Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Wealden: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £92,500 (46%) more in Wealden than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Wealden: it takes 6.8× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Wealden, terraced
£295,000
Income typically needed: £59,000
Median full-time pay: £43,589

At a glance

Leeds Wealden
Buying a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Renting a home Expensive 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 Wealden (£43,589) is 19% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 46% more (£295,000 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 6.8× in Wealden. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 35% in Wealden. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Wealden, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Leeds.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Wealden is the 112th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Wealden is around the middle of 316 areas (134th most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £58,500 in Wealden to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £43,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wealden 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 41.0 in Wealden, so recorded crime per resident is 64% lower in Wealden. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 1.6 in Wealden.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Wealden
Median full-time pay £36,716 £43,589
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 6.8×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 74%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 35%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Wealden Difference
Detached £430,000 £520,000 +21% in Wealden
Semi-detached £262,000 £350,000 +34% in Wealden
Terraced £202,500 £295,000 +46% in Wealden
Flat £150,000 £184,500 +23% in Wealden

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Wealden Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,847 +23% in Wealden
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,372 +12% in Wealden
Terraced £1,157 £1,260 +9% in Wealden
Flat £905 £993 +10% in Wealden

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 41.0 in Wealden, so recorded crime per resident is 64% lower in Wealden.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Wealden Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 41.0 -64% in Wealden
Violence against the person 44.9 16.4 -63% in Wealden
Sexual offences 4.4 2.1 -52% in Wealden
Robbery 2.2 0.3 -89% in Wealden
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 3.3 -74% in Wealden
Vehicle offences 7.0 1.6 -77% in Wealden
Theft from the person 1.3 0.1 -93% in Wealden
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 4.2 -50% in Wealden

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: 181Wealden: 174
House prices in Leeds and Wealden since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Wealden now 174.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Wealden since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Wealden now 174.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsWealden
2005100100
2006107104
2007114113
2008110114
200998103
2010103109
2011101107
201299109
2013100113
2014106119
2015111129
2016119141
2017125147
2018130151
2019134152
2020139154
2021151164
2022165180
2023168179
2024171177
2025177175
12 months to July 2026181174

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £223,962 in Wealden. Now it is £244,464 and £389,536: Leeds is up 81% and Wealden is up 74%. Prices have risen faster in Leeds, so the gap between the two has narrowed.

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 payWealden: 9.0 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WealdenLeeds now 6.5, Wealden now 9.0 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WealdenLeeds now 6.5, Wealden now 9.0 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWealden
20056.1 years of pay9.5 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay8.0 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay9.5 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay9.9 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay9.0 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 9.5 years in Wealden. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 9.0 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Leeds over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Wealden: 147
Rents in Leeds and Wealden since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Wealden now 147.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Wealden since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Wealden now 147.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWealden
2015100100
201698102
2017102105
2018104109
2019107110
2020112113
2021114120
2022125127
2023136134
2024145141
2025146144
August 2026151147

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £860 in Wealden. Now it is £1,145 and £1,262: up 51% in Leeds and up 47% in Wealden.

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 Wealden

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Wealden Equivalent to rent in Wealden
£30,000 £43,500 £32,500
£40,000 £58,500 £43,500
£50,000 £73,000 £54,500
£60,000 £87,500 £65,500

Moving from Wealden to Leeds

Earning in Wealden Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £20,500 £27,500
£40,000 £27,500 £36,500
£50,000 £34,500 £46,000
£60,000 £41,000 £55,000
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 Wealden figures