Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Walsall: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £14,500 (8%) more in Leeds than in Walsall. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Walsall, terraced
£188,000
Income typically needed: £37,500
Median full-time pay: £34,036

At a glance

Leeds Walsall
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 Walsall (£34,036) is 7% lower than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 7% less (£188,000 against £202,500).

Buying a terraced house takes 5.5× annual pay in Leeds and 5.5× in Walsall. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 32% in Walsall. Renting is harder in Leeds; buying 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 Walsall is the 102nd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Walsall is around the middle of 316 areas (161st most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £37,000 in Walsall to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £31,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Walsall 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 92.9 in Walsall, so recorded crime per resident is 19% lower in Walsall. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 7.3 in Walsall.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Walsall
Median full-time pay £36,716 £34,036
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 5.5×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 91%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 32%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Walsall Difference
Detached £430,000 £365,000 -15% in Walsall
Semi-detached £262,000 £235,000 -10% in Walsall
Terraced £202,500 £188,000 -7% in Walsall
Flat £150,000 £119,500 -20% in Walsall

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Walsall Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,229 -18% in Walsall
Semi-detached £1,226 £963 -21% in Walsall
Terraced £1,157 £913 -21% in Walsall
Flat £905 £750 -17% in Walsall

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 92.9 in Walsall, so recorded crime per resident is 19% lower in Walsall.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Walsall Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 92.9 -19% in Walsall
Violence against the person 44.9 35.6 -21% in Walsall
Sexual offences 4.4 3.4 -22% in Walsall
Robbery 2.2 1.6 -27% in Walsall
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 7.3 -44% in Walsall
Vehicle offences 7.0 9.0 +29% in Walsall
Theft from the person 1.3 0.5 -64% in Walsall
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 9.2 +8% in Walsall

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: 181Walsall: 178
House prices in Leeds and Walsall since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Walsall now 178.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Walsall since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Walsall now 178.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsWalsall
2005100100
2006107106
2007114111
2008110108
20099897
2010103100
201110197
20129996
201310099
2014106103
2015111105
2016119113
2017125120
2018130127
2019134131
2020139135
2021151147
2022165161
2023168167
2024171167
2025177174
12 months to July 2026181178

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £120,857 in Walsall. Now it is £244,464 and £214,672: Leeds is up 81% and Walsall is up 78%.

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 payWalsall: 6.2 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WalsallLeeds now 6.5, Walsall now 6.2 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WalsallLeeds now 6.5, Walsall now 6.2 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWalsall
20056.1 years of pay6.2 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay5.5 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay5.3 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay5.9 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 6.2 years in Walsall. 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: 151Walsall: 163
Rents in Leeds and Walsall since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Walsall now 163.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Walsall since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Walsall now 163.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWalsall
2015100100
201698102
2017102104
2018104105
2019107108
2020112111
2021114116
2022125124
2023136133
2024145143
2025146150
August 2026151163

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £566 in Walsall. Now it is £1,145 and £924: up 51% in Leeds and up 63% in Walsall. Rents have risen faster in Walsall.

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 Walsall

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Walsall Equivalent to rent in Walsall
£30,000 £28,000 £23,500
£40,000 £37,000 £31,500
£50,000 £46,500 £39,500
£60,000 £55,500 £47,500

Moving from Walsall to Leeds

Earning in Walsall Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £32,500 £38,000
£40,000 £43,000 £50,500
£50,000 £54,000 £63,500
£60,000 £64,500 £76,000
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 Walsall figures