Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Lichfield: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £42,500 (21%) more in Lichfield than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Lichfield: it takes 5.9× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Lichfield, terraced
£245,000
Income typically needed: £49,000
Median full-time pay: £41,803

At a glance

Leeds Lichfield
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive Fairly affordable
Recorded crime Above average 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 Lichfield (£41,803) is 14% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 21% more (£245,000 against £202,500). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 5.5× annual pay in Leeds and 5.9× in Lichfield. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 31% in Lichfield. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Lichfield, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Leeds.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Lichfield is around the middle of 316 areas (169th most expensive). For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Lichfield is around the middle of 316 areas (173rd most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £48,500 in Lichfield to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £38,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Lichfield 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 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 55.4 in Lichfield, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in Lichfield. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 4.3 in Lichfield.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Lichfield
Median full-time pay £36,716 £41,803
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 5.9×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 85%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 31%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Lichfield Difference
Detached £430,000 £487,500 +13% in Lichfield
Semi-detached £262,000 £288,000 +10% in Lichfield
Terraced £202,500 £245,000 +21% in Lichfield
Flat £150,000 £163,500 +9% in Lichfield

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Lichfield Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,521 +1% in Lichfield
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,139 -7% in Lichfield
Terraced £1,157 £1,095 -5% in Lichfield
Flat £905 £888 -2% in Lichfield

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 55.4 in Lichfield, so recorded crime per resident is 52% lower in Lichfield.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Lichfield Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 55.4 -52% in Lichfield
Violence against the person 44.9 22.4 -50% in Lichfield
Sexual offences 4.4 2.6 -41% in Lichfield
Robbery 2.2 0.7 -67% in Lichfield
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 4.3 -67% in Lichfield
Vehicle offences 7.0 6.3 -10% in Lichfield
Theft from the person 1.3 0.1 -90% in Lichfield
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 3.9 -55% in Lichfield

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.

Leeds: 181Lichfield: 184
House prices in Leeds and Lichfield since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Lichfield now 184.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Lichfield since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Lichfield now 184.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsLichfield
2005100100
2006107103
2007114109
2008110107
20099895
2010103103
2011101101
201299101
2013100103
2014106111
2015111117
2016119123
2017125127
2018130135
2019134134
2020139141
2021151151
2022165167
2023168168
2024171172
2025177180
12 months to July 2026181184

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £181,369 in Lichfield. Now it is £244,464 and £333,081: Leeds is up 81% and Lichfield is up 84%.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

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

Leeds: 6.5 years of payLichfield: 7.8 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and LichfieldLeeds now 6.5, Lichfield now 7.8 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and LichfieldLeeds now 6.5, Lichfield now 7.8 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsLichfield
20056.1 years of pay7.4 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay6.7 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay–
20206.2 years of pay7.0 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay7.8 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 7.4 years in Lichfield. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.8 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Lichfield: 164
Rents in Leeds and Lichfield since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Lichfield now 164.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Lichfield since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Lichfield now 164.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsLichfield
2015100100
201698103
2017102106
2018104108
2019107111
2020112115
2021114121
2022125126
2023136135
2024145145
2025146152
August 2026151164

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £672 in Lichfield. Now it is £1,145 and £1,103: up 51% in Leeds and up 64% in Lichfield. Rents have risen faster in Lichfield.

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 Leeds to Lichfield

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Lichfield Equivalent to rent in Lichfield
£30,000 £36,500 £28,500
£40,000 £48,500 £38,000
£50,000 £60,500 £47,500
£60,000 £72,500 £57,000

Moving from Lichfield to Leeds

Earning in Lichfield Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £25,000 £31,500
£40,000 £33,000 £42,500
£50,000 £41,500 £53,000
£60,000 £49,500 £63,500
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 Leeds figures · All Lichfield figures