Manchester vs South Holland: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £100,000 (64%) more in Manchester than in South Holland. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 4.8× in South Holland.
At a glance
| Manchester | South Holland | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 South Holland (£32,336) is 11% lower than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 39% less (£156,000 against £256,000). Set against local pay, South Holland 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 4.8× in South Holland. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 28% in South Holland. 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 South Holland is around the middle of 316 areas (181st most expensive). For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and South Holland is the 101st least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £24,500 in South Holland to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £21,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to South Holland 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 60.5 in South Holland, so recorded crime per resident is 58% lower in South Holland. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.9 per 1,000 in Manchester against 3.3 in South Holland.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | South Holland |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £32,336 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 4.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 104% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 28% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | South Holland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £290,000 | -28% in South Holland |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £185,000 | -40% in South Holland |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £156,000 | -39% in South Holland |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | South Holland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £962 | -49% in South Holland |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £836 | -44% in South Holland |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £756 | -46% in South Holland |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 60.5 in South Holland, so recorded crime per resident is 58% lower in South Holland.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | South Holland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 60.5 | -58% in South Holland |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 27.2 | -48% in South Holland |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.9 | -49% in South Holland |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.4 | -87% in South Holland |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 5.1 | -45% in South Holland |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 3.3 | -58% in South Holland |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.0 | -99% in South Holland |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 6.6 | -34% in South Holland |
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 | South Holland |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 107 |
| 2007 | 129 | 113 |
| 2008 | 125 | 108 |
| 2009 | 112 | 91 |
| 2010 | 115 | 101 |
| 2011 | 114 | 96 |
| 2012 | 115 | 96 |
| 2013 | 115 | 97 |
| 2014 | 125 | 104 |
| 2015 | 133 | 111 |
| 2016 | 145 | 120 |
| 2017 | 158 | 128 |
| 2018 | 167 | 134 |
| 2019 | 173 | 135 |
| 2020 | 178 | 136 |
| 2021 | 209 | 148 |
| 2022 | 231 | 166 |
| 2023 | 233 | 165 |
| 2024 | 241 | 159 |
| 2025 | 247 | 160 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 163 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £138,541 in South Holland. Now it is £251,205 and £225,671: Manchester is up 151% and South Holland is up 63%. 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 | South Holland |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 5.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 6.8 years in South Holland. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 6.9 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 | South Holland |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 103 |
| 2017 | 106 | 107 |
| 2018 | 112 | 111 |
| 2019 | 114 | 113 |
| 2020 | 117 | 114 |
| 2021 | 120 | 118 |
| 2022 | 127 | 124 |
| 2023 | 139 | 127 |
| 2024 | 156 | 134 |
| 2025 | 167 | 142 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £522 in South Holland. Now it is £1,373 and £775: up 74% in Manchester and up 48% in South Holland. 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 South Holland
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in South Holland | Equivalent to rent in South Holland |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £18,500 | £16,000 |
| £40,000 | £24,500 | £21,500 |
| £50,000 | £30,500 | £27,000 |
| £60,000 | £36,500 | £32,500 |
Moving from South Holland to Manchester
| Earning in South Holland | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £49,000 | £56,000 |
| £40,000 | £65,500 | £74,500 |
| £50,000 | £82,000 | £93,000 |
| £60,000 | £98,500 | £111,500 |