Manchester vs Medway: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £24,000 (9%) more in Medway than in Manchester. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Manchester | Medway | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | High | – |
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 Medway (£39,622) is 9% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 9% more (£280,000 against £256,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in Manchester and 7.1× in Medway. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 38% in Medway. Renting is harder in Manchester; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive) to buy in, and Medway is around the middle of 316 areas (150th most expensive). For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Medway is the 108th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £44,000 in Medway to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £35,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Medway would leave you worse 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 | Manchester | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £39,622 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 38% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Medway | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £490,000 | +23% in Medway |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £350,000 | +13% in Medway |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £280,000 | +9% in Medway |
| Flat | £210,000 | £170,000 | -19% in Medway |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Medway | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £1,653 | -12% in Medway |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £1,380 | -8% in Medway |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £1,249 | -11% in Medway |
| Flat | £1,147 | £1,016 | -11% in Medway |
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 | Manchester | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 104 |
| 2007 | 129 | 112 |
| 2008 | 125 | 109 |
| 2009 | 112 | 95 |
| 2010 | 115 | 103 |
| 2011 | 114 | 101 |
| 2012 | 115 | 101 |
| 2013 | 115 | 106 |
| 2014 | 125 | 118 |
| 2015 | 133 | 130 |
| 2016 | 145 | 150 |
| 2017 | 158 | 162 |
| 2018 | 167 | 167 |
| 2019 | 173 | 165 |
| 2020 | 178 | 166 |
| 2021 | 209 | 179 |
| 2022 | 231 | 199 |
| 2023 | 233 | 200 |
| 2024 | 241 | 193 |
| 2025 | 247 | 201 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 203 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £146,349 in Medway. Now it is £251,205 and £296,457: Manchester is up 151% and Medway is up 103%. Prices have risen faster in Manchester, 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 | Manchester | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 7.4 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 6.6 years in Medway. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 7.4 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Manchester 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 | Manchester | Medway |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 105 |
| 2017 | 106 | 112 |
| 2018 | 112 | 115 |
| 2019 | 114 | 119 |
| 2020 | 117 | 122 |
| 2021 | 120 | 125 |
| 2022 | 127 | 130 |
| 2023 | 139 | 138 |
| 2024 | 156 | 152 |
| 2025 | 167 | 167 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 171 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £720 in Medway. Now it is £1,373 and £1,232: up 74% in Manchester and up 71% in Medway.
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 Manchester to Medway
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Medway | Equivalent to rent in Medway |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,000 | £26,500 |
| £40,000 | £44,000 | £35,500 |
| £50,000 | £54,500 | £44,500 |
| £60,000 | £65,500 | £53,500 |
Moving from Medway to Manchester
| Earning in Medway | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,500 | £33,500 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £45,000 |
| £50,000 | £45,500 | £56,000 |
| £60,000 | £55,000 | £67,500 |