Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Sandwell: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £2,500 (1%) more in Leeds than in Sandwell. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Sandwell: it takes 6.1× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Sandwell, terraced
£200,000
Income typically needed: £40,000
Median full-time pay: £33,029

At a glance

Leeds Sandwell
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive 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 Sandwell (£33,029) is 10% lower than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 1% less (£200,000 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 6.1× in Sandwell. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 34% in Sandwell. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Sandwell, 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 Sandwell is the 115th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Sandwell is around the middle of 316 areas (136th most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £39,500 in Sandwell to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £32,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Sandwell 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 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 95.9 in Sandwell, so recorded crime per resident is 16% lower in Sandwell. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 6.7 in Sandwell.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Sandwell
Median full-time pay £36,716 £33,029
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 6.1×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 83%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 34%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Sandwell Difference
Detached £430,000 £310,000 -28% in Sandwell
Semi-detached £262,000 £237,500 -9% in Sandwell
Terraced £202,500 £200,000 -1% in Sandwell
Flat £150,000 £113,000 -25% in Sandwell

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Sandwell Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,249 -17% in Sandwell
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,026 -16% in Sandwell
Terraced £1,157 £946 -18% in Sandwell
Flat £905 £764 -16% in Sandwell

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 95.9 in Sandwell, so recorded crime per resident is 16% lower in Sandwell.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Sandwell Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 95.9 -16% in Sandwell
Violence against the person 44.9 40.7 -9% in Sandwell
Sexual offences 4.4 3.3 -24% in Sandwell
Robbery 2.2 2.0 -7% in Sandwell
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 6.7 -49% in Sandwell
Vehicle offences 7.0 9.0 +29% in Sandwell
Theft from the person 1.3 0.5 -60% in Sandwell
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 7.7 -9% in Sandwell

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: 181Sandwell: 199
House prices in Leeds and Sandwell since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Sandwell now 199.5010015020020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Sandwell since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Sandwell now 199.5010015020020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsSandwell
2005100100
2006107106
2007114114
2008110109
20099897
2010103102
201110199
20129998
201310098
2014106102
2015111107
2016119115
2017125123
2018130132
2019134136
2020139140
2021151158
2022165176
2023168184
2024171188
2025177196
12 months to July 2026181199

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £104,733 in Sandwell. Now it is £244,464 and £208,175: Leeds is up 81% and Sandwell is up 99%. Prices have risen faster in Sandwell, so the gap between the two has narrowed.

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 paySandwell: 6.2 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SandwellLeeds now 6.5, Sandwell now 6.2 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SandwellLeeds now 6.5, Sandwell now 6.2 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSandwell
20056.1 years of pay5.4 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay4.8 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay4.9 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay6.2 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 5.4 years in Sandwell. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.2 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Sandwell: 169
Rents in Leeds and Sandwell since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Sandwell now 169.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Sandwell since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Sandwell now 169.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSandwell
2015100100
201698102
2017102106
2018104107
2019107109
2020112113
2021114117
2022125126
2023136138
2024145148
2025146155
August 2026151169

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £565 in Sandwell. Now it is £1,145 and £953: up 51% in Leeds and up 69% in Sandwell. Rents have risen faster in Sandwell.

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 Sandwell

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Sandwell Equivalent to rent in Sandwell
£30,000 £29,500 £24,500
£40,000 £39,500 £32,500
£50,000 £49,500 £41,000
£60,000 £59,500 £49,000

Moving from Sandwell to Leeds

Earning in Sandwell 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
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 Sandwell figures