Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Thurrock: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £139,750 (69%) more in Thurrock than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Thurrock: it takes 8.1× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Thurrock, terraced
£342,250
Income typically needed: £68,500
Median full-time pay: £41,997

At a glance

Leeds Thurrock
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
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 Thurrock (£41,997) is 14% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 69% more (£342,250 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 8.1× in Thurrock. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 39% in Thurrock. Buying is harder in Thurrock; 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 Thurrock is the 115th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Thurrock is the 89th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £67,500 in Thurrock to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £46,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Thurrock 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 85.6 in Thurrock, so recorded crime per resident is 25% lower in Thurrock. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 5.3 in Thurrock.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Thurrock
Median full-time pay £36,716 £41,997
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 8.1×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 61%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 39%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Thurrock Difference
Detached £430,000 £550,000 +28% in Thurrock
Semi-detached £262,000 £400,000 +53% in Thurrock
Terraced £202,500 £342,250 +69% in Thurrock
Flat £150,000 £210,000 +40% in Thurrock

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Thurrock Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,931 +28% in Thurrock
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,502 +23% in Thurrock
Terraced £1,157 £1,349 +17% in Thurrock
Flat £905 £1,077 +19% in Thurrock

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 85.6 in Thurrock, so recorded crime per resident is 25% lower in Thurrock.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Thurrock Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 85.6 -25% in Thurrock
Violence against the person 44.9 28.6 -36% in Thurrock
Sexual offences 4.4 2.9 -34% in Thurrock
Robbery 2.2 1.0 -54% in Thurrock
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 5.3 -59% in Thurrock
Vehicle offences 7.0 9.4 +35% in Thurrock
Theft from the person 1.3 0.6 -56% in Thurrock
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 8.8 +4% in Thurrock

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: 181Thurrock: 201
House prices in Leeds and Thurrock since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Thurrock now 201.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Thurrock since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Thurrock now 201.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsThurrock
2005100100
2006107103
2007114111
2008110111
20099897
2010103102
2011101101
201299103
2013100105
2014106115
2015111132
2016119155
2017125163
2018130170
2019134169
2020139172
2021151182
2022165198
2023168202
2024171196
2025177200
12 months to July 2026181201

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £162,781 in Thurrock. Now it is £244,464 and £327,428: Leeds is up 81% and Thurrock is up 101%. Prices have risen faster in Thurrock, 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 payThurrock: 7.7 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and ThurrockLeeds now 6.5, Thurrock now 7.7 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and ThurrockLeeds now 6.5, Thurrock now 7.7 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsThurrock
20056.1 years of pay6.7 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay5.9 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay7.1 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay8.3 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay7.7 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 6.7 years in Thurrock. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.7 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Thurrock over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Thurrock: 154
Rents in Leeds and Thurrock since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Thurrock now 154.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Thurrock since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Thurrock now 154.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsThurrock
2015100100
201698107
2017102111
2018104114
2019107116
2020112119
2021114120
2022125121
2023136126
2024145135
2025146145
August 2026151154

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £897 in Thurrock. Now it is £1,145 and £1,380: up 51% in Leeds and up 54% in Thurrock.

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 Thurrock

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Thurrock Equivalent to rent in Thurrock
£30,000 £50,500 £35,000
£40,000 £67,500 £46,500
£50,000 £84,500 £58,500
£60,000 £101,500 £70,000

Moving from Thurrock to Leeds

Earning in Thurrock Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £18,000 £25,500
£40,000 £23,500 £34,500
£50,000 £29,500 £43,000
£60,000 £35,500 £51,500
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 Thurrock figures