East Devon vs Wiltshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £6,005 (2%) more in Wiltshire than in East Devon. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Wiltshire: it takes 7.0× median annual pay, against 6.5× in East Devon.
At a glance
| East Devon | Wiltshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 Wiltshire (£37,811) is 6% lower than in East Devon (£40,087), while a typical terraced house costs 2% more (£265,000 against £258,995). Set against local pay, East Devon is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 6.5× annual pay in East Devon and 7.0× in Wiltshire. Renting one takes 29% of pay in East Devon and 34% in Wiltshire. Both are harder in Wiltshire, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, East Devon is around the middle of 316 areas (141st most expensive) to buy in, and Wiltshire is the 117th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, East Devon is the 105th least expensive of 316 areas and Wiltshire is around the middle of 316 areas (140th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in East Devon would need about £41,000 in Wiltshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £43,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wiltshire 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 45.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Devon and 49.3 in Wiltshire, so recorded crime per resident is 8% higher in Wiltshire. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 2.2 per 1,000 in East Devon against 3.6 in Wiltshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | East Devon | Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £40,087 | £37,811 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.5× | 7.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 77% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 29% | 34% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | East Devon | Wiltshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | £460,000 | -3% in Wiltshire |
| Semi-detached | £307,500 | £310,000 | +1% in Wiltshire |
| Terraced | £258,995 | £265,000 | +2% in Wiltshire |
| Flat | £186,250 | £160,000 | -14% in Wiltshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | East Devon | Wiltshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,303 | £1,496 | +15% in Wiltshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,035 | £1,191 | +15% in Wiltshire |
| Terraced | £971 | £1,061 | +9% in Wiltshire |
| Flat | £773 | £852 | +10% in Wiltshire |
Crime
Police recorded 45.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Devon and 49.3 in Wiltshire, so recorded crime per resident is 8% higher in Wiltshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | East Devon | Wiltshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 45.6 | 49.3 | +8% in Wiltshire |
| Violence against the person | 22.0 | 20.5 | -7% in Wiltshire |
| Sexual offences | 2.5 | 2.7 | +8% in Wiltshire |
| Robbery | 0.2 | 0.2 | -8% in Wiltshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.2 | 3.6 | +64% in Wiltshire |
| Vehicle offences | 1.3 | 2.0 | +62% in Wiltshire |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 0.2 | +5% in Wiltshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.4 | 5.5 | +3% in Wiltshire |
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 | East Devon | Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 106 |
| 2007 | 114 | 114 |
| 2008 | 113 | 110 |
| 2009 | 104 | 100 |
| 2010 | 112 | 108 |
| 2011 | 111 | 107 |
| 2012 | 111 | 108 |
| 2013 | 112 | 109 |
| 2014 | 116 | 113 |
| 2015 | 120 | 121 |
| 2016 | 124 | 131 |
| 2017 | 131 | 139 |
| 2018 | 138 | 143 |
| 2019 | 141 | 142 |
| 2020 | 142 | 143 |
| 2021 | 150 | 152 |
| 2022 | 164 | 166 |
| 2023 | 169 | 169 |
| 2024 | 166 | 166 |
| 2025 | 168 | 169 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 169 | 171 |
In 2005 the average home cost £202,112 in East Devon and £191,500 in Wiltshire. Now it is £341,189 and £326,742: East Devon is up 69% and Wiltshire is up 71%.
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 | East Devon | Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.9 years of pay | 8.3 years of pay |
| 2010 | 10.0 years of pay | 8.1 years of pay |
| 2015 | 9.5 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.7 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.5 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.9 years of pay in East Devon and 8.3 years in Wiltshire. In 2025 it was 8.5 years and 8.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Wiltshire 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 | East Devon | Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 104 |
| 2017 | 102 | 109 |
| 2018 | 104 | 111 |
| 2019 | 105 | 110 |
| 2020 | 111 | 110 |
| 2021 | 116 | 115 |
| 2022 | 116 | 121 |
| 2023 | 121 | 124 |
| 2024 | 130 | 130 |
| 2025 | 134 | 140 |
| August 2026 | 143 | 149 |
In 2015 the average rent was £677 a month in East Devon and £726 in Wiltshire. Now it is £968 and £1,082: up 43% in East Devon and up 49% in Wiltshire. Rents have risen faster in Wiltshire.
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 East Devon to Wiltshire
| Earning in East Devon | Equivalent to buy in Wiltshire | Equivalent to rent in Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £33,000 |
| £40,000 | £41,000 | £43,500 |
| £50,000 | £51,000 | £54,500 |
| £60,000 | £61,500 | £65,500 |
Moving from Wiltshire to East Devon
| Earning in Wiltshire | Equivalent to buy in East Devon | Equivalent to rent in East Devon |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £27,500 |
| £40,000 | £39,000 | £36,500 |
| £50,000 | £49,000 | £46,000 |
| £60,000 | £58,500 | £55,000 |