Eastbourne vs Portsmouth: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £12,500 (5%) more in Eastbourne than in Portsmouth. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Eastbourne | Portsmouth | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very 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 Portsmouth (£36,022) is 3% lower than in Eastbourne (£37,236), while a typical terraced house costs 5% less (£262,500 against £275,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.4× annual pay in Eastbourne and 7.3× in Portsmouth. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Eastbourne and 47% in Portsmouth. Renting is harder in Portsmouth; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Eastbourne is around the middle of 316 areas (172nd most expensive) to buy in, and Portsmouth is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive). For renting against pay, Eastbourne is the 104th most expensive of 316 areas and Portsmouth is the 44th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Eastbourne would need about £38,000 in Portsmouth to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £48,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Portsmouth 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 110.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Eastbourne and 112.8 in Portsmouth: about the same. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 3.3 per 1,000 in Eastbourne against 5.8 in Portsmouth.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Eastbourne | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £37,236 | £36,022 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.4× | 7.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 68% | 69% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 47% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Eastbourne | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £313,750 | £336,625 | +7% in Portsmouth |
| Terraced | £275,000 | £262,500 | -5% in Portsmouth |
| Flat | £190,000 | £169,000 | -11% in Portsmouth |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Eastbourne | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £1,295 | £1,562 | +21% in Portsmouth |
| Terraced | £1,175 | £1,405 | +20% in Portsmouth |
| Flat | £1,016 | £1,045 | +3% in Portsmouth |
Crime
Police recorded 110.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Eastbourne and 112.8 in Portsmouth: about the same.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Eastbourne | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 110.3 | 112.8 | +2% in Portsmouth |
| Violence against the person | 38.2 | 44.8 | +17% in Portsmouth |
| Sexual offences | 4.3 | 4.9 | +15% in Portsmouth |
| Robbery | 1.9 | 1.8 | -5% in Portsmouth |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.5 | 4.9 | +10% in Portsmouth |
| Vehicle offences | 3.3 | 5.8 | +75% in Portsmouth |
| Theft from the person | 0.7 | 0.8 | +20% in Portsmouth |
| Criminal damage and arson | 9.1 | 8.1 | -11% in Portsmouth |
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 | Eastbourne | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 104 |
| 2007 | 113 | 113 |
| 2008 | 112 | 108 |
| 2009 | 99 | 97 |
| 2010 | 108 | 104 |
| 2011 | 104 | 102 |
| 2012 | 105 | 103 |
| 2013 | 107 | 105 |
| 2014 | 118 | 113 |
| 2015 | 126 | 122 |
| 2016 | 137 | 130 |
| 2017 | 145 | 140 |
| 2018 | 149 | 145 |
| 2019 | 151 | 145 |
| 2020 | 151 | 148 |
| 2021 | 169 | 157 |
| 2022 | 190 | 173 |
| 2023 | 188 | 176 |
| 2024 | 181 | 171 |
| 2025 | 176 | 173 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 174 | 172 |
In 2005 the average home cost £146,809 in Eastbourne and £143,878 in Portsmouth. Now it is £254,743 and £247,436: Eastbourne is up 74% and Portsmouth is up 72%.
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 | Eastbourne | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.2 years of pay | 5.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.8 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.0 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.9 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.5 years of pay in Eastbourne and 6.6 years in Portsmouth. In 2025 it was 6.9 years and 6.9 years.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | Eastbourne | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 104 | 105 |
| 2017 | 108 | 110 |
| 2018 | 109 | 112 |
| 2019 | 113 | 113 |
| 2020 | 117 | 115 |
| 2021 | 121 | 117 |
| 2022 | 127 | 123 |
| 2023 | 135 | 137 |
| 2024 | 143 | 151 |
| 2025 | 149 | 158 |
| August 2026 | 151 | 162 |
In 2015 the average rent was £774 a month in Eastbourne and £843 in Portsmouth. Now it is £1,169 and £1,368: up 51% in Eastbourne and up 62% in Portsmouth. Rents have risen faster in Portsmouth.
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 Eastbourne to Portsmouth
| Earning in Eastbourne | Equivalent to buy in Portsmouth | Equivalent to rent in Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £36,000 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £48,000 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £60,000 |
| £60,000 | £57,500 | £71,500 |
Moving from Portsmouth to Eastbourne
| Earning in Portsmouth | Equivalent to buy in Eastbourne | Equivalent to rent in Eastbourne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £25,000 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £33,500 |
| £50,000 | £52,500 | £42,000 |
| £60,000 | £63,000 | £50,000 |