Pay vs Place

Harrow vs Leeds: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £372,500 (184%) more in Harrow than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Harrow: it takes 12.7× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Harrow, terraced
£575,000
Income typically needed: £115,000
Median full-time pay: £45,232
Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716

At a glance

Harrow Leeds
Buying a home Very expensive Fairly affordable
Renting a home Very expensive Expensive
Recorded crime Low 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 19% lower than in Harrow (£45,232), while a typical terraced house costs 65% less (£202,500 against £575,000). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 12.7× annual pay in Harrow and 5.5× in Leeds. Renting one takes 53% of pay in Harrow and 38% in Leeds. Both are harder in Harrow, and the gap is wider for buying.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Harrow is the 15th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Harrow is the 36th most expensive of 316 areas and Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Harrow would need about £14,000 in Leeds to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £23,000 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 59.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Harrow and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 93% higher in Leeds. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 1.7 per 1,000 in Harrow against 4.4 in Leeds.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Harrow Leeds
Median full-time pay £45,232 £36,716
House price ÷ pay 12.7× 5.5×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 39% 91%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 53% 38%

Buying, by property type

Type Harrow Leeds Difference
Detached £1,000,000 £430,000 -57% in Leeds
Semi-detached £637,500 £262,000 -59% in Leeds
Terraced £575,000 £202,500 -65% in Leeds
Flat £330,000 £150,000 -55% in Leeds

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Harrow Leeds Difference
Detached £2,756 £1,507 -45% in Leeds
Semi-detached £2,247 £1,226 -45% in Leeds
Terraced £2,013 £1,157 -43% in Leeds
Flat £1,615 £905 -44% in Leeds

Crime

Police recorded 59.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in Harrow and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident is 93% higher in Leeds.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Harrow Leeds Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 59.5 114.6 +93% in Leeds
Violence against the person 18.8 44.9 +139% in Leeds
Sexual offences 1.7 4.4 +154% in Leeds
Robbery 2.1 2.2 +5% in Leeds
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 10.8 13.0 +20% in Leeds
Vehicle offences 6.3 7.0 +12% in Leeds
Theft from the person 3.5 1.3 -63% in Leeds
Criminal damage and arson 3.7 8.5 +127% 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.

Harrow: 204Leeds: 181
House prices in Harrow and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Harrow now 204, Leeds now 181.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Harrow and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Harrow now 204, Leeds now 181.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearHarrowLeeds
2005100100
2006104107
2007115114
2008115110
200910398
2010114103
2011116101
201211999
2013125100
2014141106
2015160111
2016178119
2017184125
2018182130
2019176134
2020178139
2021192151
2022204165
2023200168
2024199171
2025205177
12 months to July 2026204181

In 2005 the average home cost £261,258 in Harrow and £135,425 in Leeds. Now it is £531,770 and £244,464: Harrow is up 104% and Leeds is up 81%. Prices have risen faster in Harrow, 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.

Harrow: 11.8 years of payLeeds: 6.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Harrow and LeedsHarrow now 11.8, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Harrow and LeedsHarrow now 11.8, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearHarrowLeeds
20059.8 years of pay6.1 years of pay
20109.4 years of pay5.7 years of pay
201512.8 years of pay5.7 years of pay
202012.2 years of pay6.2 years of pay
202511.8 years of pay6.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 9.8 years of pay in Harrow and 6.1 years in Leeds. In 2025 it was 11.8 years and 6.5 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Harrow over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Harrow: 144Leeds: 151
Rents in Harrow and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Harrow now 144, Leeds now 151.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Harrow and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Harrow now 144, Leeds now 151.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearHarrowLeeds
2015100100
201610498
2017108102
2018107104
2019108107
2020110112
2021111114
2022113125
2023119136
2024131145
2025140146
August 2026144151

In 2015 the average rent was £1,231 a month in Harrow and £758 in Leeds. Now it is £1,778 and £1,145: up 44% in Harrow 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 Harrow to Leeds

Earning in Harrow Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £10,500 £17,000
£40,000 £14,000 £23,000
£50,000 £17,500 £28,500
£60,000 £21,000 £34,500

Moving from Leeds to Harrow

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Harrow Equivalent to rent in Harrow
£30,000 £85,000 £52,000
£40,000 £113,500 £69,500
£50,000 £142,000 £87,000
£60,000 £170,500 £104,500
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Harrow figures · All Leeds figures