Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Sutton: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £277,500 (137%) more in Sutton than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Sutton: it takes 10.8× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Sutton, terraced
£480,000
Income typically needed: £96,000
Median full-time pay: £44,393

At a glance

Leeds Sutton
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Renting a home Expensive Very expensive
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 Sutton (£44,393) is 21% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 137% more (£480,000 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 10.8× in Sutton. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 47% in Sutton. Both are harder in Sutton, 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 Sutton is the 49th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Sutton is the 66th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £95,000 in Sutton to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £60,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Sutton 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 60.3 in Sutton, so recorded crime per resident is 47% lower in Sutton. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 44.9 per 1,000 in Leeds against 21.8 in Sutton.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Sutton
Median full-time pay £36,716 £44,393
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 10.8×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 46%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 47%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Sutton Difference
Detached £430,000 £900,000 +109% in Sutton
Semi-detached £262,000 £610,000 +133% in Sutton
Terraced £202,500 £480,000 +137% in Sutton
Flat £150,000 £290,000 +93% in Sutton

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Sutton Difference
Detached £1,507 £2,425 +61% in Sutton
Semi-detached £1,226 £2,019 +65% in Sutton
Terraced £1,157 £1,749 +51% in Sutton
Flat £905 £1,404 +55% in Sutton

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 60.3 in Sutton, so recorded crime per resident is 47% lower in Sutton.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Sutton Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 60.3 -47% in Sutton
Violence against the person 44.9 21.8 -52% in Sutton
Sexual offences 4.4 2.1 -51% in Sutton
Robbery 2.2 1.3 -40% in Sutton
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 7.8 -40% in Sutton
Vehicle offences 7.0 5.4 -22% in Sutton
Theft from the person 1.3 1.0 -24% in Sutton
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 4.4 -48% in Sutton

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: 181Sutton: 213
House prices in Leeds and Sutton since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Sutton now 213.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Sutton since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Sutton now 213.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsSutton
2005100100
2006107103
2007114115
2008110116
200998101
2010103111
2011101111
201299114
2013100120
2014106139
2015111154
2016119174
2017125180
2018130181
2019134177
2020139181
2021151193
2022165207
2023168207
2024171204
2025177212
12 months to July 2026181213

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £211,844 in Sutton. Now it is £244,464 and £450,518: Leeds is up 81% and Sutton is up 113%. Prices have risen faster in Sutton, 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 paySutton: 10.1 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SuttonLeeds now 6.5, Sutton now 10.1 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SuttonLeeds now 6.5, Sutton now 10.1 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSutton
20056.1 years of pay7.8 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay7.7 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay10.4 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay10.9 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay10.1 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 7.8 years in Sutton. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 10.1 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Sutton over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Sutton: 151
Rents in Leeds and Sutton since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Sutton now 151.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Sutton since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Sutton now 151.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSutton
2015100100
201698107
2017102109
2018104108
2019107108
2020112111
2021114113
2022125117
2023136124
2024145139
2025146147
August 2026151151

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £1,030 in Sutton. Now it is £1,145 and £1,556: up 51% in Leeds and up 51% in Sutton.

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 Sutton

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Sutton Equivalent to rent in Sutton
£30,000 £71,000 £45,500
£40,000 £95,000 £60,500
£50,000 £118,500 £75,500
£60,000 £142,000 £90,500

Moving from Sutton to Leeds

Earning in Sutton Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £12,500 £20,000
£40,000 £17,000 £26,500
£50,000 £21,000 £33,000
£60,000 £25,500 £39,500
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 Sutton figures