Manchester vs Vale of Glamorgan: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £21,000 (9%) more in Manchester than in Vale of Glamorgan. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Manchester: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 6.1× in Vale of Glamorgan.
At a glance
| Manchester | Vale of Glamorgan | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Vale of Glamorgan (£38,656) is 7% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 8% less (£235,000 against £256,000). Set against local pay, Vale of Glamorgan 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 6.1× in Vale of Glamorgan. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 29% in Vale of Glamorgan. 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 Vale of Glamorgan is around the middle of 316 areas (171st most expensive). For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Vale of Glamorgan is around the middle of 316 areas (189th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £36,500 in Vale of Glamorgan to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £27,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Vale of Glamorgan 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 60.9 in Vale of Glamorgan, so recorded crime per resident is 57% lower in Vale of Glamorgan. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 9.3 per 1,000 in Manchester against 2.4 in Vale of Glamorgan.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £38,656 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 6.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 82% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Vale of Glamorgan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £455,000 | +14% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £287,000 | -7% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £235,000 | -8% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Flat | £210,000 | £167,000 | -20% in Vale of Glamorgan |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Vale of Glamorgan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £1,341 | -29% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £996 | -33% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £946 | -33% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Flat | £1,147 | £806 | -30% in Vale of Glamorgan |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 60.9 in Vale of Glamorgan, so recorded crime per resident is 57% lower in Vale of Glamorgan.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | Vale of Glamorgan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 60.9 | -57% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 23.9 | -54% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.4 | -58% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.5 | -81% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 2.4 | -75% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 3.0 | -62% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.2 | -94% in Vale of Glamorgan |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 5.6 | -44% in Vale of Glamorgan |
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 | Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 106 |
| 2007 | 129 | 113 |
| 2008 | 125 | 110 |
| 2009 | 112 | 103 |
| 2010 | 115 | 108 |
| 2011 | 114 | 107 |
| 2012 | 115 | 110 |
| 2013 | 115 | 110 |
| 2014 | 125 | 117 |
| 2015 | 133 | 122 |
| 2016 | 145 | 126 |
| 2017 | 158 | 131 |
| 2018 | 167 | 139 |
| 2019 | 173 | 143 |
| 2020 | 178 | 147 |
| 2021 | 209 | 158 |
| 2022 | 231 | 179 |
| 2023 | 233 | 182 |
| 2024 | 241 | 182 |
| 2025 | 247 | 187 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 190 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £155,856 in Vale of Glamorgan. Now it is £251,205 and £295,470: Manchester is up 151% and Vale of Glamorgan is up 90%. 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 | Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | – |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | – |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2015 a home cost 5.4 years of pay in Manchester and 6.8 years in Vale of Glamorgan. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 7.5 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 | Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 101 |
| 2017 | 106 | 104 |
| 2018 | 112 | 107 |
| 2019 | 114 | 108 |
| 2020 | 117 | 112 |
| 2021 | 120 | 112 |
| 2022 | 127 | 118 |
| 2023 | 139 | 129 |
| 2024 | 156 | 140 |
| 2025 | 167 | 152 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 158 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £620 in Vale of Glamorgan. Now it is £1,373 and £982: up 74% in Manchester and up 58% in Vale of Glamorgan. 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 Vale of Glamorgan
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Vale of Glamorgan | Equivalent to rent in Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,500 | £20,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £27,000 |
| £50,000 | £46,000 | £33,500 |
| £60,000 | £55,000 | £40,500 |
Moving from Vale of Glamorgan to Manchester
| Earning in Vale of Glamorgan | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £32,500 | £44,500 |
| £40,000 | £43,500 | £59,500 |
| £50,000 | £54,500 | £74,500 |
| £60,000 | £65,500 | £89,000 |