Manchester vs Merthyr Tydfil: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £131,500 (106%) more in Manchester than in Merthyr Tydfil. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 3.5× in Merthyr Tydfil.
At a glance
| Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | High | About 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 Merthyr Tydfil (£35,152) is 3% lower than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 51% less (£124,500 against £256,000). Set against local pay, Merthyr Tydfil is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in Manchester and 3.5× in Merthyr Tydfil. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 23% in Merthyr Tydfil. Both are harder in Manchester, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive) to buy in, and Merthyr Tydfil is the 3rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Merthyr Tydfil is the 44th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £19,500 in Merthyr Tydfil to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £19,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Merthyr Tydfil 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 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 76.5 in Merthyr Tydfil, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in Merthyr Tydfil. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 9.3 per 1,000 in Manchester against 3.4 in Merthyr Tydfil.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £35,152 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 3.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 141% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £183,000 | -41% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £124,500 | -51% in Merthyr Tydfil |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £765 | -49% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £684 | -51% in Merthyr Tydfil |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 76.5 in Merthyr Tydfil, so recorded crime per resident is 46% lower in Merthyr Tydfil.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 76.5 | -46% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 34.0 | -35% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 3.5 | -37% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.4 | -85% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 3.4 | -64% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 3.6 | -55% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.3 | -92% in Merthyr Tydfil |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 7.1 | -29% in Merthyr Tydfil |
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 | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 113 |
| 2007 | 129 | 124 |
| 2008 | 125 | 116 |
| 2009 | 112 | 106 |
| 2010 | 115 | 107 |
| 2011 | 114 | 105 |
| 2012 | 115 | 105 |
| 2013 | 115 | 103 |
| 2014 | 125 | 107 |
| 2015 | 133 | 112 |
| 2016 | 145 | 115 |
| 2017 | 158 | 120 |
| 2018 | 167 | 125 |
| 2019 | 173 | 133 |
| 2020 | 178 | 136 |
| 2021 | 209 | 158 |
| 2022 | 231 | 181 |
| 2023 | 233 | 187 |
| 2024 | 241 | 187 |
| 2025 | 247 | 190 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 192 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £77,602 in Merthyr Tydfil. Now it is £251,205 and £149,087: Manchester is up 151% and Merthyr Tydfil is up 92%. Prices have risen faster in Manchester, 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 | Manchester | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 4.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 3.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 4.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 4.2 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 4.1 years in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 4.2 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 | Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 101 |
| 2017 | 106 | 102 |
| 2018 | 112 | 105 |
| 2019 | 114 | 108 |
| 2020 | 117 | 112 |
| 2021 | 120 | 115 |
| 2022 | 127 | 127 |
| 2023 | 139 | 137 |
| 2024 | 156 | 149 |
| 2025 | 167 | 166 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 166 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £453 in Merthyr Tydfil. Now it is £1,373 and £754: up 74% in Manchester and up 66% in Merthyr Tydfil. Rents have risen faster in Manchester.
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 Merthyr Tydfil
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Merthyr Tydfil | Equivalent to rent in Merthyr Tydfil |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £14,500 | £14,500 |
| £40,000 | £19,500 | £19,500 |
| £50,000 | £24,500 | £24,500 |
| £60,000 | £29,000 | £29,000 |
Moving from Merthyr Tydfil to Manchester
| Earning in Merthyr Tydfil | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £61,500 | £61,500 |
| £40,000 | £82,000 | £82,000 |
| £50,000 | £103,000 | £102,500 |
| £60,000 | £123,500 | £123,000 |