Epping Forest vs Three Rivers: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £25,000 (6%) more in Epping Forest than in Three Rivers. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Epping Forest | Three Rivers | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | About average | 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 Three Rivers (£43,980) is 4% lower than in Epping Forest (£45,618), while a typical terraced house costs 5% less (£450,000 against £475,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 10.4× annual pay in Epping Forest and 10.2× in Three Rivers. Renting one takes 48% of pay in Epping Forest and 46% in Three Rivers. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Epping Forest is the 25th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Three Rivers is the 9th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Epping Forest is the 33rd most expensive of 316 areas and Three Rivers is the 26th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Epping Forest would need about £38,000 in Three Rivers to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £36,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Three Rivers 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 63.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Epping Forest and 52.4 in Three Rivers, so recorded crime per resident is 17% lower in Three Rivers. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.2 per 1,000 in Epping Forest against 3.5 in Three Rivers.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Epping Forest | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £45,618 | £43,980 |
| House price ÷ pay | 10.4× | 10.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 48% | 49% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 48% | 46% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Epping Forest | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £845,000 | £960,000 | +14% in Three Rivers |
| Semi-detached | £570,000 | £625,000 | +10% in Three Rivers |
| Terraced | £475,000 | £450,000 | -5% in Three Rivers |
| Flat | £310,000 | £306,000 | -1% in Three Rivers |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Epping Forest | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,563 | £2,604 | +2% in Three Rivers |
| Semi-detached | £1,970 | £1,996 | +1% in Three Rivers |
| Terraced | £1,820 | £1,671 | -8% in Three Rivers |
| Flat | £1,436 | £1,461 | +2% in Three Rivers |
Crime
Police recorded 63.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Epping Forest and 52.4 in Three Rivers, so recorded crime per resident is 17% lower in Three Rivers.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Epping Forest | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 63.3 | 52.4 | -17% in Three Rivers |
| Violence against the person | 24.6 | 21.4 | -13% in Three Rivers |
| Sexual offences | 1.8 | 2.1 | +19% in Three Rivers |
| Robbery | 0.8 | 0.5 | -42% in Three Rivers |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.4 | 5.8 | -8% in Three Rivers |
| Vehicle offences | 7.2 | 3.5 | -51% in Three Rivers |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 | 0.3 | -34% in Three Rivers |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.6 | 4.1 | -27% in Three Rivers |
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 | Epping Forest | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 106 |
| 2007 | 116 | 116 |
| 2008 | 120 | 117 |
| 2009 | 106 | 105 |
| 2010 | 118 | 115 |
| 2011 | 118 | 118 |
| 2012 | 121 | 120 |
| 2013 | 126 | 127 |
| 2014 | 140 | 141 |
| 2015 | 154 | 161 |
| 2016 | 174 | 183 |
| 2017 | 183 | 190 |
| 2018 | 185 | 187 |
| 2019 | 183 | 185 |
| 2020 | 186 | 184 |
| 2021 | 190 | 193 |
| 2022 | 204 | 207 |
| 2023 | 203 | 204 |
| 2024 | 203 | 202 |
| 2025 | 202 | 206 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 203 | 207 |
In 2005 the average home cost £261,039 in Epping Forest and £283,435 in Three Rivers. Now it is £530,962 and £585,828: Epping Forest is up 103% and Three Rivers is up 107%.
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 | Epping Forest | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.7 years of pay | 10.2 years of pay |
| 2010 | 10.2 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 11.8 years of pay | 14.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.2 years of pay | 13.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.6 years of pay | 13.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.7 years of pay in Epping Forest and 10.2 years in Three Rivers. In 2025 it was 11.6 years and 13.3 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 | Epping Forest | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 107 |
| 2017 | 113 | 109 |
| 2018 | 117 | 108 |
| 2019 | 119 | 108 |
| 2020 | 121 | 107 |
| 2021 | 122 | 110 |
| 2022 | 125 | 114 |
| 2023 | 130 | 121 |
| 2024 | 138 | 131 |
| 2025 | 150 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 159 | 145 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,160 a month in Epping Forest and £1,258 in Three Rivers. Now it is £1,844 and £1,826: up 59% in Epping Forest and up 45% in Three Rivers. Rents have risen faster in Epping Forest.
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 Epping Forest to Three Rivers
| Earning in Epping Forest | Equivalent to buy in Three Rivers | Equivalent to rent in Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £27,500 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £36,500 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £46,000 |
| £60,000 | £57,000 | £55,000 |
Moving from Three Rivers to Epping Forest
| Earning in Three Rivers | Equivalent to buy in Epping Forest | Equivalent to rent in Epping Forest |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £32,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,000 | £43,500 |
| £50,000 | £53,000 | £54,500 |
| £60,000 | £63,500 | £65,500 |