Cambridge vs Uttlesford: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £137,500 (39%) more in Cambridge than in Uttlesford. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Cambridge: it takes 11.3× median annual pay, against 7.1× in Uttlesford.
At a glance
| Cambridge | Uttlesford | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | About average | Low |
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 Uttlesford (£50,103) is 15% higher than in Cambridge (£43,741), while a typical terraced house costs 28% less (£355,000 against £492,500). Set against local pay, Uttlesford 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 7.1× in Uttlesford. Renting one takes 50% of pay in Cambridge and 31% in Uttlesford. Both are harder in Cambridge, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Cambridge is the 31st most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Uttlesford is the 82nd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Cambridge is the 28th most expensive of 316 areas and Uttlesford is around the middle of 316 areas (185th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Cambridge would need about £29,000 in Uttlesford 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 Uttlesford 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 51.2 in Uttlesford, so recorded crime per resident is 44% lower in Uttlesford. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 6.8 per 1,000 in Cambridge against 4.2 in Uttlesford.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Cambridge | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £43,741 | £50,103 |
| House price ÷ pay | 11.3× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 44% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 50% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Cambridge | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £810,153 | £609,500 | -25% in Uttlesford |
| Semi-detached | £550,138 | £430,000 | -22% in Uttlesford |
| Terraced | £492,500 | £355,000 | -28% in Uttlesford |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Cambridge | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,342 | £1,764 | -25% in Uttlesford |
| Semi-detached | £2,008 | £1,414 | -30% in Uttlesford |
| Terraced | £1,833 | £1,279 | -30% in Uttlesford |
Crime
Police recorded 91.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cambridge and 51.2 in Uttlesford, so recorded crime per resident is 44% lower in Uttlesford.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Cambridge | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 91.7 | 51.2 | -44% in Uttlesford |
| Violence against the person | 27.4 | 18.4 | -33% in Uttlesford |
| Sexual offences | 3.0 | 2.1 | -30% in Uttlesford |
| Robbery | 1.2 | 0.2 | -87% in Uttlesford |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.8 | 4.2 | -37% in Uttlesford |
| Vehicle offences | 4.2 | 3.5 | -18% in Uttlesford |
| Theft from the person | 2.3 | 0.8 | -68% in Uttlesford |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.0 | 5.3 | -24% in Uttlesford |
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 | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 111 | 104 |
| 2007 | 124 | 113 |
| 2008 | 116 | 111 |
| 2009 | 111 | 102 |
| 2010 | 123 | 109 |
| 2011 | 126 | 111 |
| 2012 | 135 | 113 |
| 2013 | 147 | 117 |
| 2014 | 163 | 129 |
| 2015 | 184 | 142 |
| 2016 | 193 | 153 |
| 2017 | 199 | 161 |
| 2018 | 201 | 164 |
| 2019 | 198 | 161 |
| 2020 | 201 | 165 |
| 2021 | 200 | 174 |
| 2022 | 221 | 188 |
| 2023 | 219 | 184 |
| 2024 | 217 | 182 |
| 2025 | 214 | 189 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 211 | 190 |
In 2005 the average home cost £225,245 in Cambridge and £249,401 in Uttlesford. Now it is £475,300 and £473,120: Cambridge is up 111% and Uttlesford is up 90%. Prices have risen faster in Cambridge, 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 | Cambridge | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | – | 9.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 9.0 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 13.2 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.0 years of pay | 11.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.0 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
In 2010 a home cost 9.0 years of pay in Cambridge and 8.8 years in Uttlesford. In 2025 it was 11.0 years and 9.4 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 | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 106 |
| 2017 | 109 | 110 |
| 2018 | 109 | 111 |
| 2019 | 111 | 112 |
| 2020 | 112 | 113 |
| 2021 | 114 | 117 |
| 2022 | 119 | 121 |
| 2023 | 127 | 126 |
| 2024 | 137 | 137 |
| 2025 | 145 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 148 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,223 a month in Cambridge and £869 in Uttlesford. Now it is £1,805 and £1,289: up 48% in Cambridge and up 48% in Uttlesford.
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 Uttlesford
| Earning in Cambridge | Equivalent to buy in Uttlesford | Equivalent to rent in Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £21,500 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £29,000 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £36,000 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £43,000 | £42,000 |
Moving from Uttlesford to Cambridge
| Earning in Uttlesford | Equivalent to buy in Cambridge | Equivalent to rent in Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £41,500 | £43,000 |
| £40,000 | £55,500 | £57,500 |
| £50,000 | £69,500 | £71,500 |
| £60,000 | £83,000 | £86,000 |