Harlow vs Liverpool: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £170,000 (103%) more in Harlow than in Liverpool. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Harlow: it takes 8.7× median annual pay, against 4.4× in Liverpool.
At a glance
| Harlow | Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| 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 Liverpool (£37,144) is 3% lower than in Harlow (£38,380), while a typical terraced house costs 51% less (£165,000 against £335,000). Set against local pay, Liverpool is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.7× annual pay in Harlow and 4.4× in Liverpool. Renting one takes 47% of pay in Harlow and 30% in Liverpool. Both are harder in Harlow, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Harlow is the 98th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Liverpool is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Harlow is the 35th most expensive of 316 areas and Liverpool is the 115th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Harlow would need about £19,500 in Liverpool to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £24,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Liverpool 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 92.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Harlow and 124.1 in Liverpool, so recorded crime per resident is 34% higher in Liverpool. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 7.9 per 1,000 in Harlow against 10.3 in Liverpool.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Harlow | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,380 | £37,144 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.7× | 4.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 57% | 113% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 47% | 30% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Harlow | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £537,000 | £380,000 | -29% in Liverpool |
| Semi-detached | £425,000 | £240,000 | -44% in Liverpool |
| Terraced | £335,000 | £165,000 | -51% in Liverpool |
| Flat | £215,000 | £147,500 | -31% in Liverpool |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Harlow | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,182 | £1,225 | -44% in Liverpool |
| Semi-detached | £1,684 | £1,008 | -40% in Liverpool |
| Terraced | £1,508 | £917 | -39% in Liverpool |
| Flat | £1,127 | £786 | -30% in Liverpool |
Crime
Police recorded 92.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Harlow and 124.1 in Liverpool, so recorded crime per resident is 34% higher in Liverpool.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Harlow | Liverpool | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 92.4 | 124.1 | +34% in Liverpool |
| Violence against the person | 36.6 | 45.6 | +25% in Liverpool |
| Sexual offences | 3.7 | 4.1 | +12% in Liverpool |
| Robbery | 1.1 | 1.6 | +50% in Liverpool |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.1 | 6.1 | +18% in Liverpool |
| Vehicle offences | 5.5 | 5.3 | -3% in Liverpool |
| Theft from the person | 0.7 | 1.2 | +72% in Liverpool |
| Criminal damage and arson | 7.9 | 10.3 | +30% in Liverpool |
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 | Harlow | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 110 |
| 2007 | 111 | 117 |
| 2008 | 110 | 113 |
| 2009 | 99 | 104 |
| 2010 | 103 | 105 |
| 2011 | 105 | 101 |
| 2012 | 107 | 99 |
| 2013 | 110 | 99 |
| 2014 | 120 | 103 |
| 2015 | 138 | 107 |
| 2016 | 160 | 110 |
| 2017 | 170 | 115 |
| 2018 | 173 | 121 |
| 2019 | 172 | 123 |
| 2020 | 172 | 128 |
| 2021 | 176 | 148 |
| 2022 | 191 | 161 |
| 2023 | 194 | 163 |
| 2024 | 191 | 166 |
| 2025 | 189 | 179 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 192 | 183 |
In 2005 the average home cost £162,541 in Harlow and £99,018 in Liverpool. Now it is £311,939 and £181,637: Harlow is up 92% and Liverpool is up 83%. Prices have risen faster in Harlow, 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 | Harlow | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.6 years of pay | 4.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.6 years of pay | 4.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | – | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.1 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.0 years of pay | 4.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.6 years of pay in Harlow and 4.9 years in Liverpool. In 2025 it was 8.0 years and 4.8 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 | Harlow | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 103 |
| 2017 | 112 | 104 |
| 2018 | 116 | 104 |
| 2019 | 119 | 105 |
| 2020 | 121 | 106 |
| 2021 | 126 | 111 |
| 2022 | 131 | 119 |
| 2023 | 134 | 127 |
| 2024 | 146 | 138 |
| 2025 | 159 | 151 |
| August 2026 | 168 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £908 a month in Harlow and £567 in Liverpool. Now it is £1,521 and £913: up 68% in Harlow and up 61% in Liverpool. Rents have risen faster in Harlow.
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 Harlow to Liverpool
| Earning in Harlow | Equivalent to buy in Liverpool | Equivalent to rent in Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £15,000 | £18,000 |
| £40,000 | £19,500 | £24,500 |
| £50,000 | £24,500 | £30,500 |
| £60,000 | £29,500 | £36,500 |
Moving from Liverpool to Harlow
| Earning in Liverpool | Equivalent to buy in Harlow | Equivalent to rent in Harlow |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £61,000 | £49,500 |
| £40,000 | £81,000 | £66,000 |
| £50,000 | £101,500 | £82,000 |
| £60,000 | £122,000 | £98,500 |