Medway vs Swale: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £15,000 (6%) more in Medway than in Swale. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Medway | Swale | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | – | 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 Swale (£38,432) is 3% lower than in Medway (£39,622), while a typical terraced house costs 5% less (£265,000 against £280,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in Medway and 6.9× in Swale. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Medway and 36% in Swale. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Medway is around the middle of 316 areas (150th most expensive) to buy in, and Swale is around the middle of 316 areas (145th most expensive). For renting against pay, Medway is the 108th most expensive of 316 areas and Swale is around the middle of 316 areas (133rd most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Medway would need about £38,000 in Swale to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £37,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Swale 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 | Swale |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £39,622 | £38,432 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 6.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 71% | 73% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 38% | 36% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Medway | Swale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £490,000 | £445,000 | -9% in Swale |
| Semi-detached | £350,000 | £325,000 | -7% in Swale |
| Terraced | £280,000 | £265,000 | -5% in Swale |
| Flat | £170,000 | £170,000 | 0% in Swale |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Medway | Swale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,653 | £1,578 | -5% in Swale |
| Semi-detached | £1,380 | £1,243 | -10% in Swale |
| Terraced | £1,249 | £1,151 | -8% in Swale |
| Flat | £1,016 | £869 | -14% in Swale |
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 | Swale |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 105 |
| 2007 | 112 | 112 |
| 2008 | 109 | 110 |
| 2009 | 95 | 97 |
| 2010 | 103 | 102 |
| 2011 | 101 | 101 |
| 2012 | 101 | 102 |
| 2013 | 106 | 105 |
| 2014 | 118 | 115 |
| 2015 | 130 | 124 |
| 2016 | 150 | 139 |
| 2017 | 162 | 151 |
| 2018 | 167 | 159 |
| 2019 | 165 | 159 |
| 2020 | 166 | 160 |
| 2021 | 179 | 169 |
| 2022 | 199 | 187 |
| 2023 | 200 | 187 |
| 2024 | 193 | 183 |
| 2025 | 201 | 184 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 203 | 187 |
In 2005 the average home cost £146,349 in Medway and £157,284 in Swale. Now it is £296,457 and £293,393: Medway is up 103% and Swale is up 87%. Prices have risen faster in Medway, 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 | Medway | Swale |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.5 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.3 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.4 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Medway and 6.6 years in Swale. In 2025 it was 7.4 years and 7.5 years.
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 | Swale |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 112 | 112 |
| 2018 | 115 | 116 |
| 2019 | 119 | 119 |
| 2020 | 122 | 123 |
| 2021 | 125 | 128 |
| 2022 | 130 | 133 |
| 2023 | 138 | 141 |
| 2024 | 152 | 151 |
| 2025 | 167 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 171 | 163 |
In 2015 the average rent was £720 a month in Medway and £683 in Swale. Now it is £1,232 and £1,114: up 71% in Medway and up 63% in Swale. Rents have risen faster in Medway.
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 Swale
| Earning in Medway | Equivalent to buy in Swale | Equivalent to rent in Swale |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £28,500 | £27,500 |
| £40,000 | £38,000 | £37,000 |
| £50,000 | £47,500 | £46,000 |
| £60,000 | £57,000 | £55,500 |
Moving from Swale to Medway
| Earning in Swale | Equivalent to buy in Medway | Equivalent to rent in Medway |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £31,500 | £32,500 |
| £40,000 | £42,500 | £43,500 |
| £50,000 | £53,000 | £54,500 |
| £60,000 | £63,500 | £65,000 |