Pay vs Place

Manchester vs York: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £19,000 (7%) more in York than in Manchester. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.

Manchester, terraced
£256,000
Income typically needed: £51,000
Median full-time pay: £36,278
York, terraced
£275,000
Income typically needed: £55,000
Median full-time pay: £40,496

At a glance

Manchester York
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Very expensive Expensive
Recorded crime High About average

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 York (£40,496) is 12% higher than in Manchester (£36,278), while a typical terraced house costs 7% more (£275,000 against £256,000).

Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in Manchester and 6.8× in York. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Manchester and 35% in York. Renting is harder in Manchester; buying 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 York is around the middle of 316 areas (170th most expensive). For renting against pay, Manchester is the 46th most expensive of 316 areas and York is the 126th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Manchester would need about £43,000 in York to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to York 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 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 54% lower in York. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 7.9 per 1,000 in Manchester against 2.4 in York.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Manchester York
Median full-time pay £36,278 £40,496
House price ÷ pay 7.1× 6.8×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 71% 74%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 46% 35%

Buying, by property type

Type Manchester York Difference
Detached £400,000 £435,000 +9% in York
Semi-detached £310,000 £304,500 -2% in York
Terraced £256,000 £275,000 +7% in York
Flat £210,000 £192,000 -9% in York

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Manchester York Difference
Detached £1,878 £1,561 -17% in York
Semi-detached £1,496 £1,287 -14% in York
Terraced £1,405 £1,191 -15% in York
Flat £1,147 £1,010 -12% in York

Crime

Police recorded 142.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in Manchester and 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 54% lower in York.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Manchester York Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 142.7 65.7 -54% in York
Violence against the person 51.9 24.3 -53% in York
Sexual offences 5.6 3.0 -47% in York
Robbery 2.7 0.9 -66% in York
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 9.3 4.1 -56% in York
Vehicle offences 7.9 2.4 -70% in York
Theft from the person 3.9 0.4 -90% in York
Criminal damage and arson 10.0 6.5 -35% in York

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.

Manchester: 251York: 183
House prices in Manchester and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Manchester now 251, York now 183.10015020025030020052010201520202025House prices in Manchester and York since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Manchester now 251, York now 183.10015020025030020102020
Show the figures
YearManchesterYork
2005100100
2006117105
2007129115
2008125109
2009112101
2010115107
2011114107
2012115109
2013115111
2014125119
2015133127
2016145135
2017158141
2018167144
2019173148
2020178151
2021209165
2022231180
2023233182
2024241184
2025247181
12 months to July 2026251183

In 2005 the average home cost £100,202 in Manchester and £168,002 in York. Now it is £251,205 and £307,747: Manchester is up 151% and York is up 83%. 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.

Manchester: 6.8 years of payYork: 7.5 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Manchester and YorkManchester now 6.8, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Manchester and YorkManchester now 6.8, York now 7.5 years of pay.0×2.5×5×7.5×10×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearManchesterYork
20054.8 years of pay7.0 years of pay
20105.0 years of pay7.3 years of pay
20155.4 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20206.3 years of pay8.4 years of pay
20256.8 years of pay7.5 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 4.8 years of pay in Manchester and 7.0 years in York. 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.

Manchester: 174York: 153
Rents in Manchester and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Manchester now 174, York now 153.100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Manchester and York since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Manchester now 174, York now 153.100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearManchesterYork
2015100100
2016101104
2017106106
2018112108
2019114112
2020117110
2021120113
2022127117
2023139126
2024156139
2025167143
August 2026174153

In 2015 the average rent was £790 a month in Manchester and £786 in York. Now it is £1,373 and £1,199: up 74% in Manchester and up 53% in York. 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 York

Earning in Manchester Equivalent to buy in York Equivalent to rent in York
£30,000 £32,000 £25,500
£40,000 £43,000 £34,000
£50,000 £53,500 £42,500
£60,000 £64,500 £51,000

Moving from York to Manchester

Earning in York Equivalent to buy in Manchester Equivalent to rent in Manchester
£30,000 £28,000 £35,500
£40,000 £37,000 £47,000
£50,000 £46,500 £59,000
£60,000 £56,000 £71,000
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Manchester figures · All York figures