Pay vs Place

Liverpool vs North Lincolnshire: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £41,500 (34%) more in Liverpool than in North Lincolnshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Liverpool: it takes 4.4× median annual pay, against 3.6× in North Lincolnshire.

Liverpool, terraced
£165,000
Income typically needed: £33,000
Median full-time pay: £37,144
North Lincolnshire, terraced
£123,500
Income typically needed: £24,500
Median full-time pay: £34,738

At a glance

Liverpool North Lincolnshire
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Fairly affordable 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 North Lincolnshire (£34,738) is 6% lower than in Liverpool (£37,144), while a typical terraced house costs 25% less (£123,500 against £165,000). Set against local pay, North Lincolnshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 4.4× annual pay in Liverpool and 3.6× in North Lincolnshire. Renting one takes 30% of pay in Liverpool and 23% in North Lincolnshire. Both are harder in Liverpool, and the gap is wider for renting.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Liverpool is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and North Lincolnshire is the 25th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Liverpool is the 115th least expensive of 316 areas and North Lincolnshire is the 9th least expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Liverpool would need about £30,000 in North Lincolnshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £28,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to North Lincolnshire 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 124.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Liverpool and 77.7 in North Lincolnshire, so recorded crime per resident is 37% lower in North Lincolnshire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 5.3 per 1,000 in Liverpool against 3.1 in North Lincolnshire.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Liverpool North Lincolnshire
Median full-time pay £37,144 £34,738
House price ÷ pay 4.4× 3.6×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 113% 141%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 30% 23%

Buying, by property type

Type Liverpool North Lincolnshire Difference
Detached £380,000 £270,000 -29% in North Lincolnshire
Semi-detached £240,000 £160,000 -33% in North Lincolnshire
Terraced £165,000 £123,500 -25% in North Lincolnshire

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Liverpool North Lincolnshire Difference
Detached £1,225 £878 -28% in North Lincolnshire
Semi-detached £1,008 £702 -30% in North Lincolnshire
Terraced £917 £656 -28% in North Lincolnshire

Crime

Police recorded 124.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Liverpool and 77.7 in North Lincolnshire, so recorded crime per resident is 37% lower in North Lincolnshire.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Liverpool North Lincolnshire Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 124.1 77.7 -37% in North Lincolnshire
Violence against the person 45.6 31.5 -31% in North Lincolnshire
Sexual offences 4.1 3.1 -25% in North Lincolnshire
Robbery 1.6 1.0 -40% in North Lincolnshire
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 6.1 7.1 +18% in North Lincolnshire
Vehicle offences 5.3 3.1 -41% in North Lincolnshire
Theft from the person 1.2 0.2 -86% in North Lincolnshire
Criminal damage and arson 10.3 7.5 -27% in North Lincolnshire

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.

Liverpool: 183North Lincolnshire: 159
House prices in Liverpool and North Lincolnshire since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Liverpool now 183, North Lincolnshire now 159.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Liverpool and North Lincolnshire since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Liverpool now 183, North Lincolnshire now 159.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLiverpoolNorth Lincolnshire
2005100100
2006110104
2007117110
2008113109
2009104100
2010105104
201110199
20129997
20139997
2014103101
2015107105
2016110109
2017115115
2018121120
2019123123
2020128127
2021148139
2022161150
2023163153
2024166152
2025179155
12 months to July 2026183159

In 2005 the average home cost £99,018 in Liverpool and £112,542 in North Lincolnshire. Now it is £181,637 and £178,883: Liverpool is up 83% and North Lincolnshire is up 59%. Prices have risen faster in Liverpool, 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.

Liverpool: 4.8 years of payNorth Lincolnshire: 5.0 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Liverpool and North LincolnshireLiverpool now 4.8, North Lincolnshire now 5.0 years of pay.0×2×4×6×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Liverpool and North LincolnshireLiverpool now 4.8, North Lincolnshire now 5.0 years of pay.0×2×4×6×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLiverpoolNorth Lincolnshire
20054.9 years of pay4.4 years of pay
20104.3 years of pay4.6 years of pay
20154.1 years of pay4.2 years of pay
20204.1 years of pay4.9 years of pay
20254.8 years of pay5.0 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 4.9 years of pay in Liverpool and 4.4 years in North Lincolnshire. In 2025 it was 4.8 years and 5.0 years.

Affordability has worsened more in North Lincolnshire over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

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

Liverpool: 161North Lincolnshire: 144
Rents in Liverpool and North Lincolnshire since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Liverpool now 161, North Lincolnshire now 144.100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Liverpool and North Lincolnshire since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Liverpool now 161, North Lincolnshire now 144.100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLiverpoolNorth Lincolnshire
2015100100
2016103102
2017104104
2018104105
2019105106
2020106108
2021111110
2022119115
2023127121
2024138127
2025151135
August 2026161144

In 2015 the average rent was £567 a month in Liverpool and £453 in North Lincolnshire. Now it is £913 and £653: up 61% in Liverpool and up 44% in North Lincolnshire. Rents have risen faster in Liverpool.

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 Liverpool to North Lincolnshire

Earning in Liverpool Equivalent to buy in North Lincolnshire Equivalent to rent in North Lincolnshire
£30,000 £22,500 £21,500
£40,000 £30,000 £28,500
£50,000 £37,500 £36,000
£60,000 £45,000 £43,000

Moving from North Lincolnshire to Liverpool

Earning in North Lincolnshire Equivalent to buy in Liverpool Equivalent to rent in Liverpool
£30,000 £40,000 £42,000
£40,000 £53,500 £56,000
£50,000 £67,000 £70,000
£60,000 £80,000 £84,000
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 Liverpool figures · All North Lincolnshire figures