Pay vs Place

Derby vs Leeds: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £37,500 (23%) more in Leeds than in Derby. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Leeds: it takes 5.5× median annual pay, against 4.5× in Derby.

Derby, terraced
£165,000
Income typically needed: £33,000
Median full-time pay: £36,428
Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716

At a glance

Derby Leeds
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Recorded crime Above average Above 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 Leeds (£36,716) is 1% higher than in Derby (£36,428), while a typical terraced house costs 23% more (£202,500 against £165,000). Set against local pay, Derby is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 4.5× annual pay in Derby and 5.5× in Leeds. Renting one takes 28% of pay in Derby and 38% in Leeds. Both are harder in Leeds, and the gap is wider for renting.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Derby is the 56th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Derby is the 92nd least expensive of 316 areas and Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Derby would need about £49,000 in Leeds to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £55,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Leeds 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 111.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Derby and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 3% higher in Leeds. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 6.2 per 1,000 in Derby against 13.0 in Leeds.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Derby Leeds
Median full-time pay £36,428 £36,716
House price ÷ pay 4.5× 5.5×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 110% 91%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 28% 38%

Buying, by property type

Type Derby Leeds Difference
Detached £325,000 £430,000 +32% in Leeds
Semi-detached £218,500 £262,000 +20% in Leeds
Terraced £165,000 £202,500 +23% in Leeds
Flat £115,000 £150,000 +30% in Leeds

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Derby Leeds Difference
Detached £1,079 £1,507 +40% in Leeds
Semi-detached £913 £1,226 +34% in Leeds
Terraced £845 £1,157 +37% in Leeds
Flat £709 £905 +28% in Leeds

Crime

Police recorded 111.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Derby and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 3% higher in Leeds.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Derby Leeds Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 111.5 114.6 +3% in Leeds
Violence against the person 46.3 44.9 -3% in Leeds
Sexual offences 4.9 4.4 -11% in Leeds
Robbery 1.6 2.2 +39% in Leeds
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 6.2 13.0 +110% in Leeds
Vehicle offences 4.4 7.0 +57% in Leeds
Theft from the person 1.1 1.3 +15% in Leeds
Criminal damage and arson 8.3 8.5 +2% in Leeds

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.

Derby: 168Leeds: 181
House prices in Derby and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Derby now 168, Leeds now 181.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Derby and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Derby now 168, Leeds now 181.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearDerbyLeeds
2005100100
2006105107
2007112114
2008106110
20099698
201099103
201197101
20129799
2013101100
2014107106
2015111111
2016117119
2017121125
2018126130
2019129134
2020132139
2021145151
2022157165
2023163168
2024166171
2025167177
12 months to July 2026168181

In 2005 the average home cost £121,680 in Derby and £135,425 in Leeds. Now it is £204,877 and £244,464: Derby is up 68% and Leeds is up 81%. Prices have risen faster in Leeds, 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.

Derby: 5.6 years of payLeeds: 6.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Derby and LeedsDerby now 5.6, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Derby and LeedsDerby now 5.6, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearDerbyLeeds
20055.1 years of pay6.1 years of pay
20104.6 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20154.8 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20205.1 years of pay6.2 years of pay
20255.6 years of pay6.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 5.1 years of pay in Derby and 6.1 years in Leeds. In 2025 it was 5.6 years and 6.5 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Derby: 159Leeds: 151
Rents in Derby and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Derby now 159, Leeds now 151.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Derby and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Derby now 159, Leeds now 151.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearDerbyLeeds
2015100100
201610298
2017106102
2018110104
2019112107
2020114112
2021119114
2022125125
2023128136
2024140145
2025154146
August 2026159151

In 2015 the average rent was £541 a month in Derby and £758 in Leeds. Now it is £860 and £1,145: up 59% in Derby and up 51% in Leeds. Rents have risen faster in Derby.

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 Derby to Leeds

Earning in Derby Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £37,000 £41,000
£40,000 £49,000 £55,000
£50,000 £61,500 £68,500
£60,000 £73,500 £82,000

Moving from Leeds to Derby

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Derby Equivalent to rent in Derby
£30,000 £24,500 £22,000
£40,000 £32,500 £29,000
£50,000 £40,500 £36,500
£60,000 £49,000 £44,000
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 Derby figures · All Leeds figures