Bristol vs North Somerset: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £106,000 (39%) more in Bristol than in North Somerset. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Bristol: it takes 9.6× median annual pay, against 6.9× in North Somerset.
At a glance
| Bristol | North Somerset | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | High | 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 North Somerset (£39,969) is 1% higher than in Bristol (£39,509), while a typical terraced house costs 28% less (£274,000 against £380,000). Set against local pay, North Somerset is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 9.6× annual pay in Bristol and 6.9× in North Somerset. Renting one takes 61% of pay in Bristol and 36% in North Somerset. Both are harder in Bristol, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Bristol is the 99th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (142nd most expensive). For renting against pay, Bristol is the 14th most expensive of 316 areas and North Somerset is the 121st most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Bristol would need about £29,000 in North Somerset to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £24,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Somerset 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 131.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Bristol and 81.8 in North Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 38% lower in North Somerset. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 9.8 per 1,000 in Bristol against 3.7 in North Somerset.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Bristol | North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,509 | £39,969 |
| House price ÷ pay | 9.6× | 6.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 52% | 73% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 61% | 36% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Bristol | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £536,500 | £470,000 | -12% in North Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £370,000 | £320,000 | -14% in North Somerset |
| Terraced | £380,000 | £274,000 | -28% in North Somerset |
| Flat | £265,000 | £183,000 | -31% in North Somerset |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Bristol | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,106 | £1,594 | -24% in North Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £2,091 | £1,310 | -37% in North Somerset |
| Terraced | £2,008 | £1,212 | -40% in North Somerset |
| Flat | £1,508 | £988 | -34% in North Somerset |
Crime
Police recorded 131.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Bristol and 81.8 in North Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 38% lower in North Somerset.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Bristol | North Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 131.0 | 81.8 | -38% in North Somerset |
| Violence against the person | 47.4 | 35.2 | -26% in North Somerset |
| Sexual offences | 5.2 | 3.4 | -33% in North Somerset |
| Robbery | 3.0 | 0.9 | -69% in North Somerset |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.2 | 5.2 | -43% in North Somerset |
| Vehicle offences | 9.8 | 3.7 | -62% in North Somerset |
| Theft from the person | 0.8 | 0.2 | -73% in North Somerset |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.7 | 6.9 | -36% in North Somerset |
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 | Bristol | North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 108 | 105 |
| 2007 | 121 | 116 |
| 2008 | 116 | 113 |
| 2009 | 103 | 100 |
| 2010 | 112 | 107 |
| 2011 | 112 | 107 |
| 2012 | 114 | 107 |
| 2013 | 118 | 110 |
| 2014 | 131 | 119 |
| 2015 | 144 | 126 |
| 2016 | 164 | 139 |
| 2017 | 173 | 144 |
| 2018 | 180 | 151 |
| 2019 | 182 | 153 |
| 2020 | 189 | 156 |
| 2021 | 201 | 166 |
| 2022 | 222 | 184 |
| 2023 | 225 | 187 |
| 2024 | 224 | 185 |
| 2025 | 227 | 183 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 227 | 187 |
In 2005 the average home cost £154,224 in Bristol and £163,991 in North Somerset. Now it is £350,147 and £307,183: Bristol is up 127% and North Somerset is up 87%. 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 | Bristol | North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.0 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.8 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.1 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.0 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.9 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.0 years of pay in Bristol and 6.5 years in North Somerset. In 2025 it was 8.9 years and 7.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Bristol 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 | Bristol | North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 108 | 103 |
| 2017 | 115 | 106 |
| 2018 | 118 | 107 |
| 2019 | 120 | 112 |
| 2020 | 125 | 114 |
| 2021 | 131 | 119 |
| 2022 | 143 | 126 |
| 2023 | 155 | 138 |
| 2024 | 165 | 151 |
| 2025 | 168 | 161 |
| August 2026 | 177 | 167 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,064 a month in Bristol and £724 in North Somerset. Now it is £1,883 and £1,209: up 77% in Bristol and up 67% in North Somerset. 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 Bristol to North Somerset
| Earning in Bristol | Equivalent to buy in North Somerset | Equivalent to rent in North Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £21,500 | £18,000 |
| £40,000 | £29,000 | £24,000 |
| £50,000 | £36,000 | £30,000 |
| £60,000 | £43,500 | £36,000 |
Moving from North Somerset to Bristol
| Earning in North Somerset | Equivalent to buy in Bristol | Equivalent to rent in Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £41,500 | £49,500 |
| £40,000 | £55,500 | £66,500 |
| £50,000 | £69,500 | £83,000 |
| £60,000 | £83,000 | £99,500 |