Breckland vs Ipswich: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £9,500 (5%) more in Ipswich than in Breckland. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Breckland | Ipswich | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 Ipswich (£36,660) is 7% higher than in Breckland (£34,399), while a typical terraced house costs 5% more (£205,000 against £195,500).
Buying a terraced house takes 5.7× annual pay in Breckland and 5.6× in Ipswich. Renting one takes 32% of pay in Breckland and 32% in Ipswich. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Breckland is around the middle of 316 areas (161st most expensive) to buy in, and Ipswich is the 96th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Breckland is around the middle of 316 areas (167th most expensive) and Ipswich is around the middle of 316 areas (162nd most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Breckland would need about £42,000 in Ipswich to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £42,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Ipswich 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 49.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Breckland and 90.5 in Ipswich, so recorded crime per resident is 84% higher in Ipswich. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.4 per 1,000 in Breckland against 4.8 in Ipswich.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Breckland | Ipswich |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £34,399 | £36,660 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.7× | 5.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 88% | 89% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 32% | 32% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Breckland | Ipswich | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £340,000 | £380,000 | +12% in Ipswich |
| Semi-detached | £235,000 | £260,500 | +11% in Ipswich |
| Terraced | £195,500 | £205,000 | +5% in Ipswich |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Breckland | Ipswich | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,321 | £1,294 | -2% in Ipswich |
| Semi-detached | £995 | £1,056 | +6% in Ipswich |
| Terraced | £913 | £965 | +6% in Ipswich |
Crime
Police recorded 49.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Breckland and 90.5 in Ipswich, so recorded crime per resident is 84% higher in Ipswich.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Breckland | Ipswich | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 49.1 | 90.5 | +84% in Ipswich |
| Violence against the person | 21.6 | 34.6 | +60% in Ipswich |
| Sexual offences | 3.1 | 4.7 | +49% in Ipswich |
| Robbery | 0.2 | 0.8 | +353% in Ipswich |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.0 | 3.6 | +80% in Ipswich |
| Vehicle offences | 1.4 | 4.8 | +230% in Ipswich |
| Theft from the person | 0.1 | 0.6 | +473% in Ipswich |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.1 | 8.0 | +57% in Ipswich |
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 | Breckland | Ipswich |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 106 |
| 2007 | 114 | 115 |
| 2008 | 111 | 109 |
| 2009 | 99 | 94 |
| 2010 | 105 | 102 |
| 2011 | 102 | 99 |
| 2012 | 103 | 102 |
| 2013 | 104 | 103 |
| 2014 | 113 | 113 |
| 2015 | 121 | 120 |
| 2016 | 133 | 133 |
| 2017 | 141 | 144 |
| 2018 | 147 | 149 |
| 2019 | 146 | 149 |
| 2020 | 149 | 149 |
| 2021 | 161 | 160 |
| 2022 | 179 | 176 |
| 2023 | 179 | 176 |
| 2024 | 174 | 169 |
| 2025 | 180 | 172 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 183 | 170 |
In 2005 the average home cost £149,476 in Breckland and £129,403 in Ipswich. Now it is £272,921 and £219,372: Breckland is up 83% and Ipswich is up 70%. Prices have risen faster in Breckland, 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 | Breckland | Ipswich |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.5 years of pay | – |
| 2010 | 7.4 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 7.8 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.4 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.8 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
In 2010 a home cost 7.4 years of pay in Breckland and 5.6 years in Ipswich. In 2025 it was 7.8 years and 6.1 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 | Breckland | Ipswich |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 104 | 106 |
| 2017 | 108 | 112 |
| 2018 | 110 | 115 |
| 2019 | 114 | 118 |
| 2020 | 118 | 120 |
| 2021 | 123 | 121 |
| 2022 | 130 | 129 |
| 2023 | 135 | 135 |
| 2024 | 141 | 151 |
| 2025 | 152 | 162 |
| August 2026 | 160 | 168 |
In 2015 the average rent was £580 a month in Breckland and £591 in Ipswich. Now it is £928 and £995: up 60% in Breckland and up 68% in Ipswich. Rents have risen faster in Ipswich.
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 Breckland to Ipswich
| Earning in Breckland | Equivalent to buy in Ipswich | Equivalent to rent in Ipswich |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £31,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £42,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £53,000 |
| £60,000 | £63,000 | £63,500 |
Moving from Ipswich to Breckland
| Earning in Ipswich | Equivalent to buy in Breckland | Equivalent to rent in Breckland |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £28,500 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £38,000 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £47,500 |
| £60,000 | £57,000 | £57,000 |