New Forest vs Newcastle upon Tyne: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £110,000 (59%) more in New Forest than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in New Forest: it takes 7.6× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | 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 8% lower than in New Forest (£38,571), while a typical terraced house costs 37% less (£185,000 against £295,000). 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 7.6× annual pay in New Forest and 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne. Renting one takes 39% of pay in New Forest and 44% in Newcastle upon Tyne. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in New Forest, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Across all property types and measured against pay, New Forest is the 55th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, New Forest is the 93rd most expensive of 316 areas and Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in New Forest would need about £25,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £41,000 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 52.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in New Forest and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident in Newcastle upon Tyne is 2.0 times the rate in New Forest. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 2.7 per 1,000 in New Forest against 5.9 in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,571 | £35,446 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.6× | 5.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 65% | 96% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 39% | 44% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £560,000 | £357,000 | -36% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £358,000 | £215,000 | -40% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £295,000 | £185,000 | -37% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £210,000 | £155,000 | -26% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,692 | £1,697 | +0% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Semi-detached | £1,344 | £1,263 | -6% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Terraced | £1,269 | £1,293 | +2% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Flat | £1,013 | £993 | -2% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
Crime
Police recorded 52.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in New Forest and 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne, so recorded crime per resident in Newcastle upon Tyne is 2.0 times the rate in New Forest.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 52.9 | 107.4 | +103% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Violence against the person | 21.4 | 36.6 | +72% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Sexual offences | 2.5 | 4.5 | +80% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Robbery | 0.4 | 2.3 | +492% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.3 | 9.0 | +71% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Vehicle offences | 2.7 | 5.9 | +119% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 1.4 | +523% in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.4 | 10.3 | +91% 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 | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 108 |
| 2007 | 113 | 115 |
| 2008 | 111 | 110 |
| 2009 | 101 | 99 |
| 2010 | 111 | 103 |
| 2011 | 112 | 98 |
| 2012 | 111 | 98 |
| 2013 | 113 | 98 |
| 2014 | 121 | 101 |
| 2015 | 129 | 108 |
| 2016 | 140 | 111 |
| 2017 | 150 | 112 |
| 2018 | 154 | 114 |
| 2019 | 151 | 114 |
| 2020 | 154 | 115 |
| 2021 | 166 | 123 |
| 2022 | 185 | 132 |
| 2023 | 182 | 134 |
| 2024 | 176 | 137 |
| 2025 | 172 | 145 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 173 | 148 |
In 2005 the average home cost £221,635 in New Forest and £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £382,503 and £204,282: New Forest is up 73% and Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48%. Prices have risen faster in New Forest, 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 | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10.1 years of pay | 6.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 9.1 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.2 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.1 years of pay | 5.5 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.9 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 10.1 years of pay in New Forest and 6.6 years in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2025 it was 9.9 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in New Forest 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 | New Forest | Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 106 |
| 2017 | 108 | 113 |
| 2018 | 110 | 112 |
| 2019 | 112 | 113 |
| 2020 | 113 | 117 |
| 2021 | 116 | 123 |
| 2022 | 122 | 127 |
| 2023 | 130 | 137 |
| 2024 | 139 | 143 |
| 2025 | 147 | 160 |
| August 2026 | 151 | 176 |
In 2015 the average rent was £826 a month in New Forest and £690 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Now it is £1,244 and £1,215: up 51% in New Forest 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 New Forest to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in New Forest | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £19,000 | £30,500 |
| £40,000 | £25,000 | £41,000 |
| £50,000 | £31,500 | £51,000 |
| £60,000 | £37,500 | £61,000 |
Moving from Newcastle upon Tyne to New Forest
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in New Forest | Equivalent to rent in New Forest |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £48,000 | £29,500 |
| £40,000 | £64,000 | £39,500 |
| £50,000 | £79,500 | £49,000 |
| £60,000 | £95,500 | £59,000 |