Epsom and Ewell vs Leeds: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £286,500 (141%) more in Epsom and Ewell than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Epsom and Ewell: it takes 9.8× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.
At a glance
| Epsom and Ewell | Leeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | About 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 Leeds (£36,716) is 27% lower than in Epsom and Ewell (£50,121), while a typical terraced house costs 59% less (£202,500 against £489,000). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 9.8× annual pay in Epsom and Ewell and 5.5× in Leeds. Renting one takes 40% of pay in Epsom and Ewell and 38% in Leeds. Buying is harder in Epsom and Ewell; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Epsom and Ewell is the 26th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Epsom and Ewell is the 81st most expensive of 316 areas and Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Epsom and Ewell would need about £16,500 in Leeds to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Leeds 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 67.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Epsom and Ewell and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 71% higher in Leeds. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 2.0 per 1,000 in Epsom and Ewell against 4.4 in Leeds.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £50,121 | £36,716 |
| House price ÷ pay | 9.8× | 5.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 51% | 91% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 40% | 38% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £852,500 | £430,000 | -50% in Leeds |
| Semi-detached | £628,000 | £262,000 | -58% in Leeds |
| Terraced | £489,000 | £202,500 | -59% in Leeds |
| Flat | £319,000 | £150,000 | -53% in Leeds |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,469 | £1,507 | -39% in Leeds |
| Semi-detached | £1,883 | £1,226 | -35% in Leeds |
| Terraced | £1,660 | £1,157 | -30% in Leeds |
| Flat | £1,347 | £905 | -33% in Leeds |
Crime
Police recorded 67.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Epsom and Ewell and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 71% higher in Leeds.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 67.0 | 114.6 | +71% in Leeds |
| Violence against the person | 24.2 | 44.9 | +86% in Leeds |
| Sexual offences | 2.0 | 4.4 | +119% in Leeds |
| Robbery | 0.7 | 2.2 | +203% in Leeds |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 7.7 | 13.0 | +68% in Leeds |
| Vehicle offences | 6.0 | 7.0 | +17% in Leeds |
| Theft from the person | 0.5 | 1.3 | +139% in Leeds |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.8 | 8.5 | +46% in Leeds |
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 | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 107 |
| 2007 | 117 | 114 |
| 2008 | 117 | 110 |
| 2009 | 103 | 98 |
| 2010 | 116 | 103 |
| 2011 | 116 | 101 |
| 2012 | 122 | 99 |
| 2013 | 128 | 100 |
| 2014 | 145 | 106 |
| 2015 | 160 | 111 |
| 2016 | 175 | 119 |
| 2017 | 179 | 125 |
| 2018 | 181 | 130 |
| 2019 | 177 | 134 |
| 2020 | 183 | 139 |
| 2021 | 192 | 151 |
| 2022 | 207 | 165 |
| 2023 | 210 | 168 |
| 2024 | 203 | 171 |
| 2025 | 207 | 177 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 208 | 181 |
In 2005 the average home cost £264,746 in Epsom and Ewell and £135,425 in Leeds. Now it is £551,734 and £244,464: Epsom and Ewell is up 108% and Leeds is up 81%. Prices have risen faster in Epsom and Ewell, 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 | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.3 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 9.3 years of pay | 5.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 12.0 years of pay | 5.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.3 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.0 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.3 years of pay in Epsom and Ewell and 6.1 years in Leeds. In 2025 it was 11.0 years and 6.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Epsom and Ewell 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 | Epsom and Ewell | Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 98 |
| 2017 | 107 | 102 |
| 2018 | 106 | 104 |
| 2019 | 107 | 107 |
| 2020 | 109 | 112 |
| 2021 | 112 | 114 |
| 2022 | 118 | 125 |
| 2023 | 118 | 136 |
| 2024 | 128 | 145 |
| 2025 | 131 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 133 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,270 a month in Epsom and Ewell and £758 in Leeds. Now it is £1,690 and £1,145: up 33% in Epsom and Ewell and up 51% in Leeds. Rents have risen faster in Leeds.
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 Epsom and Ewell to Leeds
| Earning in Epsom and Ewell | Equivalent to buy in Leeds | Equivalent to rent in Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £12,500 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £16,500 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £20,500 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £25,000 | £42,000 |
Moving from Leeds to Epsom and Ewell
| Earning in Leeds | Equivalent to buy in Epsom and Ewell | Equivalent to rent in Epsom and Ewell |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £72,500 | £43,000 |
| £40,000 | £96,500 | £57,500 |
| £50,000 | £120,500 | £71,500 |
| £60,000 | £145,000 | £86,000 |