Maidstone vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £115,000 (62%) more in Maidstone than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Maidstone: it takes 7.9× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | – | 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 7% lower than in Maidstone (£38,191), while a typical terraced house costs 38% less (£185,000 against £300,000). 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 7.9× annual pay in Maidstone and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 41% of pay in Maidstone and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Maidstone, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Maidstone is the 72nd most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Maidstone is the 76th most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Maidstone would need about £24,500 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,000 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,191 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.9× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 64% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 41% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £543,983 | £357,000 | -34% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £380,000 | £215,000 | -43% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £300,000 | £185,000 | -38% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £185,000 | £155,000 | -16% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,792 | £1,697 | -5% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £1,447 | £1,263 | -13% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £1,301 | £1,293 | -1% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £1,058 | £993 | -6% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
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 | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 108 |
| 2007 | 114 | 115 |
| 2008 | 110 | 110 |
| 2009 | 99 | 99 |
| 2010 | 107 | 103 |
| 2011 | 104 | 98 |
| 2012 | 106 | 98 |
| 2013 | 108 | 98 |
| 2014 | 119 | 101 |
| 2015 | 130 | 108 |
| 2016 | 143 | 111 |
| 2017 | 150 | 112 |
| 2018 | 157 | 114 |
| 2019 | 153 | 114 |
| 2020 | 152 | 115 |
| 2021 | 158 | 123 |
| 2022 | 175 | 132 |
| 2023 | 177 | 134 |
| 2024 | 173 | 137 |
| 2025 | 177 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 177 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £200,335 in Maidstone and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £354,962 and £204,282: Maidstone is up 77% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in Maidstone, 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 | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.1 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.3 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.8 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.4 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.3 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.1 years of pay in Maidstone and 6.6 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 9.3 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Maidstone 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 | Maidstone | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 104 | 106 |
| 2017 | 109 | 113 |
| 2018 | 113 | 112 |
| 2019 | 115 | 113 |
| 2020 | 116 | 117 |
| 2021 | 118 | 123 |
| 2022 | 123 | 127 |
| 2023 | 131 | 137 |
| 2024 | 144 | 143 |
| 2025 | 155 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £804 a month in Maidstone and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £1,297 and £1,215: up 61% in Maidstone 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 Maidstone to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Maidstone | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £18,500 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £24,500 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £31,000 | £49,500 |
| £60,000 | £37,000 | £59,500 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Maidstone
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Maidstone | Equivalent to rent in Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £48,500 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £65,000 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £81,000 | £50,500 |
| £60,000 | £97,500 | £60,500 |