Pay vs Place

Leeds vs York: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £72,500 (36%) more in York than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in York: 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
York, terraced
£275,000
Income typically needed: £55,000
Median full-time pay: £40,496

At a glance

Leeds York
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
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 York (£40,496) is 10% higher than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 36% more (£275,000 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 York. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 35% in York. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in York, 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 York is around the middle of 316 areas (170th most expensive). For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and York is the 126th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £54,500 in York to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £41,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to York 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 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 43% lower in York. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 4.1 in York.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds York
Median full-time pay £36,716 £40,496
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 York Difference
Detached £430,000 £435,000 +1% in York
Semi-detached £262,000 £304,500 +16% in York
Terraced £202,500 £275,000 +36% in York
Flat £150,000 £192,000 +28% in York

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds York Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,561 +4% in York
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,287 +5% in York
Terraced £1,157 £1,191 +3% in York
Flat £905 £1,010 +12% in York

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 43% lower in York.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds York Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 65.7 -43% in York
Violence against the person 44.9 24.3 -46% in York
Sexual offences 4.4 3.0 -31% in York
Robbery 2.2 0.9 -57% in York
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 4.1 -68% in York
Vehicle offences 7.0 2.4 -66% in York
Theft from the person 1.3 0.4 -69% in York
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 6.5 -23% in York

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: 181York: 183
House prices in Leeds and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, York now 183.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, York now 183.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsYork
2005100100
2006107105
2007114115
2008110109
200998101
2010103107
2011101107
201299109
2013100111
2014106119
2015111127
2016119135
2017125141
2018130144
2019134148
2020139151
2021151165
2022165180
2023168182
2024171184
2025177181
12 months to July 2026181183

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £168,002 in York. Now it is £244,464 and £307,747: Leeds is up 81% and York is up 83%.

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 payYork: 7.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and YorkLeeds now 6.5, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and YorkLeeds now 6.5, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsYork
20056.1 years of pay7.0 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay7.3 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay7.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 7.0 years in York. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 7.5 years.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Leeds: 151York: 153
Rents in Leeds and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, York now 153.80100120140160201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, York now 153.80100120140160201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsYork
2015100100
201698104
2017102106
2018104108
2019107112
2020112110
2021114113
2022125117
2023136126
2024145139
2025146143
August 2026151153

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £786 in York. Now it is £1,145 and £1,199: up 51% in Leeds and up 53% in York.

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 York

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in York Equivalent to rent in York
£30,000 £40,500 £31,000
£40,000 £54,500 £41,000
£50,000 £68,000 £51,500
£60,000 £81,500 £62,000

Moving from York to Leeds

Earning in York Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £22,000 £29,000
£40,000 £29,500 £39,000
£50,000 £37,000 £48,500
£60,000 £44,000 £58,500
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 York figures