Elmbridge vs Waverley: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £130,000 (31%) more in Elmbridge than in Waverley. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Elmbridge: it takes 10.6× median annual pay, against 8.4× in Waverley.
At a glance
| Elmbridge | Waverley | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | 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 Waverley (£49,769) is 4% lower than in Elmbridge (£51,924), while a typical terraced house costs 24% less (£420,000 against £550,000). Set against local pay, Waverley is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 10.6× annual pay in Elmbridge and 8.4× in Waverley. Renting one takes 44% of pay in Elmbridge and 34% in Waverley. Both are harder in Elmbridge, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Elmbridge is the 12th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Waverley is the 35th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Elmbridge is the 55th most expensive of 316 areas and Waverley is around the middle of 316 areas (128th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Elmbridge would need about £30,500 in Waverley to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £29,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Waverley 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 51.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Elmbridge and 37.5 in Waverley, so recorded crime per resident is 27% lower in Waverley. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 4.1 per 1,000 in Elmbridge against 1.8 in Waverley.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Elmbridge | Waverley |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £51,924 | £49,769 |
| House price ÷ pay | 10.6× | 8.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 47% | 59% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 44% | 34% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Elmbridge | Waverley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,300,000 | £825,000 | -37% in Waverley |
| Semi-detached | £740,000 | £550,000 | -26% in Waverley |
| Terraced | £550,000 | £420,000 | -24% in Waverley |
| Flat | £352,625 | £270,500 | -23% in Waverley |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Elmbridge | Waverley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,731 | £2,128 | -22% in Waverley |
| Semi-detached | £1,955 | £1,553 | -21% in Waverley |
| Terraced | £1,899 | £1,407 | -26% in Waverley |
| Flat | £1,495 | £1,194 | -20% in Waverley |
Crime
Police recorded 51.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Elmbridge and 37.5 in Waverley, so recorded crime per resident is 27% lower in Waverley.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Elmbridge | Waverley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 51.5 | 37.5 | -27% in Waverley |
| Violence against the person | 19.4 | 14.9 | -23% in Waverley |
| Sexual offences | 1.8 | 1.4 | -23% in Waverley |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 0.2 | -55% in Waverley |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.8 | 4.3 | -9% in Waverley |
| Vehicle offences | 4.1 | 1.8 | -57% in Waverley |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 0.2 | -55% in Waverley |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.5 | 3.5 | -21% in Waverley |
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 | Elmbridge | Waverley |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 108 | 108 |
| 2007 | 124 | 121 |
| 2008 | 122 | 119 |
| 2009 | 109 | 106 |
| 2010 | 126 | 121 |
| 2011 | 125 | 122 |
| 2012 | 134 | 125 |
| 2013 | 142 | 129 |
| 2014 | 160 | 140 |
| 2015 | 174 | 153 |
| 2016 | 188 | 164 |
| 2017 | 187 | 168 |
| 2018 | 185 | 172 |
| 2019 | 187 | 168 |
| 2020 | 190 | 174 |
| 2021 | 201 | 180 |
| 2022 | 216 | 197 |
| 2023 | 215 | 195 |
| 2024 | 213 | 193 |
| 2025 | 218 | 201 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 217 | 200 |
In 2005 the average home cost £337,244 in Elmbridge and £278,992 in Waverley. Now it is £732,332 and £557,629: Elmbridge is up 117% and Waverley is up 100%. Prices have risen faster in Elmbridge, 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 | Elmbridge | Waverley |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.6 years of pay | 9.2 years of pay |
| 2010 | 12.0 years of pay | 9.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 15.3 years of pay | 11.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 15.4 years of pay | 11.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 14.2 years of pay | 11.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.6 years of pay in Elmbridge and 9.2 years in Waverley. In 2025 it was 14.2 years and 11.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Elmbridge 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 | Elmbridge | Waverley |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 106 |
| 2017 | 104 | 109 |
| 2018 | 103 | 108 |
| 2019 | 105 | 109 |
| 2020 | 103 | 109 |
| 2021 | 106 | 110 |
| 2022 | 108 | 116 |
| 2023 | 113 | 122 |
| 2024 | 123 | 129 |
| 2025 | 127 | 138 |
| August 2026 | 129 | 136 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,465 a month in Elmbridge and £1,071 in Waverley. Now it is £1,891 and £1,459: up 29% in Elmbridge and up 36% in Waverley. Rents have risen faster in Waverley.
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 Elmbridge to Waverley
| Earning in Elmbridge | Equivalent to buy in Waverley | Equivalent to rent in Waverley |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,000 | £22,000 |
| £40,000 | £30,500 | £29,500 |
| £50,000 | £38,000 | £37,000 |
| £60,000 | £46,000 | £44,500 |
Moving from Waverley to Elmbridge
| Earning in Waverley | Equivalent to buy in Elmbridge | Equivalent to rent in Elmbridge |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £39,500 | £40,500 |
| £40,000 | £52,500 | £54,000 |
| £50,000 | £65,500 | £67,500 |
| £60,000 | £78,500 | £81,000 |