Manchester vs South Staffordshire: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £26,000 (11%) more in Manchester than in South Staffordshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 5.9× in South Staffordshire.
At a glance
| Manchester | South Staffordshire | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Staffordshire (£38,788) is 7% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 10% less (£230,000 against £256,000). Set against local pay, South Staffordshire 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 5.9× in South Staffordshire. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 29% in South Staffordshire. 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 Staffordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (164th most expensive). For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and South Staffordshire is the 118th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £36,000 in South Staffordshire to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £26,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to South Staffordshire 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 50.8 in South Staffordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 64% lower in South Staffordshire. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 10.0 per 1,000 in Manchester against 4.4 in South Staffordshire.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | South Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £38,788 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 5.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 84% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £420,000 | +5% in South Staffordshire |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £259,975 | -16% in South Staffordshire |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £230,000 | -10% in South Staffordshire |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £1,334 | -29% in South Staffordshire |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £970 | -35% in South Staffordshire |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £938 | -33% in South Staffordshire |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 50.8 in South Staffordshire, so recorded crime per resident is 64% lower in South Staffordshire.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | South Staffordshire | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 50.8 | -64% in South Staffordshire |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 22.7 | -56% in South Staffordshire |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.6 | -54% in South Staffordshire |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.4 | -84% in South Staffordshire |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 4.8 | -48% in South Staffordshire |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 4.1 | -48% in South Staffordshire |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.1 | -99% in South Staffordshire |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 4.4 | -56% in South Staffordshire |
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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 105 |
| 2007 | 129 | 112 |
| 2008 | 125 | 111 |
| 2009 | 112 | 103 |
| 2010 | 115 | 107 |
| 2011 | 114 | 104 |
| 2012 | 115 | 102 |
| 2013 | 115 | 102 |
| 2014 | 125 | 106 |
| 2015 | 133 | 112 |
| 2016 | 145 | 117 |
| 2017 | 158 | 124 |
| 2018 | 167 | 129 |
| 2019 | 173 | 131 |
| 2020 | 178 | 137 |
| 2021 | 209 | 150 |
| 2022 | 231 | 164 |
| 2023 | 233 | 166 |
| 2024 | 241 | 168 |
| 2025 | 247 | 178 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 182 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £167,700 in South Staffordshire. Now it is £251,205 and £305,952: Manchester is up 151% and South Staffordshire is up 82%. 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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 6.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 7.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 6.9 years in South Staffordshire. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 7.7 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 Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 103 |
| 2017 | 106 | 105 |
| 2018 | 112 | 108 |
| 2019 | 114 | 111 |
| 2020 | 117 | 112 |
| 2021 | 120 | 117 |
| 2022 | 127 | 122 |
| 2023 | 139 | 126 |
| 2024 | 156 | 138 |
| 2025 | 167 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 155 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £617 in South Staffordshire. Now it is £1,373 and £958: up 74% in Manchester and up 55% in South Staffordshire. 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 Staffordshire
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in South Staffordshire | Equivalent to rent in South Staffordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,000 | £20,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,000 | £26,500 |
| £50,000 | £45,000 | £33,500 |
| £60,000 | £54,000 | £40,000 |
Moving from South Staffordshire to Manchester
| Earning in South Staffordshire | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,500 | £45,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,500 | £60,000 |
| £50,000 | £55,500 | £75,000 |
| £60,000 | £67,000 | £90,000 |