Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Luton: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £75,000 (37%) more in Luton than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Luton: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Luton, terraced
£277,500
Income typically needed: £55,500
Median full-time pay: £34,732

At a glance

Leeds Luton
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Renting a home Expensive Very expensive
Recorded crime Above average About 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 Luton (£34,732) is 5% lower than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 37% more (£277,500 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 8.0× in Luton. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 42% in Luton. Both are harder in Luton, and the gap is wider for buying.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Luton is the 80th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Luton is the 65th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £55,000 in Luton to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £42,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Luton 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 82.2 in Luton, so recorded crime per resident is 28% lower in Luton. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 5.7 in Luton.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Luton
Median full-time pay £36,716 £34,732
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 8.0×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 63%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 42%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Luton Difference
Detached £430,000 £435,000 +1% in Luton
Semi-detached £262,000 £338,000 +29% in Luton
Terraced £202,500 £277,500 +37% in Luton
Flat £150,000 £160,000 +7% in Luton

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Luton Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,604 +6% in Luton
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,329 +8% in Luton
Terraced £1,157 £1,217 +5% in Luton
Flat £905 £976 +8% in Luton

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 82.2 in Luton, so recorded crime per resident is 28% lower in Luton.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Luton Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 82.2 -28% in Luton
Violence against the person 44.9 30.4 -32% in Luton
Sexual offences 4.4 3.3 -25% in Luton
Robbery 2.2 1.5 -30% in Luton
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 5.7 -56% in Luton
Vehicle offences 7.0 7.1 +1% in Luton
Theft from the person 1.3 1.0 -25% in Luton
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 6.3 -26% in Luton

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: 181Luton: 195
House prices in Leeds and Luton since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Luton now 195.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Luton since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Luton now 195.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsLuton
2005100100
2006107103
2007114113
2008110111
20099896
2010103103
2011101100
201299103
2013100105
2014106113
2015111129
2016119152
2017125166
2018130168
2019134164
2020139162
2021151174
2022165192
2023168191
2024171189
2025177195
12 months to July 2026181195

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £145,768 in Luton. Now it is £244,464 and £284,756: Leeds is up 81% and Luton is up 95%. Prices have risen faster in Luton, so the gap between the two has widened.

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 payLuton: 8.2 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and LutonLeeds now 6.5, Luton now 8.2 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and LutonLeeds now 6.5, Luton now 8.2 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsLuton
20056.1 years of pay6.6 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay6.2 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay7.1 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay8.0 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay8.2 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 6.6 years in Luton. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 8.2 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Luton over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Luton: 162
Rents in Leeds and Luton since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Luton now 162.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Luton since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Luton now 162.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsLuton
2015100100
201698107
2017102114
2018104116
2019107117
2020112118
2021114120
2022125125
2023136132
2024145145
2025146157
August 2026151162

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £754 in Luton. Now it is £1,145 and £1,222: up 51% in Leeds and up 62% in Luton. Rents have risen faster in Luton.

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 Luton

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Luton Equivalent to rent in Luton
£30,000 £41,000 £31,500
£40,000 £55,000 £42,000
£50,000 £68,500 £52,500
£60,000 £82,000 £63,000

Moving from Luton to Leeds

Earning in Luton Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £22,000 £28,500
£40,000 £29,000 £38,000
£50,000 £36,500 £47,500
£60,000 £44,000 £57,000
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 Leeds figures · All Luton figures