Exeter vs Teignbridge: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £47,100 (20%) more in Exeter than in Teignbridge. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Exeter: it takes 8.1× median annual pay, against 6.6× in Teignbridge.
At a glance
| Exeter | Teignbridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above 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 Teignbridge (£35,410) is 3% higher than in Exeter (£34,514), while a typical terraced house costs 17% less (£232,000 against £279,100). Set against local pay, Teignbridge is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.1× annual pay in Exeter and 6.6× in Teignbridge. Renting one takes 47% of pay in Exeter and 32% in Teignbridge. Both are harder in Exeter, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Exeter is the 107th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Teignbridge is around the middle of 316 areas (129th most expensive). For renting against pay, Exeter is the 42nd most expensive of 316 areas and Teignbridge is around the middle of 316 areas (163rd most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Exeter would need about £33,000 in Teignbridge to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Teignbridge 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 96.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Exeter and 46.3 in Teignbridge, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in Teignbridge. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 4.9 per 1,000 in Exeter against 2.6 in Teignbridge.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Exeter | Teignbridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £34,514 | £35,410 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.1× | 6.6× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 62% | 76% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 47% | 32% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Exeter | Teignbridge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,000 | £425,000 | -11% in Teignbridge |
| Semi-detached | £330,000 | £290,000 | -12% in Teignbridge |
| Terraced | £279,100 | £232,000 | -17% in Teignbridge |
| Flat | £175,500 | £155,000 | -12% in Teignbridge |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Exeter | Teignbridge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,711 | £1,344 | -21% in Teignbridge |
| Semi-detached | £1,386 | £1,049 | -24% in Teignbridge |
| Terraced | £1,352 | £959 | -29% in Teignbridge |
| Flat | £1,046 | £732 | -30% in Teignbridge |
Crime
Police recorded 96.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Exeter and 46.3 in Teignbridge, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in Teignbridge.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Exeter | Teignbridge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 96.1 | 46.3 | -52% in Teignbridge |
| Violence against the person | 40.1 | 21.8 | -46% in Teignbridge |
| Sexual offences | 4.9 | 2.6 | -46% in Teignbridge |
| Robbery | 0.9 | 0.2 | -79% in Teignbridge |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.2 | 2.4 | -44% in Teignbridge |
| Vehicle offences | 2.3 | 1.3 | -46% in Teignbridge |
| Theft from the person | 0.8 | 0.2 | -76% in Teignbridge |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.6 | 4.9 | -43% in Teignbridge |
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 | Exeter | Teignbridge |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 105 |
| 2007 | 115 | 113 |
| 2008 | 112 | 111 |
| 2009 | 105 | 98 |
| 2010 | 113 | 107 |
| 2011 | 112 | 104 |
| 2012 | 114 | 104 |
| 2013 | 114 | 107 |
| 2014 | 121 | 112 |
| 2015 | 129 | 115 |
| 2016 | 134 | 122 |
| 2017 | 140 | 127 |
| 2018 | 146 | 131 |
| 2019 | 148 | 132 |
| 2020 | 150 | 136 |
| 2021 | 158 | 147 |
| 2022 | 176 | 165 |
| 2023 | 180 | 166 |
| 2024 | 174 | 165 |
| 2025 | 176 | 167 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 174 | 167 |
In 2005 the average home cost £164,744 in Exeter and £178,752 in Teignbridge. Now it is £287,003 and £298,341: Exeter is up 74% and Teignbridge is up 67%. Prices have risen faster in Exeter, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
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 | Exeter | Teignbridge |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.2 years of pay | 9.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.2 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.7 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.0 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.4 years of pay | 8.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.2 years of pay in Exeter and 9.1 years in Teignbridge. In 2025 it was 8.4 years and 8.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Exeter 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 | Exeter | Teignbridge |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 104 | 102 |
| 2017 | 105 | 104 |
| 2018 | 107 | 105 |
| 2019 | 111 | 106 |
| 2020 | 115 | 107 |
| 2021 | 117 | 111 |
| 2022 | 122 | 119 |
| 2023 | 131 | 126 |
| 2024 | 140 | 130 |
| 2025 | 150 | 135 |
| August 2026 | 151 | 141 |
In 2015 the average rent was £870 a month in Exeter and £681 in Teignbridge. Now it is £1,318 and £961: up 51% in Exeter and up 41% in Teignbridge. Rents have risen faster in Exeter.
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 Exeter to Teignbridge
| Earning in Exeter | Equivalent to buy in Teignbridge | Equivalent to rent in Teignbridge |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,000 | £21,500 |
| £40,000 | £33,000 | £28,500 |
| £50,000 | £41,500 | £35,500 |
| £60,000 | £50,000 | £42,500 |
Moving from Teignbridge to Exeter
| Earning in Teignbridge | Equivalent to buy in Exeter | Equivalent to rent in Exeter |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £36,000 | £42,500 |
| £40,000 | £48,000 | £56,500 |
| £50,000 | £60,000 | £70,500 |
| £60,000 | £72,000 | £84,500 |