Maidstone vs Test Valley: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £5,000 (2%) more in Maidstone than in Test Valley. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Maidstone: it takes 7.9× median annual pay, against 7.3× in Test Valley.
At a glance
| Maidstone | Test Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | – | 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 Test Valley (£40,576) is 6% higher than in Maidstone (£38,191), while a typical terraced house costs 2% less (£295,000 against £300,000). Set against local pay, Test Valley 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 7.3× in Test Valley. Renting one takes 41% of pay in Maidstone and 37% in Test Valley. Both are harder in Maidstone, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Maidstone is the 72nd most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Test Valley is the 96th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Maidstone is the 76th most expensive of 316 areas and Test Valley is the 115th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Maidstone would need about £39,500 in Test Valley to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £38,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Test Valley 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 | Test Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,191 | £40,576 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.9× | 7.3× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 64% | 69% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 41% | 37% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Maidstone | Test Valley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £543,983 | £564,500 | +4% in Test Valley |
| Semi-detached | £380,000 | £355,000 | -7% in Test Valley |
| Terraced | £300,000 | £295,000 | -2% in Test Valley |
| Flat | £185,000 | £190,000 | +3% in Test Valley |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Maidstone | Test Valley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,792 | £1,739 | -3% in Test Valley |
| Semi-detached | £1,447 | £1,369 | -5% in Test Valley |
| Terraced | £1,301 | £1,257 | -3% in Test Valley |
| Flat | £1,058 | £985 | -7% in Test Valley |
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 | Test Valley |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 105 |
| 2007 | 114 | 117 |
| 2008 | 110 | 114 |
| 2009 | 99 | 102 |
| 2010 | 107 | 113 |
| 2011 | 104 | 111 |
| 2012 | 106 | 111 |
| 2013 | 108 | 113 |
| 2014 | 119 | 121 |
| 2015 | 130 | 132 |
| 2016 | 143 | 141 |
| 2017 | 150 | 151 |
| 2018 | 157 | 154 |
| 2019 | 153 | 154 |
| 2020 | 152 | 159 |
| 2021 | 158 | 166 |
| 2022 | 175 | 185 |
| 2023 | 177 | 190 |
| 2024 | 173 | 184 |
| 2025 | 177 | 186 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 177 | 185 |
In 2005 the average home cost £200,335 in Maidstone and £201,013 in Test Valley. Now it is £354,962 and £372,261: Maidstone is up 77% and Test Valley is up 85%. Prices have risen faster in Test Valley, 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 | Test Valley |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.1 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.3 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.8 years of pay | 8.5 years of pay |
| 2020 | 9.4 years of pay | 9.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.3 years of pay | 9.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.1 years of pay in Maidstone and 7.9 years in Test Valley. In 2025 it was 9.3 years and 9.2 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 | Maidstone | Test Valley |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 104 | 104 |
| 2017 | 109 | 107 |
| 2018 | 113 | 109 |
| 2019 | 115 | 110 |
| 2020 | 116 | 112 |
| 2021 | 118 | 116 |
| 2022 | 123 | 121 |
| 2023 | 131 | 126 |
| 2024 | 144 | 133 |
| 2025 | 155 | 139 |
| August 2026 | 161 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £804 a month in Maidstone and £832 in Test Valley. Now it is £1,297 and £1,235: up 61% in Maidstone and up 48% in Test Valley. Rents have risen faster in Maidstone.
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 Test Valley
| Earning in Maidstone | Equivalent to buy in Test Valley | Equivalent to rent in Test Valley |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £29,000 |
| £40,000 | £39,500 | £38,500 |
| £50,000 | £49,000 | £48,500 |
| £60,000 | £59,000 | £58,000 |
Moving from Test Valley to Maidstone
| Earning in Test Valley | Equivalent to buy in Maidstone | Equivalent to rent in Maidstone |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £31,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,500 | £41,500 |
| £50,000 | £51,000 | £52,000 |
| £60,000 | £61,000 | £62,000 |