Brighton and Hove vs Leeds: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £297,500 (147%) more in Brighton and Hove than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Brighton and Hove: it takes 12.7× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.
At a glance
| Brighton and Hove | Leeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Above 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 Leeds (£36,716) is 7% lower than in Brighton and Hove (£39,347), while a typical terraced house costs 59% less (£202,500 against £500,000). Set against local pay, Leeds 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 5.5× in Leeds. Renting one takes 61% of pay in Brighton and Hove and 38% in Leeds. Both are harder in Brighton and Hove, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Brighton and Hove is the 34th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Brighton and Hove is the 17th most expensive of 316 areas and Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Brighton and Hove would need about £16,000 in Leeds to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £23,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Leeds 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 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 15% higher in Leeds. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 4.3 per 1,000 in Brighton and Hove against 13.0 in Leeds.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Brighton and Hove | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,347 | £36,716 |
| House price ÷ pay | 12.7× | 5.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 39% | 91% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 61% | 38% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Brighton and Hove | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £700,000 | £430,000 | -39% in Leeds |
| Semi-detached | £499,500 | £262,000 | -48% in Leeds |
| Terraced | £500,000 | £202,500 | -60% in Leeds |
| Flat | £300,000 | £150,000 | -50% in Leeds |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Brighton and Hove | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,219 | £1,507 | -32% in Leeds |
| Semi-detached | £2,023 | £1,226 | -39% in Leeds |
| Terraced | £1,986 | £1,157 | -42% in Leeds |
| Flat | £1,381 | £905 | -34% in Leeds |
Crime
Police recorded 99.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Brighton and Hove and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 15% higher in Leeds.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Brighton and Hove | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 99.8 | 114.6 | +15% in Leeds |
| Violence against the person | 32.4 | 44.9 | +39% in Leeds |
| Sexual offences | 4.3 | 4.4 | +1% in Leeds |
| Robbery | 1.9 | 2.2 | +15% in Leeds |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.3 | 13.0 | +205% in Leeds |
| Vehicle offences | 3.0 | 7.0 | +135% in Leeds |
| Theft from the person | 1.6 | 1.3 | -20% in Leeds |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.3 | 8.5 | +17% in Leeds |
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 | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 107 |
| 2007 | 121 | 114 |
| 2008 | 117 | 110 |
| 2009 | 105 | 98 |
| 2010 | 119 | 103 |
| 2011 | 119 | 101 |
| 2012 | 123 | 99 |
| 2013 | 128 | 100 |
| 2014 | 139 | 106 |
| 2015 | 153 | 111 |
| 2016 | 166 | 119 |
| 2017 | 175 | 125 |
| 2018 | 177 | 130 |
| 2019 | 178 | 134 |
| 2020 | 181 | 139 |
| 2021 | 194 | 151 |
| 2022 | 212 | 165 |
| 2023 | 213 | 168 |
| 2024 | 206 | 171 |
| 2025 | 206 | 177 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 204 | 181 |
In 2005 the average home cost £200,241 in Brighton and Hove and £135,425 in Leeds. Now it is £409,046 and £244,464: Brighton and Hove is up 104% and Leeds is up 81%. Prices have risen faster in Brighton and Hove, 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 | Brighton and Hove | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.5 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.6 years of pay | 5.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.8 years of pay | 5.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.7 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 10.5 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.5 years of pay in Brighton and Hove and 6.1 years in Leeds. In 2025 it was 10.5 years and 6.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Brighton and Hove 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 | Brighton and Hove | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 98 |
| 2017 | 109 | 102 |
| 2018 | 111 | 104 |
| 2019 | 114 | 107 |
| 2020 | 115 | 112 |
| 2021 | 115 | 114 |
| 2022 | 118 | 125 |
| 2023 | 131 | 136 |
| 2024 | 139 | 145 |
| 2025 | 146 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 144 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,252 a month in Brighton and Hove and £758 in Leeds. Now it is £1,808 and £1,145: up 44% in Brighton and Hove and up 51% in Leeds. Rents have risen faster in Leeds.
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 Leeds
| Earning in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to buy in Leeds | Equivalent to rent in Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £12,000 | £17,500 |
| £40,000 | £16,000 | £23,500 |
| £50,000 | £20,500 | £29,000 |
| £60,000 | £24,500 | £35,000 |
Moving from Leeds to Brighton and Hove
| Earning in Leeds | Equivalent to buy in Brighton and Hove | Equivalent to rent in Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £74,000 | £51,500 |
| £40,000 | £99,000 | £68,500 |
| £50,000 | £123,500 | £86,000 |
| £60,000 | £148,000 | £103,000 |