Cornwall vs North Devon: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £10,000 (5%) more in Cornwall than in North Devon. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Cornwall | North Devon | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | 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 North Devon (£32,682) is 7% lower than in Cornwall (£35,002), while a typical terraced house costs 4% less (£220,000 against £230,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.6× annual pay in Cornwall and 6.7× in North Devon. Renting one takes 35% of pay in Cornwall and 31% in North Devon. Renting is harder in Cornwall; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Cornwall is around the middle of 316 areas (136th most expensive) to buy in, and North Devon is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Cornwall is around the middle of 316 areas (142nd most expensive) and North Devon is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Cornwall would need about £38,500 in North Devon to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £33,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Devon 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 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cornwall and 55.3 in North Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in North Devon. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.6 per 1,000 in Cornwall against 1.1 in North Devon.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Cornwall | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,002 | £32,682 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.6× | 6.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 76% | 74% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 35% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Cornwall | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £399,950 | £375,000 | -6% in North Devon |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £276,000 | +4% in North Devon |
| Terraced | £230,000 | £220,000 | -4% in North Devon |
| Flat | £175,000 | £160,000 | -9% in North Devon |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Cornwall | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,278 | £1,124 | -12% in North Devon |
| Semi-detached | £1,070 | £915 | -14% in North Devon |
| Terraced | £1,033 | £857 | -17% in North Devon |
| Flat | £810 | £667 | -18% in North Devon |
Crime
Police recorded 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cornwall and 55.3 in North Devon, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in North Devon.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Cornwall | North Devon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 62.7 | 55.3 | -12% in North Devon |
| Violence against the person | 29.7 | 24.6 | -17% in North Devon |
| Sexual offences | 3.5 | 3.3 | -7% in North Devon |
| Robbery | 0.3 | 0.4 | +18% in North Devon |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.6 | 2.4 | -6% in North Devon |
| Vehicle offences | 1.6 | 1.1 | -29% in North Devon |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.3 | -3% in North Devon |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.5 | 5.8 | -23% in North Devon |
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 | Cornwall | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 104 |
| 2007 | 114 | 111 |
| 2008 | 110 | 107 |
| 2009 | 99 | 98 |
| 2010 | 106 | 104 |
| 2011 | 104 | 103 |
| 2012 | 103 | 103 |
| 2013 | 104 | 100 |
| 2014 | 107 | 108 |
| 2015 | 112 | 113 |
| 2016 | 114 | 116 |
| 2017 | 118 | 120 |
| 2018 | 124 | 120 |
| 2019 | 126 | 130 |
| 2020 | 131 | 132 |
| 2021 | 144 | 142 |
| 2022 | 163 | 162 |
| 2023 | 164 | 164 |
| 2024 | 159 | 156 |
| 2025 | 156 | 159 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 156 | 157 |
In 2005 the average home cost £178,433 in Cornwall and £181,587 in North Devon. Now it is £278,852 and £285,012: Cornwall is up 56% and North Devon is up 57%.
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 | Cornwall | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.4 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.6 years of pay | 9.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.6 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.6 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.9 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.4 years of pay in Cornwall and 11.0 years in North Devon. In 2025 it was 7.9 years and 8.8 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Cornwall 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 | Cornwall | North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 101 |
| 2017 | 103 | 101 |
| 2018 | 106 | 104 |
| 2019 | 109 | 106 |
| 2020 | 112 | 108 |
| 2021 | 114 | 112 |
| 2022 | 119 | 117 |
| 2023 | 127 | 124 |
| 2024 | 133 | 132 |
| 2025 | 143 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 142 |
In 2015 the average rent was £678 a month in Cornwall and £597 in North Devon. Now it is £1,000 and £846: up 47% in Cornwall and up 42% in North Devon. Rents have risen faster in Cornwall.
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 Cornwall to North Devon
| Earning in Cornwall | Equivalent to buy in North Devon | Equivalent to rent in North Devon |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £25,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,500 | £33,000 |
| £50,000 | £48,000 | £41,500 |
| £60,000 | £57,500 | £50,000 |
Moving from North Devon to Cornwall
| Earning in North Devon | Equivalent to buy in Cornwall | Equivalent to rent in Cornwall |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £36,000 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £48,000 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £60,500 |
| £60,000 | £62,500 | £72,500 |