Pay vs Place

King's Lynn and West Norfolk vs Leeds: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £2,500 (1%) more in Leeds than in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk, terraced
£200,000
Income typically needed: £40,000
Median full-time pay: £36,835
Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716

At a glance

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Leeds
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Fairly affordable 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 the same than in King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£36,835), while a typical terraced house costs 1% more (£202,500 against £200,000).

Buying a terraced house takes 5.4× annual pay in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and 5.5× in Leeds. Renting one takes 31% of pay in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and 38% in Leeds. Renting is harder in Leeds; buying is about the same.

Across all property types and measured against pay, King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (176th most expensive) to buy in, and Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, King's Lynn and West Norfolk is around the middle of 316 areas (187th most expensive) and Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk would need about £40,500 in Leeds to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £49,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Leeds 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 57.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident in Leeds is 2.0 times the rate in King's Lynn and West Norfolk. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.3 per 1,000 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk against 7.0 in Leeds.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house King's Lynn and West Norfolk Leeds
Median full-time pay £36,835 £36,716
House price ÷ pay 5.4× 5.5×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 92% 91%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 31% 38%

Buying, by property type

Type King's Lynn and West Norfolk Leeds Difference
Detached £335,000 £430,000 +28% in Leeds
Semi-detached £241,750 £262,000 +8% in Leeds
Terraced £200,000 £202,500 +1% in Leeds

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) King's Lynn and West Norfolk Leeds Difference
Detached £1,276 £1,507 +18% in Leeds
Semi-detached £1,004 £1,226 +22% in Leeds
Terraced £945 £1,157 +22% in Leeds

Crime

Police recorded 57.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and 114.6 in Leeds, so recorded crime per resident in Leeds is 2.0 times the rate in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents King's Lynn and West Norfolk Leeds Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 57.3 114.6 +100% in Leeds
Violence against the person 25.2 44.9 +78% in Leeds
Sexual offences 2.9 4.4 +49% in Leeds
Robbery 0.3 2.2 +772% in Leeds
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 2.7 13.0 +384% in Leeds
Vehicle offences 1.3 7.0 +440% in Leeds
Theft from the person 0.3 1.3 +291% in Leeds
Criminal damage and arson 5.8 8.5 +45% 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.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk: 180Leeds: 181
House prices in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. King's Lynn and West Norfolk now 180, Leeds now 181.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leeds since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. King's Lynn and West Norfolk now 180, Leeds now 181.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearKing's Lynn and West NorfolkLeeds
2005100100
2006105107
2007113114
2008112110
200910298
2010109103
2011105101
201210599
2013108100
2014115106
2015124111
2016132119
2017143125
2018148130
2019150134
2020154139
2021165151
2022185165
2023188168
2024182171
2025179177
12 months to July 2026180181

In 2005 the average home cost £145,320 in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and £135,425 in Leeds. Now it is £261,901 and £244,464: King's Lynn and West Norfolk is up 80% and Leeds is up 81%.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk: 7.1 years of payLeeds: 6.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and LeedsKing's Lynn and West Norfolk now 7.1, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and LeedsKing's Lynn and West Norfolk now 7.1, Leeds now 6.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearKing's Lynn and West NorfolkLeeds
20057.4 years of pay6.1 years of pay
20107.1 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20157.2 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20207.2 years of pay6.2 years of pay
20257.1 years of pay6.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 7.4 years of pay in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and 6.1 years in Leeds. In 2025 it was 7.1 years and 6.5 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Leeds over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

King's Lynn and West Norfolk: 163Leeds: 151
Rents in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. King's Lynn and West Norfolk now 163, Leeds now 151.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leeds since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. King's Lynn and West Norfolk now 163, Leeds now 151.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearKing's Lynn and West NorfolkLeeds
2015100100
201610298
2017107102
2018111104
2019114107
2020118112
2021121114
2022128125
2023135136
2024144145
2025156146
August 2026163151

In 2015 the average rent was £577 a month in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and £758 in Leeds. Now it is £941 and £1,145: up 63% in King's Lynn and West Norfolk and up 51% in Leeds. Rents have risen faster in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk to Leeds

Earning in King's Lynn and West Norfolk Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £30,500 £36,500
£40,000 £40,500 £49,000
£50,000 £50,500 £61,000
£60,000 £61,000 £73,500

Moving from Leeds to King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in King's Lynn and West Norfolk Equivalent to rent in King's Lynn and West Norfolk
£30,000 £29,500 £24,500
£40,000 £39,500 £32,500
£50,000 £49,500 £41,000
£60,000 £59,500 £49,000
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 King's Lynn and West Norfolk figures · All Leeds figures