Merton vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £480,000 (259%) more in Merton than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Merton: it takes 13.1× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 30% lower than in Merton (£50,844), while a typical terraced house costs 72% less (£185,000 against £665,000). 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 13.1× annual pay in Merton and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 58% of pay in Merton and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Both are harder in Merton, and the gap is wider for buying.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Merton is the 40th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Merton is the 22nd most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Merton would need about £11,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £21,000 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.
Police recorded 59.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Merton and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 81% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 4.5 per 1,000 in Merton against 10.3 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £50,844 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 13.1× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 38% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 58% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £840,000 | £215,000 | -74% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £665,000 | £185,000 | -72% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £389,000 | £155,000 | -60% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £2,967 | £1,263 | -57% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £2,462 | £1,293 | -47% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £1,931 | £993 | -49% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Crime
Police recorded 59.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in Merton and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident is 81% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 59.3 | 107.4 | +81% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Violence against the person | 19.6 | 36.6 | +87% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Sexual offences | 2.5 | 4.5 | +82% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Robbery | 1.6 | 2.3 | +37% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.8 | 9.0 | +32% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Vehicle offences | 5.7 | 5.9 | +3% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Theft from the person | 1.4 | 1.4 | +1% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.5 | 10.3 | +132% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
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 | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 121 | 115 |
| 2008 | 122 | 110 |
| 2009 | 110 | 99 |
| 2010 | 122 | 103 |
| 2011 | 124 | 98 |
| 2012 | 129 | 98 |
| 2013 | 140 | 98 |
| 2014 | 171 | 101 |
| 2015 | 186 | 108 |
| 2016 | 203 | 111 |
| 2017 | 208 | 112 |
| 2018 | 208 | 114 |
| 2019 | 205 | 114 |
| 2020 | 213 | 115 |
| 2021 | 220 | 123 |
| 2022 | 228 | 132 |
| 2023 | 230 | 134 |
| 2024 | 229 | 137 |
| 2025 | 234 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 234 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £263,240 in Merton and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £615,908 and £204,282: Merton is up 134% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in Merton, 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 | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.0 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 9.8 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 14.8 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 13.3 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 12.1 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.0 years of pay in Merton and 6.6 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 12.1 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Merton 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 | Merton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 105 | 113 |
| 2018 | 105 | 112 |
| 2019 | 106 | 113 |
| 2020 | 110 | 117 |
| 2021 | 110 | 123 |
| 2022 | 114 | 127 |
| 2023 | 121 | 137 |
| 2024 | 130 | 143 |
| 2025 | 139 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,478 a month in Merton and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £2,172 and £1,215: up 47% in Merton and up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne. Rents have risen faster 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 Merton to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Merton | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £8,500 | £16,000 |
| £40,000 | £11,000 | £21,000 |
| £50,000 | £14,000 | £26,500 |
| £60,000 | £16,500 | £31,500 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to Merton
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Merton | Equivalent to rent in Merton |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £108,000 | £57,000 |
| £40,000 | £144,000 | £76,000 |
| £50,000 | £179,500 | £95,000 |
| £60,000 | £215,500 | £114,000 |