Medway vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £95,000 (51%) more in Medway than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Medway: it takes 7.1× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | – | Above 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 Newcastle upon Tyne (£35,446) is 11% lower than in Medway (£39,622), while a typical terraced house costs 34% less (£185,000 against £280,000). Set against local pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in Medway and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Medway and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in Medway, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Medway is around the middle of 316 areas (150th most expensive) to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Medway is the 108th most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Medway would need about £26,500 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £41,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Newcastle upon Tyne 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.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,622 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £490,000 | £357,000 | -27% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £350,000 | £215,000 | -39% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £280,000 | £185,000 | -34% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £170,000 | £155,000 | -9% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,653 | £1,697 | +3% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £1,380 | £1,263 | -8% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £1,249 | £1,293 | +4% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £1,016 | £993 | -2% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
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 | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 112 | 115 |
| 2008 | 109 | 110 |
| 2009 | 95 | 99 |
| 2010 | 103 | 103 |
| 2011 | 101 | 98 |
| 2012 | 101 | 98 |
| 2013 | 106 | 98 |
| 2014 | 118 | 101 |
| 2015 | 130 | 108 |
| 2016 | 150 | 111 |
| 2017 | 162 | 112 |
| 2018 | 167 | 114 |
| 2019 | 165 | 114 |
| 2020 | 166 | 115 |
| 2021 | 179 | 123 |
| 2022 | 199 | 132 |
| 2023 | 200 | 134 |
| 2024 | 193 | 137 |
| 2025 | 201 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 203 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £146,349 in Medway and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £296,457 and £204,282: Medway is up 103% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in Medway, so the gap between the two has widened.
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 | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.5 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.3 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.4 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Medway and 6.6 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 7.4 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Medway 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 | Medway | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 112 | 113 |
| 2018 | 115 | 112 |
| 2019 | 119 | 113 |
| 2020 | 122 | 117 |
| 2021 | 125 | 123 |
| 2022 | 130 | 127 |
| 2023 | 138 | 137 |
| 2024 | 152 | 143 |
| 2025 | 167 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 171 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £720 a month in Medway and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £1,232 and £1,215: up 71% in Medway and up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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 Medway to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Medway | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £20,000 | £31,000 |
| £40,000 | £26,500 | £41,500 |
| £50,000 | £33,000 | £52,000 |
| £60,000 | £39,500 | £62,000 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Medway
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Medway | Equivalent to rent in Medway |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £45,500 | £29,000 |
| £40,000 | £60,500 | £38,500 |
| £50,000 | £75,500 | £48,500 |
| £60,000 | £91,000 | £58,000 |