Pay vs Place

Charnwood vs Manchester: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £41,000 (19%) more in Manchester than in Charnwood. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 5.6× in Charnwood.

Charnwood, terraced
£215,000
Income typically needed: £43,000
Median full-time pay: £38,078
Manchester, terraced
£256,000
Income typically needed: £51,000
Median full-time pay: £36,278

At a glance

Charnwood Manchester
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Fairly affordable Very expensive
Recorded crime About 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 Manchester (£36,278) is 5% lower than in Charnwood (£38,078), while a typical terraced house costs 19% more (£256,000 against £215,000). Set against local pay, Charnwood is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 5.6× annual pay in Charnwood and 7.1× in Manchester. Renting one takes 29% of pay in Charnwood and 46% in Manchester. Both are harder in Manchester, and the gap is wider for renting.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Charnwood is around the middle of 316 areas (183rd most expensive) to buy in, and Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive). For renting against pay, Charnwood is the 126th least expensive of 316 areas and Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Charnwood would need about £47,500 in Manchester to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £60,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Manchester would leave you worse 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 67.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in Charnwood and 142.7 in Manchester, so recorded crime per resident in Manchester is 2.1 times the rate in Charnwood. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 24.1 per 1,000 in Charnwood against 51.9 in Manchester.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Charnwood Manchester
Median full-time pay £38,078 £36,278
House price ÷ pay 5.6× 7.1×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 89% 71%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 29% 46%

Buying, by property type

Type Charnwood Manchester Difference
Detached £393,000 £400,000 +2% in Manchester
Semi-detached £261,000 £310,000 +19% in Manchester
Terraced £215,000 £256,000 +19% in Manchester
Flat £141,500 £210,000 +48% in Manchester

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Charnwood Manchester Difference
Detached £1,276 £1,878 +47% in Manchester
Semi-detached £1,008 £1,496 +48% in Manchester
Terraced £931 £1,405 +51% in Manchester
Flat £771 £1,147 +49% in Manchester

Crime

Police recorded 67.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in Charnwood and 142.7 in Manchester, so recorded crime per resident in Manchester is 2.1 times the rate in Charnwood.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Charnwood Manchester Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 67.9 142.7 +110% in Manchester
Violence against the person 24.1 51.9 +116% in Manchester
Sexual offences 2.8 5.6 +99% in Manchester
Robbery 0.5 2.7 +455% in Manchester
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 7.1 9.3 +31% in Manchester
Vehicle offences 4.4 7.9 +81% in Manchester
Theft from the person 0.5 3.9 +658% in Manchester
Criminal damage and arson 7.7 10.0 +31% in Manchester

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.

Charnwood: 180Manchester: 251
House prices in Charnwood and Manchester since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Charnwood now 180, Manchester now 251.5010015020025030020052010201520202025House prices in Charnwood and Manchester since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Charnwood now 180, Manchester now 251.5010015020025030020102020
Show the figures
YearCharnwoodManchester
2005100100
2006104117
2007112129
2008106125
200997112
2010103115
2011102114
2012100115
2013102115
2014109125
2015114133
2016121145
2017126158
2018134167
2019138173
2020142178
2021152209
2022169231
2023173233
2024170241
2025177247
12 months to July 2026180251

In 2005 the average home cost £152,252 in Charnwood and £100,202 in Manchester. Now it is £273,407 and £251,205: Charnwood is up 80% and Manchester is up 151%. Prices have risen faster in Manchester, 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.

Charnwood: 7.1 years of payManchester: 6.8 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Charnwood and ManchesterCharnwood now 7.1, Manchester now 6.8 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Charnwood and ManchesterCharnwood now 7.1, Manchester now 6.8 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearCharnwoodManchester
20056.7 years of pay4.8 years of pay
20106.1 years of pay5.0 years of pay
20156.3 years of pay5.4 years of pay
20207.1 years of pay6.3 years of pay
20257.1 years of pay6.8 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.7 years of pay in Charnwood and 4.8 years in Manchester. In 2025 it was 7.1 years and 6.8 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Manchester over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Charnwood: 163Manchester: 174
Rents in Charnwood and Manchester since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Charnwood now 163, Manchester now 174.100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Charnwood and Manchester since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Charnwood now 163, Manchester now 174.100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearCharnwoodManchester
2015100100
2016103101
2017107106
2018109112
2019112114
2020115117
2021118120
2022121127
2023129139
2024142156
2025155167
August 2026163174

In 2015 the average rent was £589 a month in Charnwood and £790 in Manchester. Now it is £960 and £1,373: up 63% in Charnwood and up 74% in Manchester. Rents have risen faster in Manchester.

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 Charnwood to Manchester

Earning in Charnwood Equivalent to buy in Manchester Equivalent to rent in Manchester
£30,000 £35,500 £45,500
£40,000 £47,500 £60,500
£50,000 £59,500 £75,500
£60,000 £71,500 £90,500

Moving from Manchester to Charnwood

Earning in Manchester Equivalent to buy in Charnwood Equivalent to rent in Charnwood
£30,000 £25,000 £20,000
£40,000 £33,500 £26,500
£50,000 £42,000 £33,000
£60,000 £50,500 £40,000
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Charnwood figures · All Manchester figures