Leeds vs West Lindsey: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £60,000 (42%) more in Leeds than in West Lindsey. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Leeds: it takes 5.5× median annual pay, against 3.7× in West Lindsey.
At a glance
| Leeds | West Lindsey | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | 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 West Lindsey (£38,377) is 5% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 30% less (£142,500 against £202,500). Set against local pay, West Lindsey 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 3.7× in West Lindsey. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 23% in West Lindsey. 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 West Lindsey is the 63rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and West Lindsey is the 18th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £28,000 in West Lindsey to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £25,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to West Lindsey 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 62.0 in West Lindsey, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in West Lindsey. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 2.4 in West Lindsey.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Leeds | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,716 | £38,377 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.5× | 3.7× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 91% | 135% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Leeds | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £430,000 | £315,000 | -27% in West Lindsey |
| Semi-detached | £262,000 | £192,500 | -27% in West Lindsey |
| Terraced | £202,500 | £142,500 | -30% in West Lindsey |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Leeds | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,507 | £967 | -36% in West Lindsey |
| Semi-detached | £1,226 | £781 | -36% in West Lindsey |
| Terraced | £1,157 | £727 | -37% in West Lindsey |
Crime
Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 62.0 in West Lindsey, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in West Lindsey.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Leeds | West Lindsey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 114.6 | 62.0 | -46% in West Lindsey |
| Violence against the person | 44.9 | 25.5 | -43% in West Lindsey |
| Sexual offences | 4.4 | 3.5 | -21% in West Lindsey |
| Robbery | 2.2 | 0.6 | -75% in West Lindsey |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 13.0 | 5.7 | -56% in West Lindsey |
| Vehicle offences | 7.0 | 2.4 | -65% in West Lindsey |
| Theft from the person | 1.3 | 0.0 | -97% in West Lindsey |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.5 | 7.8 | -8% in West Lindsey |
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.
Show the figures
| Year | Leeds | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 107 | 104 |
| 2007 | 114 | 112 |
| 2008 | 110 | 109 |
| 2009 | 98 | 100 |
| 2010 | 103 | 106 |
| 2011 | 101 | 101 |
| 2012 | 99 | 100 |
| 2013 | 100 | 101 |
| 2014 | 106 | 106 |
| 2015 | 111 | 109 |
| 2016 | 119 | 113 |
| 2017 | 125 | 121 |
| 2018 | 130 | 125 |
| 2019 | 134 | 126 |
| 2020 | 139 | 130 |
| 2021 | 151 | 144 |
| 2022 | 165 | 159 |
| 2023 | 168 | 158 |
| 2024 | 171 | 157 |
| 2025 | 177 | 159 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 181 | 164 |
In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £128,893 in West Lindsey. Now it is £244,464 and £210,752: Leeds is up 81% and West Lindsey is up 64%. 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.
Show the figures
| Year | Leeds | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.1 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.7 years of pay | 5.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.7 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.2 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 5.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 6.4 years in West Lindsey. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 5.3 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.
Show the figures
| Year | Leeds | West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 98 | 103 |
| 2017 | 102 | 105 |
| 2018 | 104 | 108 |
| 2019 | 107 | 110 |
| 2020 | 112 | 113 |
| 2021 | 114 | 118 |
| 2022 | 125 | 124 |
| 2023 | 136 | 130 |
| 2024 | 145 | 135 |
| 2025 | 146 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 151 | 161 |
In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £461 in West Lindsey. Now it is £1,145 and £741: up 51% in Leeds and up 61% in West Lindsey. Rents have risen faster in West Lindsey.
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 West Lindsey
| Earning in Leeds | Equivalent to buy in West Lindsey | Equivalent to rent in West Lindsey |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £21,000 | £19,000 |
| £40,000 | £28,000 | £25,000 |
| £50,000 | £35,000 | £31,500 |
| £60,000 | £42,000 | £37,500 |
Moving from West Lindsey to Leeds
| Earning in West Lindsey | Equivalent to buy in Leeds | Equivalent to rent in Leeds |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £42,500 | £47,500 |
| £40,000 | £57,000 | £63,500 |
| £50,000 | £71,000 | £79,500 |
| £60,000 | £85,500 | £95,500 |