Manchester vs Windsor and Maidenhead: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £219,000 (86%) more in Windsor and Maidenhead than in Manchester. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Windsor and Maidenhead: it takes 10.0× median annual pay, against 7.1× in Manchester.
At a glance
| Manchester | Windsor and Maidenhead | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| 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 Windsor and Maidenhead (£47,387) is 31% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 86% more (£475,000 against £256,000). Set against local pay, Manchester 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 10.0× in Windsor and Maidenhead. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 46% in Windsor and Maidenhead. Buying is harder in Windsor and Maidenhead; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Manchester is around the middle of 316 areas (188th most expensive) to buy in, and Windsor and Maidenhead is the 28th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and Windsor and Maidenhead is the 43rd most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £74,000 in Windsor and Maidenhead to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £52,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Windsor and Maidenhead would leave you worse 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 57.1 in Windsor and Maidenhead, so recorded crime per resident is 60% lower in Windsor and Maidenhead. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 5.6 per 1,000 in Manchester against 2.0 in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Manchester | Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,278 | £47,387 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 10.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 50% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 46% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Manchester | Windsor and Maidenhead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | £880,000 | +120% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Semi-detached | £310,000 | £550,000 | +77% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Terraced | £256,000 | £475,000 | +86% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Flat | £210,000 | £295,000 | +40% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Manchester | Windsor and Maidenhead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,878 | £2,522 | +34% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Semi-detached | £1,496 | £1,938 | +30% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £1,821 | +30% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Flat | £1,147 | £1,448 | +26% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
Crime
Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 57.1 in Windsor and Maidenhead, so recorded crime per resident is 60% lower in Windsor and Maidenhead.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Manchester | Windsor and Maidenhead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 142.7 | 57.1 | -60% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Violence against the person | 51.9 | 20.6 | -60% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Sexual offences | 5.6 | 2.0 | -64% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Robbery | 2.7 | 0.6 | -79% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.3 | 5.9 | -37% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Vehicle offences | 7.9 | 4.9 | -38% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Theft from the person | 3.9 | 0.8 | -79% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.0 | 5.0 | -50% in Windsor and Maidenhead |
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 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 117 | 106 |
| 2007 | 129 | 118 |
| 2008 | 125 | 119 |
| 2009 | 112 | 104 |
| 2010 | 115 | 116 |
| 2011 | 114 | 118 |
| 2012 | 115 | 122 |
| 2013 | 115 | 128 |
| 2014 | 125 | 143 |
| 2015 | 133 | 156 |
| 2016 | 145 | 171 |
| 2017 | 158 | 178 |
| 2018 | 167 | 176 |
| 2019 | 173 | 170 |
| 2020 | 178 | 171 |
| 2021 | 209 | 182 |
| 2022 | 231 | 200 |
| 2023 | 233 | 196 |
| 2024 | 241 | 197 |
| 2025 | 247 | 203 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 251 | 201 |
In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £287,048 in Windsor and Maidenhead. Now it is £251,205 and £576,989: Manchester is up 151% and Windsor and Maidenhead is up 101%. 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 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4.8 years of pay | 8.7 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.0 years of pay | 9.6 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.4 years of pay | 12.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 6.3 years of pay | 11.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.8 years of pay | 12.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 8.7 years in Windsor and Maidenhead. In 2025 it was 6.8 years and 12.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Windsor and Maidenhead 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 | Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 102 |
| 2017 | 106 | 106 |
| 2018 | 112 | 107 |
| 2019 | 114 | 107 |
| 2020 | 117 | 106 |
| 2021 | 120 | 106 |
| 2022 | 127 | 111 |
| 2023 | 139 | 117 |
| 2024 | 156 | 128 |
| 2025 | 167 | 140 |
| August 2026 | 174 | 142 |
In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £1,264 in Windsor and Maidenhead. Now it is £1,373 and £1,800: up 74% in Manchester and up 42% in Windsor and Maidenhead. 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 Windsor and Maidenhead
| Earning in Manchester | Equivalent to buy in Windsor and Maidenhead | Equivalent to rent in Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £55,500 | £39,000 |
| £40,000 | £74,000 | £52,000 |
| £50,000 | £93,000 | £65,000 |
| £60,000 | £111,500 | £78,000 |
Moving from Windsor and Maidenhead to Manchester
| Earning in Windsor and Maidenhead | Equivalent to buy in Manchester | Equivalent to rent in Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £16,000 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £21,500 | £31,000 |
| £50,000 | £27,000 | £38,500 |
| £60,000 | £32,500 | £46,500 |