East Hertfordshire vs Liverpool: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £250,000 (152%) more in East Hertfordshire than in Liverpool. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in East Hertfordshire: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 4.4× in Liverpool.
At a glance
| East Hertfordshire | Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 Liverpool (£37,144) is 29% lower than in East Hertfordshire (£52,184), while a typical terraced house costs 60% less (£165,000 against £415,000). Set against local pay, Liverpool is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.0× annual pay in East Hertfordshire and 4.4× in Liverpool. Renting one takes 33% of pay in East Hertfordshire and 30% in Liverpool. Both are harder in East Hertfordshire, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, East Hertfordshire is the 111th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Liverpool is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, East Hertfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (127th most expensive) and Liverpool is the 115th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in East Hertfordshire would need about £16,000 in Liverpool to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £26,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Liverpool 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 51.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Hertfordshire and 124.1 in Liverpool, so recorded crime per resident in Liverpool is 2.4 times the rate in East Hertfordshire. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 4.1 per 1,000 in East Hertfordshire against 10.3 in Liverpool.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | East Hertfordshire | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £52,184 | £37,144 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.0× | 4.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 63% | 113% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 33% | 30% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | East Hertfordshire | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £730,000 | £380,000 | -48% in Liverpool |
| Semi-detached | £490,000 | £240,000 | -51% in Liverpool |
| Terraced | £415,000 | £165,000 | -60% in Liverpool |
| Flat | £260,000 | £147,500 | -43% in Liverpool |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | East Hertfordshire | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,156 | £1,225 | -43% in Liverpool |
| Semi-detached | £1,661 | £1,008 | -39% in Liverpool |
| Terraced | £1,423 | £917 | -36% in Liverpool |
| Flat | £1,255 | £786 | -37% in Liverpool |
Crime
Police recorded 51.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Hertfordshire and 124.1 in Liverpool, so recorded crime per resident in Liverpool is 2.4 times the rate in East Hertfordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | East Hertfordshire | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 51.6 | 124.1 | +140% in Liverpool |
| Violence against the person | 21.9 | 45.6 | +108% in Liverpool |
| Sexual offences | 2.0 | 4.1 | +106% in Liverpool |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 1.6 | +262% in Liverpool |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.8 | 6.1 | +27% in Liverpool |
| Vehicle offences | 3.4 | 5.3 | +54% in Liverpool |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 1.2 | +190% in Liverpool |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.1 | 10.3 | +149% in Liverpool |
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 Hertfordshire | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 110 |
| 2007 | 115 | 117 |
| 2008 | 114 | 113 |
| 2009 | 104 | 104 |
| 2010 | 111 | 105 |
| 2011 | 113 | 101 |
| 2012 | 114 | 99 |
| 2013 | 117 | 99 |
| 2014 | 130 | 103 |
| 2015 | 143 | 107 |
| 2016 | 161 | 110 |
| 2017 | 170 | 115 |
| 2018 | 173 | 121 |
| 2019 | 170 | 123 |
| 2020 | 173 | 128 |
| 2021 | 175 | 148 |
| 2022 | 187 | 161 |
| 2023 | 186 | 163 |
| 2024 | 185 | 166 |
| 2025 | 190 | 179 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 194 | 183 |
In 2005 the average home cost £232,893 in East Hertfordshire and £99,018 in Liverpool. Now it is £452,521 and £181,637: East Hertfordshire is up 94% and Liverpool is up 83%. Prices have risen faster in East 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 | East Hertfordshire | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.7 years of pay | 4.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.5 years of pay | 4.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.1 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.0 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.5 years of pay | 4.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.7 years of pay in East Hertfordshire and 4.9 years in Liverpool. In 2025 it was 8.5 years and 4.8 years.
Affordability has worsened more in East Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 103 |
| 2017 | 107 | 104 |
| 2018 | 109 | 104 |
| 2019 | 111 | 105 |
| 2020 | 112 | 106 |
| 2021 | 117 | 111 |
| 2022 | 122 | 119 |
| 2023 | 127 | 127 |
| 2024 | 133 | 138 |
| 2025 | 145 | 151 |
| August 2026 | 152 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,008 a month in East Hertfordshire and £567 in Liverpool. Now it is £1,533 and £913: up 52% in East Hertfordshire and up 61% in Liverpool. Rents have risen faster in Liverpool.
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 Hertfordshire to Liverpool
| Earning in East Hertfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Liverpool | Equivalent to rent in Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £12,000 | £19,500 |
| £40,000 | £16,000 | £26,000 |
| £50,000 | £20,000 | £32,000 |
| £60,000 | £24,000 | £38,500 |
Moving from Liverpool to East Hertfordshire
| Earning in Liverpool | Equivalent to buy in East Hertfordshire | Equivalent to rent in East Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £75,500 | £46,500 |
| £40,000 | £100,500 | £62,000 |
| £50,000 | £126,000 | £77,500 |
| £60,000 | £151,000 | £93,000 |