Chelmsford vs North Hertfordshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £10,000 (3%) more in North Hertfordshire than in Chelmsford. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| 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 North Hertfordshire (£49,224) is 7% higher than in Chelmsford (£46,179), while a typical terraced house costs 3% more (£370,000 against £360,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.8× annual pay in Chelmsford and 7.5× in North Hertfordshire. Renting one takes 36% of pay in Chelmsford and 34% in North Hertfordshire. Renting is harder in Chelmsford; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Chelmsford is the 103rd most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Hertfordshire is the 116th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Chelmsford is the 107th most expensive of 316 areas and North Hertfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (130th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Chelmsford would need about £41,000 in North Hertfordshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Hertfordshire 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 70.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Chelmsford and 49.5 in North Hertfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 30% lower in North Hertfordshire. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 29.3 per 1,000 in Chelmsford against 20.7 in North Hertfordshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £46,179 | £49,224 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.8× | 7.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 64% | 67% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 36% | 34% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £590,000 | £694,000 | +18% in North Hertfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £430,000 | £499,975 | +16% in North Hertfordshire |
| Terraced | £360,000 | £370,000 | +3% in North Hertfordshire |
| Flat | £216,000 | £222,750 | +3% in North Hertfordshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,993 | £1,939 | -3% in North Hertfordshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,521 | £1,550 | +2% in North Hertfordshire |
| Terraced | £1,370 | £1,379 | +1% in North Hertfordshire |
| Flat | £1,210 | £1,158 | -4% in North Hertfordshire |
Crime
Police recorded 70.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Chelmsford and 49.5 in North Hertfordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 30% lower in North Hertfordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 70.4 | 49.5 | -30% in North Hertfordshire |
| Violence against the person | 29.3 | 20.7 | -29% in North Hertfordshire |
| Sexual offences | 3.2 | 2.4 | -26% in North Hertfordshire |
| Robbery | 0.6 | 0.4 | -39% in North Hertfordshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.3 | 4.3 | -19% in North Hertfordshire |
| Vehicle offences | 3.2 | 2.9 | -11% in North Hertfordshire |
| Theft from the person | 0.6 | 0.3 | -46% in North Hertfordshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.9 | 4.9 | -1% in North Hertfordshire |
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 | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 107 |
| 2007 | 115 | 114 |
| 2008 | 112 | 112 |
| 2009 | 101 | 103 |
| 2010 | 110 | 112 |
| 2011 | 110 | 112 |
| 2012 | 112 | 115 |
| 2013 | 115 | 116 |
| 2014 | 127 | 130 |
| 2015 | 139 | 145 |
| 2016 | 155 | 164 |
| 2017 | 165 | 171 |
| 2018 | 168 | 178 |
| 2019 | 171 | 171 |
| 2020 | 170 | 175 |
| 2021 | 179 | 182 |
| 2022 | 197 | 193 |
| 2023 | 195 | 196 |
| 2024 | 192 | 194 |
| 2025 | 198 | 201 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 198 | 203 |
In 2005 the average home cost £191,903 in Chelmsford and £204,727 in North Hertfordshire. Now it is £380,645 and £416,551: Chelmsford is up 98% and North Hertfordshire is up 103%. Prices have risen faster in North Hertfordshire, 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 | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.0 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.0 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.4 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.3 years of pay | 9.0 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.2 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.0 years of pay in Chelmsford and 7.8 years in North Hertfordshire. In 2025 it was 8.2 years and 8.4 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Chelmsford 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 | Chelmsford | North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 110 | 115 |
| 2018 | 113 | 117 |
| 2019 | 115 | 118 |
| 2020 | 116 | 118 |
| 2021 | 121 | 122 |
| 2022 | 126 | 132 |
| 2023 | 133 | 139 |
| 2024 | 142 | 154 |
| 2025 | 155 | 162 |
| August 2026 | 162 | 171 |
In 2015 the average rent was £891 a month in Chelmsford and £838 in North Hertfordshire. Now it is £1,439 and £1,434: up 62% in Chelmsford and up 71% in North Hertfordshire. Rents have risen faster in North Hertfordshire.
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 Chelmsford to North Hertfordshire
| Earning in Chelmsford | Equivalent to buy in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to rent in North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £41,000 | £40,500 |
| £50,000 | £51,500 | £50,500 |
| £60,000 | £61,500 | £60,500 |
Moving from North Hertfordshire to Chelmsford
| Earning in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Chelmsford | Equivalent to rent in Chelmsford |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £39,000 | £39,500 |
| £50,000 | £48,500 | £49,500 |
| £60,000 | £58,500 | £59,500 |