Hartlepool vs Middlesbrough: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £50 (0%) more in Hartlepool than in Middlesbrough. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Hartlepool | Middlesbrough | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Affordable | Affordable |
| Renting a home | Affordable | Affordable |
| Recorded crime | High | High |
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 Middlesbrough (£35,177) is 10% higher than in Hartlepool (£31,871), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£94,950 against £95,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 3.0× annual pay in Hartlepool and 2.7× in Middlesbrough. Renting one takes 21% of pay in Hartlepool and 24% in Middlesbrough. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Hartlepool, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Middlesbrough.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Hartlepool is the 18th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Middlesbrough is the 10th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Hartlepool is the 3rd least expensive of 316 areas and Middlesbrough is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Hartlepool would need about £40,000 in Middlesbrough to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £51,500 to be equally placed to rent one. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 134.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Hartlepool and 149.9 in Middlesbrough, so recorded crime per resident is 12% higher in Middlesbrough. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 4.5 per 1,000 in Hartlepool against 7.7 in Middlesbrough.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £31,871 | £35,177 |
| House price ÷ pay | 3.0× | 2.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 168% | 185% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 21% | 24% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £273,738 | £270,000 | -1% in Middlesbrough |
| Semi-detached | £155,000 | £165,000 | +6% in Middlesbrough |
| Terraced | £95,000 | £94,950 | -0% in Middlesbrough |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £801 | £951 | +19% in Middlesbrough |
| Semi-detached | £620 | £757 | +22% in Middlesbrough |
| Terraced | £553 | £710 | +28% in Middlesbrough |
Crime
Police recorded 134.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Hartlepool and 149.9 in Middlesbrough, so recorded crime per resident is 12% higher in Middlesbrough.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 134.2 | 149.9 | +12% in Middlesbrough |
| Violence against the person | 47.1 | 53.4 | +13% in Middlesbrough |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 5.5 | -2% in Middlesbrough |
| Robbery | 2.5 | 3.7 | +49% in Middlesbrough |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 10.7 | 12.5 | +17% in Middlesbrough |
| Vehicle offences | 4.5 | 7.7 | +72% in Middlesbrough |
| Theft from the person | 0.6 | 0.7 | +21% in Middlesbrough |
| Criminal damage and arson | 14.8 | 19.6 | +33% in Middlesbrough |
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 | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 114 | 117 |
| 2007 | 126 | 127 |
| 2008 | 122 | 122 |
| 2009 | 109 | 118 |
| 2010 | 111 | 113 |
| 2011 | 106 | 108 |
| 2012 | 101 | 111 |
| 2013 | 100 | 106 |
| 2014 | 99 | 109 |
| 2015 | 101 | 110 |
| 2016 | 104 | 112 |
| 2017 | 105 | 113 |
| 2018 | 107 | 112 |
| 2019 | 108 | 114 |
| 2020 | 108 | 114 |
| 2021 | 123 | 127 |
| 2022 | 134 | 139 |
| 2023 | 134 | 141 |
| 2024 | 131 | 143 |
| 2025 | 139 | 150 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 141 | 151 |
In 2005 the average home cost £92,751 in Hartlepool and £91,205 in Middlesbrough. Now it is £130,733 and £137,721: Hartlepool is up 41% and Middlesbrough is up 51%. Prices have risen faster in Middlesbrough, 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 | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.4 years of pay | 5.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 4.3 years of pay | 4.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 3.6 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 3.5 years of pay | 3.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 4.0 years of pay | 3.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.4 years of pay in Hartlepool and 5.0 years in Middlesbrough. In 2025 it was 4.0 years and 3.9 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Hartlepool 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 | Hartlepool | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 99 | 101 |
| 2017 | 99 | 101 |
| 2018 | 100 | 102 |
| 2019 | 103 | 102 |
| 2020 | 106 | 103 |
| 2021 | 107 | 105 |
| 2022 | 109 | 106 |
| 2023 | 112 | 112 |
| 2024 | 115 | 121 |
| 2025 | 118 | 132 |
| August 2026 | 120 | 138 |
In 2015 the average rent was £466 a month in Hartlepool and £504 in Middlesbrough. Now it is £558 and £698: up 20% in Hartlepool and up 38% in Middlesbrough. Rents have risen faster in Middlesbrough.
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 Hartlepool to Middlesbrough
| Earning in Hartlepool | Equivalent to buy in Middlesbrough | Equivalent to rent in Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £38,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £51,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £64,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £77,000 |
Moving from Middlesbrough to Hartlepool
| Earning in Middlesbrough | Equivalent to buy in Hartlepool | Equivalent to rent in Hartlepool |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £23,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £31,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £39,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £46,500 |