Bracknell Forest vs Tonbridge and Malling: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £35,000 (10%) more in Bracknell Forest than in Tonbridge and Malling. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Bracknell Forest: it takes 8.7× median annual pay, against 8.0× in Tonbridge and Malling.
At a glance
| Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | 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 Tonbridge and Malling (£42,752) is 1% lower than in Bracknell Forest (£43,206), while a typical terraced house costs 9% less (£340,000 against £375,000). Set against local pay, Tonbridge and Malling is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.7× annual pay in Bracknell Forest and 8.0× in Tonbridge and Malling. Renting one takes 39% of pay in Bracknell Forest and 40% in Tonbridge and Malling. Buying is harder in Bracknell Forest; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Bracknell Forest is the 64th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Tonbridge and Malling is the 73rd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Bracknell Forest is the 80th most expensive of 316 areas and Tonbridge and Malling is the 68th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Bracknell Forest would need about £36,500 in Tonbridge and Malling to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Tonbridge and Malling 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £43,206 | £42,752 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.7× | 8.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 58% | 63% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 39% | 40% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £635,000 | £650,000 | +2% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Semi-detached | £460,000 | £421,250 | -8% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Terraced | £375,000 | £340,000 | -9% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Flat | £230,000 | £240,750 | +5% in Tonbridge and Malling |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,193 | £2,200 | +0% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Semi-detached | £1,626 | £1,593 | -2% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Terraced | £1,422 | £1,427 | +0% in Tonbridge and Malling |
| Flat | £1,178 | £1,219 | +3% in Tonbridge and Malling |
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 | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 109 |
| 2007 | 115 | 117 |
| 2008 | 113 | 116 |
| 2009 | 100 | 103 |
| 2010 | 111 | 113 |
| 2011 | 111 | 115 |
| 2012 | 112 | 117 |
| 2013 | 118 | 121 |
| 2014 | 132 | 132 |
| 2015 | 148 | 143 |
| 2016 | 168 | 161 |
| 2017 | 170 | 166 |
| 2018 | 170 | 174 |
| 2019 | 164 | 176 |
| 2020 | 165 | 179 |
| 2021 | 172 | 185 |
| 2022 | 188 | 204 |
| 2023 | 189 | 202 |
| 2024 | 188 | 198 |
| 2025 | 190 | 202 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 189 | 202 |
In 2005 the average home cost £208,296 in Bracknell Forest and £199,361 in Tonbridge and Malling. Now it is £394,041 and £403,269: Bracknell Forest is up 89% and Tonbridge and Malling is up 102%. Prices have risen faster in Tonbridge and Malling, 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 | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.4 years of pay | 8.3 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.7 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 9.8 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.4 years of pay | – |
| 2025 | 9.2 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.4 years of pay in Bracknell Forest and 8.3 years in Tonbridge and Malling. In 2025 it was 9.2 years and 9.4 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Bracknell Forest 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 | Bracknell Forest | Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 102 | 106 |
| 2017 | 103 | 109 |
| 2018 | 105 | 112 |
| 2019 | 106 | 115 |
| 2020 | 108 | 116 |
| 2021 | 108 | 119 |
| 2022 | 111 | 124 |
| 2023 | 117 | 132 |
| 2024 | 130 | 141 |
| 2025 | 141 | 150 |
| August 2026 | 144 | 156 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,014 a month in Bracknell Forest and £955 in Tonbridge and Malling. Now it is £1,462 and £1,489: up 44% in Bracknell Forest and up 56% in Tonbridge and Malling. Rents have risen faster in Tonbridge and Malling.
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 Bracknell Forest to Tonbridge and Malling
| Earning in Bracknell Forest | Equivalent to buy in Tonbridge and Malling | Equivalent to rent in Tonbridge and Malling |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £45,500 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £54,500 | £60,000 |
Moving from Tonbridge and Malling to Bracknell Forest
| Earning in Tonbridge and Malling | Equivalent to buy in Bracknell Forest | Equivalent to rent in Bracknell Forest |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,000 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £55,000 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £66,000 | £60,000 |
All Bracknell Forest figures · All Tonbridge and Malling figures