Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Swale: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £62,500 (31%) more in Swale than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Swale: it takes 6.9× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Swale, terraced
£265,000
Income typically needed: £53,000
Median full-time pay: £38,432

At a glance

Leeds Swale
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive 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 Swale (£38,432) is 5% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 31% more (£265,000 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 6.9× in Swale. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 36% in Swale. Buying is harder in Swale; renting is about the same.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Swale is around the middle of 316 areas (145th most expensive). For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Swale is around the middle of 316 areas (133rd most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £52,500 in Swale to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Swale 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 85.5 in Swale, so recorded crime per resident is 25% lower in Swale. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 5.0 in Swale.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Swale
Median full-time pay £36,716 £38,432
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 6.9×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 73%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 36%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Swale Difference
Detached £430,000 £445,000 +3% in Swale
Semi-detached £262,000 £325,000 +24% in Swale
Terraced £202,500 £265,000 +31% in Swale
Flat £150,000 £170,000 +13% in Swale

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Swale Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,578 +5% in Swale
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,243 +1% in Swale
Terraced £1,157 £1,151 -1% in Swale
Flat £905 £869 -4% in Swale

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 85.5 in Swale, so recorded crime per resident is 25% lower in Swale.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Swale Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 85.5 -25% in Swale
Violence against the person 44.9 37.4 -17% in Swale
Sexual offences 4.4 3.7 -16% in Swale
Robbery 2.2 0.7 -67% in Swale
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 5.0 -62% in Swale
Vehicle offences 7.0 3.8 -46% in Swale
Theft from the person 1.3 0.2 -84% in Swale
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 10.9 +28% in Swale

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: 181Swale: 187
House prices in Leeds and Swale since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Swale now 187.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Swale since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Swale now 187.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwale
2005100100
2006107105
2007114112
2008110110
20099897
2010103102
2011101101
201299102
2013100105
2014106115
2015111124
2016119139
2017125151
2018130159
2019134159
2020139160
2021151169
2022165187
2023168187
2024171183
2025177184
12 months to July 2026181187

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £157,284 in Swale. Now it is £244,464 and £293,393: Leeds is up 81% and Swale is up 87%. Prices have risen faster in Swale, 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 paySwale: 7.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SwaleLeeds now 6.5, Swale now 7.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SwaleLeeds now 6.5, Swale now 7.5 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwale
20056.1 years of pay6.6 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay6.0 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay6.6 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay7.9 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay7.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 6.6 years in Swale. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.5 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Swale over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Swale: 163
Rents in Leeds and Swale since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Swale now 163.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Swale since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Swale now 163.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwale
2015100100
201698106
2017102112
2018104116
2019107119
2020112123
2021114128
2022125133
2023136141
2024145151
2025146160
August 2026151163

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £683 in Swale. Now it is £1,145 and £1,114: up 51% in Leeds and up 63% in Swale. Rents have risen faster in Swale.

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 Swale

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Swale Equivalent to rent in Swale
£30,000 £39,500 £30,000
£40,000 £52,500 £40,000
£50,000 £65,500 £49,500
£60,000 £78,500 £59,500

Moving from Swale to Leeds

Earning in Swale Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £23,000 £30,000
£40,000 £30,500 £40,000
£50,000 £38,000 £50,500
£60,000 £46,000 £60,500
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 Swale figures