Criminal damage and arson | 17.1 | 7.1 | -58% in Merthyr Tydfil |
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 | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 107 | 113 |
| 2007 | 115 | 124 |
| 2008 | 111 | 116 |
| 2009 | 98 | 106 |
| 2010 | 99 | 107 |
| 2011 | 94 | 105 |
| 2012 | 92 | 105 |
| 2013 | 92 | 103 |
| 2014 | 92 | 107 |
| 2015 | 97 | 112 |
| 2016 | 104 | 115 |
| 2017 | 108 | 120 |
| 2018 | 113 | 125 |
| 2019 | 121 | 133 |
| 2020 | 125 | 136 |
| 2021 | 144 | 158 |
| 2022 | 167 | 181 |
| 2023 | 168 | 187 |
| 2024 | 172 | 187 |
| 2025 | 179 | 190 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 184 | 192 |
In 2005 the average home cost £76,002 in Blaenau Gwent and £77,602 in Merthyr Tydfil. Now it is £139,791 and £149,087: Blaenau Gwent is up 84% and Merthyr Tydfil is up 92%. Prices have risen faster in Merthyr Tydfil, 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 | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.5 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 3.9 years of pay | 4.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 3.2 years of pay | 3.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 3.6 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 3.9 years of pay | 4.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.5 years of pay in Blaenau Gwent and 4.1 years in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2025 it was 3.9 years and 4.2 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Merthyr Tydfil 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 | Blaenau Gwent | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 100 | 101 |
| 2017 | 100 | 102 |
| 2018 | 101 | 105 |
| 2019 | 101 | 108 |
| 2020 | 102 | 112 |
| 2021 | 108 | 115 |
| 2022 | 119 | 127 |
| 2023 | 131 | 137 |
| 2024 | 142 | 149 |
| 2025 | 155 | 166 |
| August 2026 | 166 | 166 |
In 2015 the average rent was £410 a month in Blaenau Gwent and £453 in Merthyr Tydfil. Now it is £681 and £754: up 66% in Blaenau Gwent and up 66% in Merthyr Tydfil.
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 Blaenau Gwent to Merthyr Tydfil
| Earning in Blaenau Gwent | Equivalent to buy in Merthyr Tydfil | Equivalent to rent in Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £32,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £42,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £53,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £63,500 |
Moving from Merthyr Tydfil to Blaenau Gwent
| Earning in Merthyr Tydfil | Equivalent to buy in Blaenau Gwent | Equivalent to rent in Blaenau Gwent |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £28,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £38,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £47,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £56,500 |