Cornwall vs Somerset: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £0 (0%) more in Cornwall than in Somerset. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Cornwall | Somerset | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | About average | About 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 Somerset (£36,279) is 4% higher than in Cornwall (£35,002), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£230,000 against £230,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.6× annual pay in Cornwall and 6.3× in Somerset. Renting one takes 35% of pay in Cornwall and 34% in Somerset. 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 Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (153rd most expensive). For renting against pay, Cornwall is around the middle of 316 areas (142nd most expensive) and Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (151st most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Cornwall would need about £40,000 in Somerset to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £39,500 to be equally placed to rent one. 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 84.1 in Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 34% higher in Somerset. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 2.6 per 1,000 in Cornwall against 4.6 in Somerset.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Cornwall | Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,002 | £36,279 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.6× | 6.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 76% | 79% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 35% | 34% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Cornwall | Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £399,950 | £422,500 | +6% in Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £275,000 | +4% in Somerset |
| Terraced | £230,000 | £230,000 | 0% in Somerset |
| Flat | £175,000 | £143,000 | -18% in Somerset |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Cornwall | Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,278 | £1,392 | +9% in Somerset |
| Semi-detached | £1,070 | £1,097 | +3% in Somerset |
| Terraced | £1,033 | £1,016 | -2% in Somerset |
| Flat | £810 | £788 | -3% in Somerset |
Crime
Police recorded 62.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cornwall and 84.1 in Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 34% higher in Somerset.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Cornwall | Somerset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 62.7 | 84.1 | +34% in Somerset |
| Violence against the person | 29.7 | 36.9 | +24% in Somerset |
| Sexual offences | 3.5 | 4.1 | +16% in Somerset |
| Robbery | 0.3 | 1.0 | +197% in Somerset |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.6 | 4.6 | +77% in Somerset |
| Vehicle offences | 1.6 | 2.6 | +64% in Somerset |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.2 | -45% in Somerset |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.5 | 6.9 | -8% in Somerset |
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 | Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 105 |
| 2007 | 114 | 115 |
| 2008 | 110 | 111 |
| 2009 | 99 | 101 |
| 2010 | 106 | 106 |
| 2011 | 104 | 105 |
| 2012 | 103 | 104 |
| 2013 | 104 | 106 |
| 2014 | 107 | 111 |
| 2015 | 112 | 116 |
| 2016 | 114 | 122 |
| 2017 | 118 | 129 |
| 2018 | 124 | 135 |
| 2019 | 126 | 137 |
| 2020 | 131 | 140 |
| 2021 | 144 | 150 |
| 2022 | 163 | 167 |
| 2023 | 164 | 168 |
| 2024 | 159 | 164 |
| 2025 | 156 | 166 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 156 | 168 |
In 2005 the average home cost £178,433 in Cornwall and £165,777 in Somerset. Now it is £278,852 and £279,149: Cornwall is up 56% and Somerset is up 68%. Prices have risen faster in Somerset, 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 | Cornwall | Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.4 years of pay | 7.7 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.9 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.4 years of pay in Cornwall and 7.7 years in Somerset. In 2025 it was 7.9 years and 7.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Somerset 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 | Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 102 |
| 2017 | 103 | 105 |
| 2018 | 106 | 107 |
| 2019 | 109 | 110 |
| 2020 | 112 | 114 |
| 2021 | 114 | 119 |
| 2022 | 119 | 124 |
| 2023 | 127 | 135 |
| 2024 | 133 | 145 |
| 2025 | 143 | 152 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £678 a month in Cornwall and £631 in Somerset. Now it is £1,000 and £1,016: up 47% in Cornwall and up 61% in Somerset. Rents have risen faster in Somerset.
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 Somerset
| Earning in Cornwall | Equivalent to buy in Somerset | Equivalent to rent in Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £29,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £39,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £49,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £59,000 |
Moving from Somerset to Cornwall
| Earning in Somerset | Equivalent to buy in Cornwall | Equivalent to rent in Cornwall |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £30,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £40,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £51,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £61,000 |