Cambridge vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £307,500 (166%) more in Cambridge than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Cambridge: it takes 11.3× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | About 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 Newcastle upon Tyne (£35,446) is 19% lower than in Cambridge (£43,741), while a typical terraced house costs 62% less (£185,000 against £492,500). Set against local pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 11.3× annual pay in Cambridge and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 50% of pay in Cambridge and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Both are harder in Cambridge, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Cambridge is the 31st most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Cambridge is the 28th most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Cambridge would need about £15,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Newcastle upon Tyne 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 91.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cambridge and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 17% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 3.0 per 1,000 in Cambridge against 4.5 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £43,741 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 11.3× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 44% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 50% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £810,153 | £357,000 | -56% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £550,138 | £215,000 | -61% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £492,500 | £185,000 | -62% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £320,000 | £155,000 | -52% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,342 | £1,697 | -28% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £2,008 | £1,263 | -37% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £1,833 | £1,293 | -29% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £1,455 | £993 | -32% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Crime
Police recorded 91.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cambridge and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 17% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 91.7 | 107.4 | +17% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Violence against the person | 27.4 | 36.6 | +34% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Sexual offences | 3.0 | 4.5 | +50% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Robbery | 1.2 | 2.3 | +84% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.8 | 9.0 | +33% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Vehicle offences | 4.2 | 5.9 | +39% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Theft from the person | 2.3 | 1.4 | -41% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.0 | 10.3 | +47% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
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 | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 111 | 108 |
| 2007 | 124 | 115 |
| 2008 | 116 | 110 |
| 2009 | 111 | 99 |
| 2010 | 123 | 103 |
| 2011 | 126 | 98 |
| 2012 | 135 | 98 |
| 2013 | 147 | 98 |
| 2014 | 163 | 101 |
| 2015 | 184 | 108 |
| 2016 | 193 | 111 |
| 2017 | 199 | 112 |
| 2018 | 201 | 114 |
| 2019 | 198 | 114 |
| 2020 | 201 | 115 |
| 2021 | 200 | 123 |
| 2022 | 221 | 132 |
| 2023 | 219 | 134 |
| 2024 | 217 | 137 |
| 2025 | 214 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 211 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £225,245 in Cambridge and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £475,300 and £204,282: Cambridge is up 111% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in Cambridge, 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 | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | – | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 9.0 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 13.2 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.0 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.0 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2010 a home cost 9.0 years of pay in Cambridge and 6.4 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 11.0 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Cambridge 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 | Cambridge | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 106 |
| 2017 | 109 | 113 |
| 2018 | 109 | 112 |
| 2019 | 111 | 113 |
| 2020 | 112 | 117 |
| 2021 | 114 | 123 |
| 2022 | 119 | 127 |
| 2023 | 127 | 137 |
| 2024 | 137 | 143 |
| 2025 | 145 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 148 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,223 a month in Cambridge and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £1,805 and £1,215: up 48% in Cambridge and up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Rents have risen faster in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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 Cambridge to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Cambridge | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £11,500 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £15,000 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £19,000 | £35,500 |
| £60,000 | £22,500 | £42,500 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Cambridge
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Cambridge | Equivalent to rent in Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £80,000 | £42,500 |
| £40,000 | £106,500 | £56,500 |
| £50,000 | £133,000 | £71,000 |
| £60,000 | £159,500 | £85,000 |