Luton vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £92,500 (50%) more in Luton than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Luton: it takes 8.0× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | About average | Above 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 Newcastle upon Tyne (£35,446) is 2% higher than in Luton (£34,732), while a typical terraced house costs 33% less (£185,000 against £277,500). Set against local pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 8.0× annual pay in Luton and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 42% of pay in Luton and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Buying is harder in Luton; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Luton is the 80th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Luton is the 65th most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Luton would need about £26,500 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £42,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Newcastle upon Tyne 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 82.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Luton and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 31% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 6.3 per 1,000 in Luton against 10.3 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £34,732 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.0× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 63% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 42% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £435,000 | £357,000 | -18% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £338,000 | £215,000 | -36% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £277,500 | £185,000 | -33% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £160,000 | £155,000 | -3% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,604 | £1,697 | +6% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £1,329 | £1,263 | -5% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £1,217 | £1,293 | +6% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £976 | £993 | +2% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Crime
Police recorded 82.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in Luton and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 31% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 82.2 | 107.4 | +31% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Violence against the person | 30.4 | 36.6 | +21% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Sexual offences | 3.3 | 4.5 | +38% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Robbery | 1.5 | 2.3 | +48% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.7 | 9.0 | +58% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Vehicle offences | 7.1 | 5.9 | -16% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Theft from the person | 1.0 | 1.4 | +41% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.3 | 10.3 | +65% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
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 | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 108 |
| 2007 | 113 | 115 |
| 2008 | 111 | 110 |
| 2009 | 96 | 99 |
| 2010 | 103 | 103 |
| 2011 | 100 | 98 |
| 2012 | 103 | 98 |
| 2013 | 105 | 98 |
| 2014 | 113 | 101 |
| 2015 | 129 | 108 |
| 2016 | 152 | 111 |
| 2017 | 166 | 112 |
| 2018 | 168 | 114 |
| 2019 | 164 | 114 |
| 2020 | 162 | 115 |
| 2021 | 174 | 123 |
| 2022 | 192 | 132 |
| 2023 | 191 | 134 |
| 2024 | 189 | 137 |
| 2025 | 195 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 195 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £145,768 in Luton and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £284,756 and £204,282: Luton is up 95% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in Luton, 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 | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.2 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 7.1 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.0 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.2 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Luton and 6.6 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 8.2 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Luton 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 | Luton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 107 | 106 |
| 2017 | 114 | 113 |
| 2018 | 116 | 112 |
| 2019 | 117 | 113 |
| 2020 | 118 | 117 |
| 2021 | 120 | 123 |
| 2022 | 125 | 127 |
| 2023 | 132 | 137 |
| 2024 | 145 | 143 |
| 2025 | 157 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 162 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £754 a month in Luton and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £1,222 and £1,215: up 62% in Luton and up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Rents have risen faster in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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 Luton to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Luton | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £20,000 | £32,000 |
| £40,000 | £26,500 | £42,500 |
| £50,000 | £33,500 | £53,000 |
| £60,000 | £40,000 | £63,500 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Luton
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Luton | Equivalent to rent in Luton |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £45,000 | £28,000 |
| £40,000 | £60,000 | £37,500 |
| £50,000 | £75,000 | £47,000 |
| £60,000 | £90,000 | £56,500 |