Liverpool vs West Lancashire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £0 (0%) more in Liverpool than in West Lancashire. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Liverpool | West Lancashire | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| 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 West Lancashire (£38,102) is 3% higher than in Liverpool (£37,144), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£165,000 against £165,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 4.4× annual pay in Liverpool and 4.3× in West Lancashire. Renting one takes 30% of pay in Liverpool and 26% in West Lancashire. Renting is harder in Liverpool; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Liverpool is the 27th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and West Lancashire is the 98th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Liverpool is the 115th least expensive of 316 areas and West Lancashire is the 38th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Liverpool would need about £40,000 in West Lancashire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £35,500 to be equally placed to rent one. 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 48.6 in West Lancashire, so recorded crime per resident is 61% lower in West Lancashire. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 5.3 per 1,000 in Liverpool against 2.1 in West Lancashire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Liverpool | West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £37,144 | £38,102 |
| House price ÷ pay | 4.4× | 4.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 113% | 115% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 30% | 26% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Liverpool | West Lancashire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £380,000 | £375,000 | -1% in West Lancashire |
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | £235,000 | -2% in West Lancashire |
| Terraced | £165,000 | £165,000 | 0% in West Lancashire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Liverpool | West Lancashire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,225 | £1,148 | -6% in West Lancashire |
| Semi-detached | £1,008 | £833 | -17% in West Lancashire |
| Terraced | £917 | £816 | -11% in West Lancashire |
Crime
Police recorded 124.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in Liverpool and 48.6 in West Lancashire, so recorded crime per resident is 61% lower in West Lancashire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Liverpool | West Lancashire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 124.1 | 48.6 | -61% in West Lancashire |
| Violence against the person | 45.6 | 21.8 | -52% in West Lancashire |
| Sexual offences | 4.1 | 2.5 | -39% in West Lancashire |
| Robbery | 1.6 | 0.6 | -63% in West Lancashire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.1 | 4.6 | -24% in West Lancashire |
| Vehicle offences | 5.3 | 2.1 | -60% in West Lancashire |
| Theft from the person | 1.2 | 0.2 | -87% in West Lancashire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.3 | 5.4 | -48% in West Lancashire |
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 | Liverpool | West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 110 | 107 |
| 2007 | 117 | 118 |
| 2008 | 113 | 113 |
| 2009 | 104 | 108 |
| 2010 | 105 | 111 |
| 2011 | 101 | 112 |
| 2012 | 99 | 108 |
| 2013 | 99 | 108 |
| 2014 | 103 | 110 |
| 2015 | 107 | 112 |
| 2016 | 110 | 120 |
| 2017 | 115 | 123 |
| 2018 | 121 | 127 |
| 2019 | 123 | 128 |
| 2020 | 128 | 129 |
| 2021 | 148 | 137 |
| 2022 | 161 | 148 |
| 2023 | 163 | 156 |
| 2024 | 166 | 163 |
| 2025 | 179 | 166 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 183 | 171 |
In 2005 the average home cost £99,018 in Liverpool and £137,815 in West Lancashire. Now it is £181,637 and £235,697: Liverpool is up 83% and West Lancashire is up 71%. 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.
Show the figures
| Year | Liverpool | West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.9 years of pay | 6.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 4.3 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 4.1 years of pay | 5.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 4.1 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2025 | 4.8 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.9 years of pay in Liverpool and 6.1 years in West Lancashire. In 2025 it was 4.8 years and 6.0 years.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | Liverpool | West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 101 |
| 2017 | 104 | 103 |
| 2018 | 104 | 103 |
| 2019 | 105 | 103 |
| 2020 | 106 | 102 |
| 2021 | 111 | 101 |
| 2022 | 119 | 102 |
| 2023 | 127 | 108 |
| 2024 | 138 | 117 |
| 2025 | 151 | 131 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 140 |
In 2015 the average rent was £567 a month in Liverpool and £573 in West Lancashire. Now it is £913 and £805: up 61% in Liverpool and up 40% in West Lancashire. 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 West Lancashire
| Earning in Liverpool | Equivalent to buy in West Lancashire | Equivalent to rent in West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £26,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £35,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £44,500 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £53,500 |
Moving from West Lancashire to Liverpool
| Earning in West Lancashire | Equivalent to buy in Liverpool | Equivalent to rent in Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £33,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £45,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £56,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £67,500 |