Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Wiltshire: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £62,500 (31%) more in Wiltshire than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Wiltshire: it takes 7.0× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Wiltshire, terraced
£265,000
Income typically needed: £53,000
Median full-time pay: £37,811

At a glance

Leeds Wiltshire
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 Wiltshire (£37,811) is 3% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 31% more (£265,000 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 7.0× in Wiltshire. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 34% in Wiltshire. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Wiltshire, 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 Wiltshire is the 117th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Wiltshire is around the middle of 316 areas (140th most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £52,500 in Wiltshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £36,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wiltshire 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 49.3 in Wiltshire, so recorded crime per resident is 57% lower in Wiltshire. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 3.6 in Wiltshire.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Wiltshire
Median full-time pay £36,716 £37,811
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 7.0×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 71%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 34%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Wiltshire Difference
Detached £430,000 £460,000 +7% in Wiltshire
Semi-detached £262,000 £310,000 +18% in Wiltshire
Terraced £202,500 £265,000 +31% in Wiltshire
Flat £150,000 £160,000 +7% in Wiltshire

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Wiltshire Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,496 -1% in Wiltshire
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,191 -3% in Wiltshire
Terraced £1,157 £1,061 -8% in Wiltshire
Flat £905 £852 -6% in Wiltshire

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 49.3 in Wiltshire, so recorded crime per resident is 57% lower in Wiltshire.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Wiltshire Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 49.3 -57% in Wiltshire
Violence against the person 44.9 20.5 -54% in Wiltshire
Sexual offences 4.4 2.7 -38% in Wiltshire
Robbery 2.2 0.2 -90% in Wiltshire
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 3.6 -72% in Wiltshire
Vehicle offences 7.0 2.0 -71% in Wiltshire
Theft from the person 1.3 0.2 -83% in Wiltshire
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 5.5 -35% in Wiltshire

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: 181Wiltshire: 171
House prices in Leeds and Wiltshire since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Wiltshire now 171.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Wiltshire since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Wiltshire now 171.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsWiltshire
2005100100
2006107106
2007114114
2008110110
200998100
2010103108
2011101107
201299108
2013100109
2014106113
2015111121
2016119131
2017125139
2018130143
2019134142
2020139143
2021151152
2022165166
2023168169
2024171166
2025177169
12 months to July 2026181171

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £191,500 in Wiltshire. Now it is £244,464 and £326,742: Leeds is up 81% and Wiltshire is up 71%. 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 payWiltshire: 8.6 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WiltshireLeeds now 6.5, Wiltshire now 8.6 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and WiltshireLeeds now 6.5, Wiltshire now 8.6 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWiltshire
20056.1 years of pay8.3 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay8.1 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay8.6 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay8.8 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay8.6 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 8.3 years in Wiltshire. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 8.6 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151Wiltshire: 149
Rents in Leeds and Wiltshire since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Wiltshire now 149.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Wiltshire since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Wiltshire now 149.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsWiltshire
2015100100
201698104
2017102109
2018104111
2019107110
2020112110
2021114115
2022125121
2023136124
2024145130
2025146140
August 2026151149

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £726 in Wiltshire. Now it is £1,145 and £1,082: up 51% in Leeds and up 49% in Wiltshire.

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 Wiltshire

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Wiltshire Equivalent to rent in Wiltshire
£30,000 £39,500 £27,500
£40,000 £52,500 £36,500
£50,000 £65,500 £46,000
£60,000 £78,500 £55,000

Moving from Wiltshire to Leeds

Earning in Wiltshire Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £23,000 £32,500
£40,000 £30,500 £43,500
£50,000 £38,000 £54,500
£60,000 £46,000 £65,500
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 Wiltshire figures