Islington vs Richmond upon Thames: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £590,000 (67%) more in Islington than in Richmond upon Thames. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Islington: it takes 28.9× median annual pay, against 15.3× in Richmond upon Thames.
At a glance
| Islington | Richmond upon Thames | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | High | Low |
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 Richmond upon Thames (£57,233) is 13% higher than in Islington (£50,692), while a typical terraced house costs 40% less (£875,000 against £1,465,000). Set against local pay, Richmond upon Thames is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 28.9× annual pay in Islington and 15.3× in Richmond upon Thames. Renting one takes 91% of pay in Islington and 56% in Richmond upon Thames. Both are harder in Islington, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Islington is the 10th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Richmond upon Thames is the 14th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Islington is the 4th most expensive of 316 areas and Richmond upon Thames is the 30th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Islington would need about £24,000 in Richmond upon Thames to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Richmond upon Thames 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 131.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Islington and 57.3 in Richmond upon Thames, so recorded crime per resident is 56% lower in Richmond upon Thames. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 32.1 per 1,000 in Islington against 15.1 in Richmond upon Thames.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Islington | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £50,692 | £57,233 |
| House price ÷ pay | 28.9× | 15.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 17% | 33% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 91% | 56% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Islington | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £1,465,000 | £875,000 | -40% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Flat | £565,000 | £470,000 | -17% in Richmond upon Thames |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Islington | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £3,827 | £2,681 | -30% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Flat | £2,483 | £2,045 | -18% in Richmond upon Thames |
Crime
Police recorded 131.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Islington and 57.3 in Richmond upon Thames, so recorded crime per resident is 56% lower in Richmond upon Thames.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Islington | Richmond upon Thames | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 131.2 | 57.3 | -56% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Violence against the person | 32.1 | 15.1 | -53% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Sexual offences | 3.3 | 1.8 | -45% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Robbery | 5.7 | 1.3 | -77% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 10.0 | 7.8 | -22% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Vehicle offences | 7.8 | 7.6 | -3% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Theft from the person | 14.3 | 1.2 | -91% in Richmond upon Thames |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.8 | 5.3 | -21% in Richmond upon Thames |
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 | Islington | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 108 | 108 |
| 2007 | 131 | 127 |
| 2008 | 131 | 127 |
| 2009 | 117 | 114 |
| 2010 | 135 | 130 |
| 2011 | 144 | 134 |
| 2012 | 150 | 141 |
| 2013 | 168 | 152 |
| 2014 | 198 | 178 |
| 2015 | 218 | 191 |
| 2016 | 218 | 202 |
| 2017 | 220 | 206 |
| 2018 | 220 | 202 |
| 2019 | 215 | 200 |
| 2020 | 224 | 210 |
| 2021 | 230 | 216 |
| 2022 | 235 | 230 |
| 2023 | 235 | 230 |
| 2024 | 240 | 227 |
| 2025 | 238 | 236 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 235 | 234 |
In 2005 the average home cost £295,275 in Islington and £343,295 in Richmond upon Thames. Now it is £693,753 and £802,985: Islington is up 135% and Richmond upon Thames is up 134%.
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 | Islington | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | – | 9.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 11.7 years of pay | 11.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 18.2 years of pay | 16.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 14.2 years of pay | 14.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 13.9 years of pay | 14.2 years of pay |
In 2010 a home cost 11.7 years of pay in Islington and 11.4 years in Richmond upon Thames. In 2025 it was 13.9 years and 14.2 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Richmond upon Thames 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 | Islington | Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 100 |
| 2017 | 102 | 98 |
| 2018 | 103 | 101 |
| 2019 | 104 | 102 |
| 2020 | 107 | 105 |
| 2021 | 101 | 105 |
| 2022 | 103 | 107 |
| 2023 | 113 | 111 |
| 2024 | 129 | 120 |
| 2025 | 138 | 133 |
| August 2026 | 146 | 141 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,960 a month in Islington and £1,660 in Richmond upon Thames. Now it is £2,868 and £2,333: up 46% in Islington and up 41% in Richmond upon Thames. Rents have risen faster in Islington.
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 Islington to Richmond upon Thames
| Earning in Islington | Equivalent to buy in Richmond upon Thames | Equivalent to rent in Richmond upon Thames |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £18,000 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £24,000 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £30,000 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £36,000 | £42,000 |
Moving from Richmond upon Thames to Islington
| Earning in Richmond upon Thames | Equivalent to buy in Islington | Equivalent to rent in Islington |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £50,000 | £43,000 |
| £40,000 | £67,000 | £57,000 |
| £50,000 | £83,500 | £71,500 |
| £60,000 | £100,500 | £85,500 |