Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Oxford: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £257,500 (127%) more in Oxford than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Oxford: it takes 10.6× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Oxford, terraced
£460,000
Income typically needed: £92,000
Median full-time pay: £43,289

At a glance

Leeds Oxford
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Renting a home Expensive Very expensive
Recorded crime Above 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 Oxford (£43,289) is 18% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 127% more (£460,000 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 10.6× in Oxford. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 56% in Oxford. Both are harder in Oxford, 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 Oxford is the 43rd most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Oxford is the 18th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £91,000 in Oxford to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £70,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Oxford 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 96.3 in Oxford, so recorded crime per resident is 16% lower in Oxford. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 5.7 in Oxford.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Oxford
Median full-time pay £36,716 £43,289
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 10.6×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 47%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 56%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Oxford Difference
Detached £430,000 £922,500 +115% in Oxford
Semi-detached £262,000 £479,500 +83% in Oxford
Terraced £202,500 £460,000 +127% in Oxford
Flat £150,000 £335,000 +123% in Oxford

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Oxford Difference
Detached £1,507 £2,593 +72% in Oxford
Semi-detached £1,226 £2,188 +78% in Oxford
Terraced £1,157 £2,022 +75% in Oxford
Flat £905 £1,557 +72% in Oxford

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 96.3 in Oxford, so recorded crime per resident is 16% lower in Oxford.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Oxford Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 96.3 -16% in Oxford
Violence against the person 44.9 30.7 -32% in Oxford
Sexual offences 4.4 3.9 -10% in Oxford
Robbery 2.2 1.3 -39% in Oxford
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 5.7 -56% in Oxford
Vehicle offences 7.0 4.3 -38% in Oxford
Theft from the person 1.3 2.1 +63% in Oxford
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 6.6 -22% in Oxford

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: 181Oxford: 200
House prices in Leeds and Oxford since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Oxford now 200.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Oxford since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Oxford now 200.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsOxford
2005100100
2006107107
2007114118
2008110117
200998105
2010103121
2011101119
201299127
2013100131
2014106146
2015111164
2016119176
2017125180
2018130178
2019134178
2020139180
2021151187
2022165197
2023168197
2024171201
2025177199
12 months to July 2026181200

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £241,793 in Oxford. Now it is £244,464 and £483,054: Leeds is up 81% and Oxford is up 100%. Prices have risen faster in Oxford, 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 payOxford: 11.1 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and OxfordLeeds now 6.5, Oxford now 11.1 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and OxfordLeeds now 6.5, Oxford now 11.1 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsOxford
20056.1 years of pay10.4 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay11.0 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay13.0 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay12.8 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay11.1 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 10.4 years in Oxford. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 11.1 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Oxford: 156
Rents in Leeds and Oxford since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Oxford now 156.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Oxford since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Oxford now 156.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsOxford
2015100100
201698103
2017102108
2018104111
2019107113
2020112116
2021114116
2022125121
2023136127
2024145135
2025146148
August 2026151156

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £1,260 in Oxford. Now it is £1,145 and £1,963: up 51% in Leeds and up 56% in Oxford.

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 Oxford

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Oxford Equivalent to rent in Oxford
£30,000 £68,000 £52,500
£40,000 £91,000 £70,000
£50,000 £113,500 £87,500
£60,000 £136,500 £105,000

Moving from Oxford to Leeds

Earning in Oxford Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £13,000 £17,000
£40,000 £17,500 £23,000
£50,000 £22,000 £28,500
£60,000 £26,500 £34,500
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 Oxford figures