Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Swansea: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £47,500 (31%) more in Leeds than in Swansea. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Leeds: it takes 5.5× median annual pay, against 4.2× in Swansea.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Swansea, terraced
£155,000
Income typically needed: £31,000
Median full-time pay: £36,586

At a glance

Leeds Swansea
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive Fairly affordable
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 Swansea (£36,586) is the same than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 23% less (£155,000 against £202,500). Set against local pay, Swansea 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 4.2× in Swansea. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 27% in Swansea. Both are harder in Leeds, and the gap is wider for renting.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Swansea is the 40th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Swansea is the 86th least expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £30,500 in Swansea to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Swansea 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 74.2 in Swansea, so recorded crime per resident is 35% lower in Swansea. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 2.6 in Swansea.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Swansea
Median full-time pay £36,716 £36,586
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 4.2×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 118%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 27%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Swansea Difference
Detached £430,000 £340,000 -21% in Swansea
Semi-detached £262,000 £210,000 -20% in Swansea
Terraced £202,500 £155,000 -23% in Swansea
Flat £150,000 £119,000 -21% in Swansea

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Swansea Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,090 -28% in Swansea
Semi-detached £1,226 £878 -28% in Swansea
Terraced £1,157 £824 -29% in Swansea
Flat £905 £750 -17% in Swansea

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 74.2 in Swansea, so recorded crime per resident is 35% lower in Swansea.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Swansea Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 74.2 -35% in Swansea
Violence against the person 44.9 29.1 -35% in Swansea
Sexual offences 4.4 3.5 -20% in Swansea
Robbery 2.2 0.4 -82% in Swansea
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 2.6 -80% in Swansea
Vehicle offences 7.0 3.2 -54% in Swansea
Theft from the person 1.3 0.5 -64% in Swansea
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 6.8 -20% in Swansea

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: 181Swansea: 173
House prices in Leeds and Swansea since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Swansea now 173.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Swansea since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Swansea now 173.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwansea
2005100100
2006107109
2007114118
2008110118
200998109
2010103106
2011101103
201299101
2013100103
2014106108
2015111108
2016119112
2017125116
2018130120
2019134123
2020139128
2021151144
2022165159
2023168161
2024171164
2025177172
12 months to July 2026181173

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £119,321 in Swansea. Now it is £244,464 and £206,665: Leeds is up 81% and Swansea is up 73%. Prices have risen faster in Leeds, 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 paySwansea: 5.6 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SwanseaLeeds now 6.5, Swansea now 5.6 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SwanseaLeeds now 6.5, Swansea now 5.6 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwansea
20056.1 years of pay5.7 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay5.2 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay5.2 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay5.5 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay5.6 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 5.7 years in Swansea. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 5.6 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Swansea: 151
Rents in Leeds and Swansea since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Swansea now 151.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Swansea since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Swansea now 151.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSwansea
2015100100
201698101
2017102103
2018104105
2019107105
2020112106
2021114106
2022125110
2023136120
2024145133
2025146141
August 2026151151

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £565 in Swansea. Now it is £1,145 and £852: up 51% in Leeds and up 51% in Swansea.

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 Swansea

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Swansea Equivalent to rent in Swansea
£30,000 £23,000 £21,500
£40,000 £30,500 £28,500
£50,000 £38,500 £35,500
£60,000 £46,000 £42,500

Moving from Swansea to Leeds

Earning in Swansea Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £39,000 £42,000
£40,000 £52,500 £56,000
£50,000 £65,500 £70,000
£60,000 £78,500 £84,000
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 Swansea figures