Isle of Wight vs Manchester: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £41,000 (19%) more in Manchester than in Isle of Wight. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Isle of Wight | Manchester | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | About average | 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 Manchester (£36,278) is 16% higher than in Isle of Wight (£31,184), while a typical terraced house costs 19% more (£256,000 against £215,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 6.9× annual pay in Isle of Wight and 7.1× in Manchester. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Isle of Wight and 46% in Manchester. Renting is harder in Manchester; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Isle of Wight is around the middle of 316 areas (127th most expensive) to buy in, and Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive). For renting against pay, Isle of Wight is the 113th most expensive of 316 areas and Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Isle of Wight would need about £47,500 in Manchester to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £57,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Manchester would leave you worse 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 76.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Isle of Wight and 142.7 in Manchester, so recorded crime per resident is 88% higher in Manchester. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.2 per 1,000 in Isle of Wight against 7.9 in Manchester.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Isle of Wight | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £31,184 | £36,278 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.9× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 73% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 46% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Isle of Wight | Manchester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £367,250 | £400,000 | +9% in Manchester |
| Semi-detached | £255,000 | £310,000 | +22% in Manchester |
| Terraced | £215,000 | £256,000 | +19% in Manchester |
| Flat | £145,000 | £210,000 | +45% in Manchester |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Isle of Wight | Manchester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,270 | £1,878 | +48% in Manchester |
| Semi-detached | £1,049 | £1,496 | +43% in Manchester |
| Terraced | £988 | £1,405 | +42% in Manchester |
| Flat | £765 | £1,147 | +50% in Manchester |
Crime
Police recorded 76.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Isle of Wight and 142.7 in Manchester, so recorded crime per resident is 88% higher in Manchester.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Isle of Wight | Manchester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 76.0 | 142.7 | +88% in Manchester |
| Violence against the person | 34.5 | 51.9 | +51% in Manchester |
| Sexual offences | 4.2 | 5.6 | +35% in Manchester |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 2.7 | +413% in Manchester |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.4 | 9.3 | +283% in Manchester |
| Vehicle offences | 1.2 | 7.9 | +546% in Manchester |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 3.9 | +965% in Manchester |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.4 | 10.0 | +57% in Manchester |
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 | Isle of Wight | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 117 |
| 2007 | 112 | 129 |
| 2008 | 110 | 125 |
| 2009 | 100 | 112 |
| 2010 | 105 | 115 |
| 2011 | 104 | 114 |
| 2012 | 103 | 115 |
| 2013 | 103 | 115 |
| 2014 | 109 | 125 |
| 2015 | 111 | 133 |
| 2016 | 117 | 145 |
| 2017 | 122 | 158 |
| 2018 | 126 | 167 |
| 2019 | 131 | 173 |
| 2020 | 136 | 178 |
| 2021 | 150 | 209 |
| 2022 | 168 | 231 |
| 2023 | 169 | 233 |
| 2024 | 161 | 241 |
| 2025 | 159 | 247 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 157 | 251 |
In 2005 the average home cost £155,103 in Isle of Wight and £100,202 in Manchester. Now it is £244,170 and £251,205: Isle of Wight is up 57% and Manchester is up 151%. Prices have risen faster in Manchester, 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 | Isle of Wight | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.3 years of pay | 4.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.3 years of pay | 5.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.8 years of pay | 5.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.4 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.9 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.3 years of pay in Isle of Wight and 4.8 years in Manchester. In 2025 it was 7.9 years and 6.8 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Manchester 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 | Isle of Wight | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 101 |
| 2017 | 103 | 106 |
| 2018 | 105 | 112 |
| 2019 | 108 | 114 |
| 2020 | 110 | 117 |
| 2021 | 113 | 120 |
| 2022 | 117 | 127 |
| 2023 | 125 | 139 |
| 2024 | 132 | 156 |
| 2025 | 141 | 167 |
| August 2026 | 152 | 174 |
In 2015 the average rent was £624 a month in Isle of Wight and £790 in Manchester. Now it is £951 and £1,373: up 52% in Isle of Wight and up 74% in Manchester. Rents have risen faster in Manchester.
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 Isle of Wight to Manchester
| Earning in Isle of Wight | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £35,500 | £42,500 |
| £40,000 | £47,500 | £57,000 |
| £50,000 | £59,500 | £71,000 |
| £60,000 | £71,500 | £85,500 |
Moving from Manchester to Isle of Wight
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Isle of Wight | Equivalent to rent in Isle of Wight |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,000 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £33,500 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £42,000 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £50,500 | £42,000 |