East Hertfordshire vs Uttlesford: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £60,000 (17%) more in East Hertfordshire than in Uttlesford. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in East Hertfordshire: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 7.1× in Uttlesford.
At a glance
| East Hertfordshire | Uttlesford | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| 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 Uttlesford (£50,103) is 4% lower than in East Hertfordshire (£52,184), while a typical terraced house costs 14% less (£355,000 against £415,000). Set against local pay, Uttlesford 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 7.1× in Uttlesford. Renting one takes 33% of pay in East Hertfordshire and 31% in Uttlesford. 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 Uttlesford is the 82nd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, East Hertfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (127th most expensive) and Uttlesford is around the middle of 316 areas (185th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in East Hertfordshire would need about £34,000 in Uttlesford to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £36,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Uttlesford 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 51.2 in Uttlesford: about the same. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 4.1 per 1,000 in East Hertfordshire against 5.3 in Uttlesford.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | East Hertfordshire | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £52,184 | £50,103 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.0× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 63% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 33% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | East Hertfordshire | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £730,000 | £609,500 | -17% in Uttlesford |
| Semi-detached | £490,000 | £430,000 | -12% in Uttlesford |
| Terraced | £415,000 | £355,000 | -14% in Uttlesford |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | East Hertfordshire | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,156 | £1,764 | -18% in Uttlesford |
| Semi-detached | £1,661 | £1,414 | -15% in Uttlesford |
| Terraced | £1,423 | £1,279 | -10% in Uttlesford |
Crime
Police recorded 51.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Hertfordshire and 51.2 in Uttlesford: about the same.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | East Hertfordshire | Uttlesford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 51.6 | 51.2 | -1% in Uttlesford |
| Violence against the person | 21.9 | 18.4 | -16% in Uttlesford |
| Sexual offences | 2.0 | 2.1 | +5% in Uttlesford |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 0.2 | -64% in Uttlesford |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.8 | 4.2 | -12% in Uttlesford |
| Vehicle offences | 3.4 | 3.5 | +1% in Uttlesford |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 0.8 | +83% in Uttlesford |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.1 | 5.3 | +29% in Uttlesford |
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 | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 115 | 113 |
| 2008 | 114 | 111 |
| 2009 | 104 | 102 |
| 2010 | 111 | 109 |
| 2011 | 113 | 111 |
| 2012 | 114 | 113 |
| 2013 | 117 | 117 |
| 2014 | 130 | 129 |
| 2015 | 143 | 142 |
| 2016 | 161 | 153 |
| 2017 | 170 | 161 |
| 2018 | 173 | 164 |
| 2019 | 170 | 161 |
| 2020 | 173 | 165 |
| 2021 | 175 | 174 |
| 2022 | 187 | 188 |
| 2023 | 186 | 184 |
| 2024 | 185 | 182 |
| 2025 | 190 | 189 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 194 | 190 |
In 2005 the average home cost £232,893 in East Hertfordshire and £249,401 in Uttlesford. Now it is £452,521 and £473,120: East Hertfordshire is up 94% and Uttlesford is up 90%.
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 | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.7 years of pay | 9.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.5 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.1 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.0 years of pay | 11.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.5 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.7 years of pay in East Hertfordshire and 9.8 years in Uttlesford. In 2025 it was 8.5 years and 9.4 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 | Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 107 | 110 |
| 2018 | 109 | 111 |
| 2019 | 111 | 112 |
| 2020 | 112 | 113 |
| 2021 | 117 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 | 121 |
| 2023 | 127 | 126 |
| 2024 | 133 | 137 |
| 2025 | 145 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 152 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,008 a month in East Hertfordshire and £869 in Uttlesford. Now it is £1,533 and £1,289: up 52% in East Hertfordshire and up 48% in Uttlesford.
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 Uttlesford
| Earning in East Hertfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Uttlesford | Equivalent to rent in Uttlesford |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,500 | £27,000 |
| £40,000 | £34,000 | £36,000 |
| £50,000 | £43,000 | £45,000 |
| £60,000 | £51,500 | £54,000 |
Moving from Uttlesford to East Hertfordshire
| Earning in Uttlesford | Equivalent to buy in East Hertfordshire | Equivalent to rent in East Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £35,000 | £33,500 |
| £40,000 | £47,000 | £44,500 |
| £50,000 | £58,500 | £55,500 |
| £60,000 | £70,000 | £67,000 |