Brighton and Hove vs Bristol: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £120,000 (32%) more in Brighton and Hove than in Bristol. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Brighton and Hove: it takes 12.7× median annual pay, against 9.6× in Bristol.
At a glance
| Brighton and Hove | Bristol | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | High |
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 Bristol (£39,509) is the same than in Brighton and Hove (£39,347), while a typical terraced house costs 24% less (£380,000 against £500,000). Set against local pay, Bristol is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 12.7× annual pay in Brighton and Hove and 9.6× in Bristol. Renting one takes 61% of pay in Brighton and Hove and 61% in Bristol. Buying is harder in Brighton and Hove; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Brighton and Hove is the 34th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Bristol is the 99th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Brighton and Hove is the 17th most expensive of 316 areas and Bristol is the 14th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Brighton and Hove would need about £30,500 in Bristol to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Bristol 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.
Police recorded 99.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Brighton and Hove and 131.0 in Bristol, so recorded crime per resident is 31% higher in Bristol. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 3.0 per 1,000 in Brighton and Hove against 9.8 in Bristol.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Brighton and Hove | Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,347 | £39,509 |
| House price ÷ pay | 12.7× | 9.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 39% | 52% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 61% | 61% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Brighton and Hove | Bristol | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £700,000 | £536,500 | -23% in Bristol |
| Semi-detached | £499,500 | £370,000 | -26% in Bristol |
| Terraced | £500,000 | £380,000 | -24% in Bristol |
| Flat | £300,000 | £265,000 | -12% in Bristol |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Brighton and Hove | Bristol | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,219 | £2,106 | -5% in Bristol |
| Semi-detached | £2,023 | £2,091 | +3% in Bristol |
| Terraced | £1,986 | £2,008 | +1% in Bristol |
| Flat | £1,381 | £1,508 | +9% in Bristol |
Crime
Police recorded 99.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Brighton and Hove and 131.0 in Bristol, so recorded crime per resident is 31% higher in Bristol.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Brighton and Hove | Bristol | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 99.8 | 131.0 | +31% in Bristol |
| Violence against the person | 32.4 | 47.4 | +46% in Bristol |
| Sexual offences | 4.3 | 5.2 | +19% in Bristol |
| Robbery | 1.9 | 3.0 | +58% in Bristol |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.3 | 9.2 | +117% in Bristol |
| Vehicle offences | 3.0 | 9.8 | +229% in Bristol |
| Theft from the person | 1.6 | 0.8 | -51% in Bristol |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.3 | 10.7 | +47% in Bristol |
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 | Brighton and Hove | Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 108 |
| 2007 | 121 | 121 |
| 2008 | 117 | 116 |
| 2009 | 105 | 103 |
| 2010 | 119 | 112 |
| 2011 | 119 | 112 |
| 2012 | 123 | 114 |
| 2013 | 128 | 118 |
| 2014 | 139 | 131 |
| 2015 | 153 | 144 |
| 2016 | 166 | 164 |
| 2017 | 175 | 173 |
| 2018 | 177 | 180 |
| 2019 | 178 | 182 |
| 2020 | 181 | 189 |
| 2021 | 194 | 201 |
| 2022 | 212 | 222 |
| 2023 | 213 | 225 |
| 2024 | 206 | 224 |
| 2025 | 206 | 227 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 204 | 227 |
In 2005 the average home cost £200,241 in Brighton and Hove and £154,224 in Bristol. Now it is £409,046 and £350,147: Brighton and Hove is up 104% and Bristol is up 127%. Prices have risen faster in Bristol, 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 | Brighton and Hove | Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.5 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.6 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.8 years of pay | 8.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.7 years of pay | 9.0 years of pay |
| 2025 | 10.5 years of pay | 8.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.5 years of pay in Brighton and Hove and 7.0 years in Bristol. In 2025 it was 10.5 years and 8.9 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 | Brighton and Hove | Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 108 |
| 2017 | 109 | 115 |
| 2018 | 111 | 118 |
| 2019 | 114 | 120 |
| 2020 | 115 | 125 |
| 2021 | 115 | 131 |
| 2022 | 118 | 143 |
| 2023 | 131 | 155 |
| 2024 | 139 | 165 |
| 2025 | 146 | 168 |
| August 2026 | 144 | 177 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,252 a month in Brighton and Hove and £1,064 in Bristol. Now it is £1,808 and £1,883: up 44% in Brighton and Hove and up 77% in Bristol. Rents have risen faster in Bristol.
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 Brighton and Hove to Bristol
| Earning in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to buy in Bristol | Equivalent to rent in Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,000 | £30,500 |
| £40,000 | £30,500 | £40,500 |
| £50,000 | £38,000 | £50,500 |
| £60,000 | £45,500 | £60,500 |
Moving from Bristol to Brighton and Hove
| Earning in Bristol | Equivalent to buy in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to rent in Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £39,500 | £29,500 |
| £40,000 | £52,500 | £39,500 |
| £50,000 | £66,000 | £49,500 |
| £60,000 | £79,000 | £59,500 |