Isle of Wight vs Portsmouth: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £47,500 (22%) more in Portsmouth than in Isle of Wight. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Portsmouth: it takes 7.3× median annual pay, against 6.9× in Isle of Wight.
At a glance
| Isle of Wight | Portsmouth | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| 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 Portsmouth (£36,022) is 16% higher than in Isle of Wight (£31,184), while a typical terraced house costs 22% more (£262,500 against £215,000). Set against local pay, Isle of Wight is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 6.9× annual pay in Isle of Wight and 7.3× in Portsmouth. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Isle of Wight and 47% in Portsmouth. Both are harder in Portsmouth, and the gap is wider for renting.
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 Portsmouth is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive). For renting against pay, Isle of Wight is the 113th most expensive of 316 areas and Portsmouth is the 44th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Isle of Wight would need about £49,000 in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 112.8 in Portsmouth, so recorded crime per resident is 48% higher in Portsmouth. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.2 per 1,000 in Isle of Wight against 5.8 in Portsmouth.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Isle of Wight | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £31,184 | £36,022 |
| House price ÷ pay | 6.9× | 7.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 73% | 69% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 47% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Isle of Wight | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £255,000 | £336,625 | +32% in Portsmouth |
| Terraced | £215,000 | £262,500 | +22% in Portsmouth |
| Flat | £145,000 | £169,000 | +17% in Portsmouth |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Isle of Wight | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £1,049 | £1,562 | +49% in Portsmouth |
| Terraced | £988 | £1,405 | +42% in Portsmouth |
| Flat | £765 | £1,045 | +37% in Portsmouth |
Crime
Police recorded 76.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Isle of Wight and 112.8 in Portsmouth, so recorded crime per resident is 48% higher in Portsmouth.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Isle of Wight | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 76.0 | 112.8 | +48% in Portsmouth |
| Violence against the person | 34.5 | 44.8 | +30% in Portsmouth |
| Sexual offences | 4.2 | 4.9 | +17% in Portsmouth |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 1.8 | +240% in Portsmouth |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.4 | 4.9 | +103% in Portsmouth |
| Vehicle offences | 1.2 | 5.8 | +374% in Portsmouth |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 | 0.8 | +124% in Portsmouth |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.4 | 8.1 | +26% in Portsmouth |
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 | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 104 |
| 2007 | 112 | 113 |
| 2008 | 110 | 108 |
| 2009 | 100 | 97 |
| 2010 | 105 | 104 |
| 2011 | 104 | 102 |
| 2012 | 103 | 103 |
| 2013 | 103 | 105 |
| 2014 | 109 | 113 |
| 2015 | 111 | 122 |
| 2016 | 117 | 130 |
| 2017 | 122 | 140 |
| 2018 | 126 | 145 |
| 2019 | 131 | 145 |
| 2020 | 136 | 148 |
| 2021 | 150 | 157 |
| 2022 | 168 | 173 |
| 2023 | 169 | 176 |
| 2024 | 161 | 171 |
| 2025 | 159 | 173 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 157 | 172 |
In 2005 the average home cost £155,103 in Isle of Wight and £143,878 in Portsmouth. Now it is £244,170 and £247,436: Isle of Wight is up 57% and Portsmouth is up 72%. Prices have risen faster in Portsmouth, 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 | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.3 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.3 years of pay | 5.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.8 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.4 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.9 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.3 years of pay in Isle of Wight and 6.6 years in Portsmouth. In 2025 it was 7.9 years and 6.9 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 | Isle of Wight | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 105 |
| 2017 | 103 | 110 |
| 2018 | 105 | 112 |
| 2019 | 108 | 113 |
| 2020 | 110 | 115 |
| 2021 | 113 | 117 |
| 2022 | 117 | 123 |
| 2023 | 125 | 137 |
| 2024 | 132 | 151 |
| 2025 | 141 | 158 |
| August 2026 | 152 | 162 |
In 2015 the average rent was £624 a month in Isle of Wight and £843 in Portsmouth. Now it is £951 and £1,368: up 52% in Isle of Wight and up 62% in Portsmouth. Rents have risen faster in Portsmouth.
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 Portsmouth
| Earning in Isle of Wight | Equivalent to buy in Portsmouth | Equivalent to rent in Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £36,500 | £42,500 |
| £40,000 | £49,000 | £57,000 |
| £50,000 | £61,000 | £71,000 |
| £60,000 | £73,500 | £85,500 |
Moving from Portsmouth to Isle of Wight
| Earning in Portsmouth | Equivalent to buy in Isle of Wight | Equivalent to rent in Isle of Wight |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £24,500 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £33,000 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £41,000 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £49,000 | £42,000 |