Manchester vs Oadby and Wigston: buying or renting a home
A typical semi-detached house costs £45,000 (17%) more in Manchester than in Oadby and Wigston. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 8.5× median annual pay, against 6.5× in Oadby and Wigston.
At a glance
| Manchester | Oadby and Wigston | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | High | 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 Oadby and Wigston (£40,617) is 12% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical semi-detached house costs 15% less (£265,000 against £310,000). Set against local pay, Oadby and Wigston is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a semi-detached house takes 8.5× annual pay in Manchester and 6.5× in Oadby and Wigston. Renting one takes 49% of pay in Manchester and 33% in Oadby and Wigston. Both are harder in Manchester, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive) to buy in, and Oadby and Wigston is the 117th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Oadby and Wigston is the 125th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £34,000 in Oadby and Wigston to be equally placed to buy a semi-detached house, and about £29,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Oadby and Wigston 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 53.6 in Oadby and Wigston, so recorded crime per resident is 62% lower in Oadby and Wigston. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.9 per 1,000 in Manchester against 2.5 in Oadby and Wigston.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Semi-detached house | Manchester | Oadby and Wigston |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £40,617 |
| House price ÷ pay | 8.5× | 6.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 59% | 77% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 49% | 33% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Oadby and Wigston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £380,000 | -5% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £265,000 | -15% in Oadby and Wigston |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Oadby and Wigston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £1,416 | -25% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £1,106 | -26% in Oadby and Wigston |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 53.6 in Oadby and Wigston, so recorded crime per resident is 62% lower in Oadby and Wigston.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | Oadby and Wigston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 53.6 | -62% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 21.2 | -59% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.6 | -55% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.3 | -89% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 6.5 | -30% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 2.5 | -69% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.2 | -95% in Oadby and Wigston |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 4.6 | -54% in Oadby and Wigston |
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 | Oadby and Wigston |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 104 |
| 2007 | 129 | 109 |
| 2008 | 125 | 104 |
| 2009 | 112 | 92 |
| 2010 | 115 | 100 |
| 2011 | 114 | 101 |
| 2012 | 115 | 101 |
| 2013 | 115 | 100 |
| 2014 | 125 | 107 |
| 2015 | 133 | 112 |
| 2016 | 145 | 120 |
| 2017 | 158 | 129 |
| 2018 | 167 | 138 |
| 2019 | 173 | 141 |
| 2020 | 178 | 146 |
| 2021 | 209 | 153 |
| 2022 | 231 | 169 |
| 2023 | 233 | 171 |
| 2024 | 241 | 170 |
| 2025 | 247 | 174 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 173 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £152,899 in Oadby and Wigston. Now it is £251,205 and £263,795: Manchester is up 151% and Oadby and Wigston is up 73%. 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 | Oadby and Wigston |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 7.1 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 8.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 7.1 years in Oadby and Wigston. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 6.5 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 | Oadby and Wigston |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 103 |
| 2017 | 106 | 109 |
| 2018 | 112 | 112 |
| 2019 | 114 | 114 |
| 2020 | 117 | 117 |
| 2021 | 120 | 121 |
| 2022 | 127 | 127 |
| 2023 | 139 | 135 |
| 2024 | 156 | 148 |
| 2025 | 167 | 162 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 168 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £608 in Oadby and Wigston. Now it is £1,373 and £1,024: up 74% in Manchester and up 68% in Oadby and Wigston. Rents have risen faster in Manchester.
What your salary is worth in each area
Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (semi-detached), going by median prices and average rents.
Moving from Manchester to Oadby and Wigston
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Oadby and Wigston | Equivalent to rent in Oadby and Wigston |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,500 | £22,000 |
| £40,000 | £34,000 | £29,500 |
| £50,000 | £42,500 | £37,000 |
| £60,000 | £51,500 | £44,500 |
Moving from Oadby and Wigston to Manchester
| Earning in Oadby and Wigston | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £35,000 | £40,500 |
| £40,000 | £47,000 | £54,000 |
| £50,000 | £58,500 | £67,500 |
| £60,000 | £70,000 | £81,000 |