Gravesham vs Maidstone: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £30,000 (10%) more in Gravesham than in Maidstone. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Gravesham | Maidstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | – | – |
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 Maidstone (£38,191) is 9% lower than in Gravesham (£42,199), while a typical terraced house costs 9% less (£300,000 against £330,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.8× annual pay in Gravesham and 7.9× in Maidstone. Renting one takes 39% of pay in Gravesham and 41% in Maidstone. Renting is harder in Maidstone; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Gravesham is the 104th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Maidstone is the 72nd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Gravesham is the 101st most expensive of 316 areas and Maidstone is the 76th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Gravesham would need about £36,500 in Maidstone to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £38,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Maidstone 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Gravesham | Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £42,199 | £38,191 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.8× | 7.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 64% | 64% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 39% | 41% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Gravesham | Maidstone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £592,500 | £543,983 | -8% in Maidstone |
| Semi-detached | £405,000 | £380,000 | -6% in Maidstone |
| Terraced | £330,000 | £300,000 | -9% in Maidstone |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Gravesham | Maidstone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,929 | £1,792 | -7% in Maidstone |
| Semi-detached | £1,545 | £1,447 | -6% in Maidstone |
| Terraced | £1,354 | £1,301 | -4% in Maidstone |
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 | Gravesham | Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 113 | 114 |
| 2008 | 111 | 110 |
| 2009 | 98 | 99 |
| 2010 | 104 | 107 |
| 2011 | 104 | 104 |
| 2012 | 105 | 106 |
| 2013 | 109 | 108 |
| 2014 | 119 | 119 |
| 2015 | 135 | 130 |
| 2016 | 155 | 143 |
| 2017 | 164 | 150 |
| 2018 | 167 | 157 |
| 2019 | 165 | 153 |
| 2020 | 167 | 152 |
| 2021 | 180 | 158 |
| 2022 | 196 | 175 |
| 2023 | 197 | 177 |
| 2024 | 194 | 173 |
| 2025 | 196 | 177 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 196 | 177 |
In 2005 the average home cost £175,449 in Gravesham and £200,335 in Maidstone. Now it is £344,079 and £354,962: Gravesham is up 96% and Maidstone is up 77%. Prices have risen faster in Gravesham, 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 | Gravesham | Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.9 years of pay | 8.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.3 years of pay | 8.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.9 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.1 years of pay | 9.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.9 years of pay in Gravesham and 8.1 years in Maidstone. In 2025 it was 8.1 years and 9.3 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 | Gravesham | Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 104 |
| 2017 | 113 | 109 |
| 2018 | 116 | 113 |
| 2019 | 120 | 115 |
| 2020 | 123 | 116 |
| 2021 | 125 | 118 |
| 2022 | 129 | 123 |
| 2023 | 136 | 131 |
| 2024 | 146 | 144 |
| 2025 | 158 | 155 |
| August 2026 | 168 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £797 a month in Gravesham and £804 in Maidstone. Now it is £1,336 and £1,297: up 68% in Gravesham and up 61% in Maidstone. Rents have risen faster in Gravesham.
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 Gravesham to Maidstone
| Earning in Gravesham | Equivalent to buy in Maidstone | Equivalent to rent in Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,500 | £29,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £38,500 |
| £50,000 | £45,500 | £48,000 |
| £60,000 | £54,500 | £57,500 |
Moving from Maidstone to Gravesham
| Earning in Maidstone | Equivalent to buy in Gravesham | Equivalent to rent in Gravesham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,000 | £31,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,000 | £41,500 |
| £50,000 | £55,000 | £52,000 |
| £60,000 | £66,000 | £62,500 |