East Suffolk vs King's Lynn and West Norfolk: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £7,750 (4%) more in East Suffolk than in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| East Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | 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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£36,835) is the same than in East Suffolk (£36,793), while a typical terraced house costs 4% less (£200,000 against £207,750).
Buying a terraced house takes 5.6× annual pay in East Suffolk and 5.4× in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Renting one takes 28% of pay in East Suffolk and 31% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Renting is harder in King's Lynn and West Norfolk; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, East Suffolk is around the middle of 316 areas (155th most expensive) to buy in, and King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (176th most expensive). For renting against pay, East Suffolk is the 77th least expensive of 316 areas and King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (187th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in East Suffolk would need about £38,500 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £45,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 49.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Suffolk and 57.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 16% higher in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 2.1 per 1,000 in East Suffolk against 1.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | East Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,793 | £36,835 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.6× | 5.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 89% | 92% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 28% | 31% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | East Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £386,000 | £335,000 | -13% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £266,500 | £241,750 | -9% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Terraced | £207,750 | £200,000 | -4% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | East Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,121 | £1,276 | +14% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Semi-detached | £920 | £1,004 | +9% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Terraced | £844 | £945 | +12% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
Crime
Police recorded 49.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in East Suffolk and 57.3 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, so recorded crime per resident is 16% higher in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | East Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 49.4 | 57.3 | +16% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Violence against the person | 20.4 | 25.2 | +23% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Sexual offences | 3.2 | 2.9 | -9% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Robbery | 0.2 | 0.3 | +25% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 3.7 | 2.7 | -27% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Vehicle offences | 2.1 | 1.3 | -40% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.3 | +18% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.8 | 5.8 | +0% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
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 Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 115 | 113 |
| 2008 | 113 | 112 |
| 2009 | 103 | 102 |
| 2010 | 112 | 109 |
| 2011 | 110 | 105 |
| 2012 | 111 | 105 |
| 2013 | 113 | 108 |
| 2014 | 120 | 115 |
| 2015 | 128 | 124 |
| 2016 | 137 | 132 |
| 2017 | 146 | 143 |
| 2018 | 152 | 148 |
| 2019 | 153 | 150 |
| 2020 | 158 | 154 |
| 2021 | 168 | 165 |
| 2022 | 187 | 185 |
| 2023 | 187 | 188 |
| 2024 | 184 | 182 |
| 2025 | 180 | 179 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 181 | 180 |
In 2005 the average home cost £155,801 in East Suffolk and £145,320 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Now it is £281,317 and £261,901: East Suffolk is up 81% and King's Lynn and West Norfolk is up 80%.
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 Suffolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 102 |
| 2017 | 105 | 107 |
| 2018 | 107 | 111 |
| 2019 | 108 | 114 |
| 2020 | 110 | 118 |
| 2021 | 112 | 121 |
| 2022 | 118 | 128 |
| 2023 | 124 | 135 |
| 2024 | 135 | 144 |
| 2025 | 146 | 156 |
| August 2026 | 154 | 163 |
In 2015 the average rent was £547 a month in East Suffolk and £577 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Now it is £842 and £941: up 54% in East Suffolk and up 63% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Rents have risen faster in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
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 Suffolk to King's Lynn and West Norfolk
| Earning in East Suffolk | Equivalent to buy in King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Equivalent to rent in King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,000 | £33,500 |
| £40,000 | £38,500 | £45,000 |
| £50,000 | £48,000 | £56,000 |
| £60,000 | £58,000 | £67,000 |
Moving from King's Lynn and West Norfolk to East Suffolk
| Earning in King's Lynn and West Norfolk | Equivalent to buy in East Suffolk | Equivalent to rent in East Suffolk |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,000 | £27,000 |
| £40,000 | £41,500 | £35,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,000 | £44,500 |
| £60,000 | £62,500 | £53,500 |
All East Suffolk figures · All King's Lynn and West Norfolk figures