Manchester vs Staffordshire Moorlands: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £100,000 (64%) more in Manchester than in Staffordshire Moorlands. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 4.1× in Staffordshire Moorlands.
At a glance
| Manchester | Staffordshire Moorlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | 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 Staffordshire Moorlands (£38,228) is 5% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 39% less (£156,000 against £256,000). Set against local pay, Staffordshire Moorlands 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 4.1× in Staffordshire Moorlands. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 22% in Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Staffordshire Moorlands is the 61st least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Staffordshire Moorlands is the 14th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £24,500 in Staffordshire Moorlands 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 Staffordshire Moorlands 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 55.5 in Staffordshire Moorlands, so recorded crime per resident is 61% lower in Staffordshire Moorlands. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.9 per 1,000 in Manchester against 2.1 in Staffordshire Moorlands.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | Staffordshire Moorlands |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £38,228 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 4.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 123% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 22% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Staffordshire Moorlands | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £337,750 | -16% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £211,500 | -32% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £156,000 | -39% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Staffordshire Moorlands | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £963 | -49% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £810 | -46% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £690 | -51% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 55.5 in Staffordshire Moorlands, so recorded crime per resident is 61% lower in Staffordshire Moorlands.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | Staffordshire Moorlands | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 55.5 | -61% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 26.3 | -49% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.6 | -53% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.4 | -85% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 4.4 | -52% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 2.1 | -74% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.1 | -98% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 5.0 | -50% in Staffordshire Moorlands |
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 | Staffordshire Moorlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 108 |
| 2007 | 129 | 114 |
| 2008 | 125 | 110 |
| 2009 | 112 | 101 |
| 2010 | 115 | 105 |
| 2011 | 114 | 104 |
| 2012 | 115 | 102 |
| 2013 | 115 | 103 |
| 2014 | 125 | 107 |
| 2015 | 133 | 112 |
| 2016 | 145 | 116 |
| 2017 | 158 | 124 |
| 2018 | 167 | 127 |
| 2019 | 173 | 133 |
| 2020 | 178 | 138 |
| 2021 | 209 | 149 |
| 2022 | 231 | 161 |
| 2023 | 233 | 161 |
| 2024 | 241 | 164 |
| 2025 | 247 | 168 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 174 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £128,257 in Staffordshire Moorlands. Now it is £251,205 and £223,279: Manchester is up 151% and Staffordshire Moorlands is up 74%. 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 | Staffordshire Moorlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 5.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 5.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | – |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 5.6 years in Staffordshire Moorlands. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 5.6 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 | Staffordshire Moorlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 102 |
| 2017 | 106 | 104 |
| 2018 | 112 | 107 |
| 2019 | 114 | 109 |
| 2020 | 117 | 111 |
| 2021 | 120 | 116 |
| 2022 | 127 | 126 |
| 2023 | 139 | 126 |
| 2024 | 156 | 133 |
| 2025 | 167 | 144 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 156 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £468 in Staffordshire Moorlands. Now it is £1,373 and £728: up 74% in Manchester and up 56% in Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Staffordshire Moorlands
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Staffordshire Moorlands | Equivalent to rent in Staffordshire Moorlands |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £18,500 | £14,500 |
| £40,000 | £24,500 | £19,500 |
| £50,000 | £30,500 | £24,500 |
| £60,000 | £36,500 | £29,500 |
Moving from Staffordshire Moorlands to Manchester
| Earning in Staffordshire Moorlands | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £49,000 | £61,000 |
| £40,000 | £65,500 | £81,500 |
| £50,000 | £82,000 | £102,000 |
| £60,000 | £98,500 | £122,000 |
All Manchester figures · All Staffordshire Moorlands figures