Newcastle upon Tyne vs Three Rivers: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £265,000 (143%) more in Three Rivers than in Newcastle upon Tyne. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Three Rivers: it takes 10.2× median annual pay, against 5.2× in Newcastle upon Tyne.
At a glance
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Very expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Low |
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 Three Rivers (£43,980) is 24% higher than in Newcastle upon Tyne (£35,446), while a typical terraced house costs 143% more (£450,000 against £185,000). 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 5.2× annual pay in Newcastle upon Tyne and 10.2× in Three Rivers. Renting one takes 44% of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne and 46% in Three Rivers. Buying is harder in Three Rivers; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Three Rivers is the 9th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas and Three Rivers is the 26th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne would need about £97,500 in Three Rivers to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £51,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Three Rivers 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 107.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newcastle upon Tyne and 52.4 in Three Rivers, so recorded crime per resident is 51% lower in Three Rivers. The biggest difference is in criminal damage and arson: 10.3 per 1,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne against 4.1 in Three Rivers.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,446 | £43,980 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.2× | 10.2× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 96% | 49% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 44% | 46% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £357,000 | £960,000 | +169% in Three Rivers |
| Semi-detached | £215,000 | £625,000 | +191% in Three Rivers |
| Terraced | £185,000 | £450,000 | +143% in Three Rivers |
| Flat | £155,000 | £306,000 | +97% in Three Rivers |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,697 | £2,604 | +53% in Three Rivers |
| Semi-detached | £1,263 | £1,996 | +58% in Three Rivers |
| Terraced | £1,293 | £1,671 | +29% in Three Rivers |
| Flat | £993 | £1,461 | +47% in Three Rivers |
Crime
Police recorded 107.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newcastle upon Tyne and 52.4 in Three Rivers, so recorded crime per resident is 51% lower in Three Rivers.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 107.4 | 52.4 | -51% in Three Rivers |
| Violence against the person | 36.6 | 21.4 | -42% in Three Rivers |
| Sexual offences | 4.5 | 2.1 | -53% in Three Rivers |
| Robbery | 2.3 | 0.5 | -80% in Three Rivers |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.0 | 5.8 | -35% in Three Rivers |
| Vehicle offences | 5.9 | 3.5 | -40% in Three Rivers |
| Theft from the person | 1.4 | 0.3 | -77% in Three Rivers |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.3 | 4.1 | -60% in Three Rivers |
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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 108 | 106 |
| 2007 | 115 | 116 |
| 2008 | 110 | 117 |
| 2009 | 99 | 105 |
| 2010 | 103 | 115 |
| 2011 | 98 | 118 |
| 2012 | 98 | 120 |
| 2013 | 98 | 127 |
| 2014 | 101 | 141 |
| 2015 | 108 | 161 |
| 2016 | 111 | 183 |
| 2017 | 112 | 190 |
| 2018 | 114 | 187 |
| 2019 | 114 | 185 |
| 2020 | 115 | 184 |
| 2021 | 123 | 193 |
| 2022 | 132 | 207 |
| 2023 | 134 | 204 |
| 2024 | 137 | 202 |
| 2025 | 145 | 206 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 148 | 207 |
In 2005 the average home cost £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne and £283,435 in Three Rivers. Now it is £204,282 and £585,828: Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48% and Three Rivers is up 107%. Prices have risen faster in Three Rivers, 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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 10.2 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.4 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.6 years of pay | 14.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 5.5 years of pay | 13.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 5.6 years of pay | 13.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne and 10.2 years in Three Rivers. In 2025 it was 5.6 years and 13.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Three Rivers 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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 107 |
| 2017 | 113 | 109 |
| 2018 | 112 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 108 |
| 2020 | 117 | 107 |
| 2021 | 123 | 110 |
| 2022 | 127 | 114 |
| 2023 | 137 | 121 |
| 2024 | 143 | 131 |
| 2025 | 160 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 176 | 145 |
In 2015 the average rent was £690 a month in Newcastle upon Tyne and £1,258 in Three Rivers. Now it is £1,215 and £1,826: up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne and up 45% in Three Rivers. 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 Newcastle upon Tyne to Three Rivers
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Three Rivers | Equivalent to rent in Three Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £73,000 | £39,000 |
| £40,000 | £97,500 | £51,500 |
| £50,000 | £121,500 | £64,500 |
| £60,000 | £146,000 | £77,500 |
Moving from Three Rivers to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Three Rivers | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £12,500 | £23,000 |
| £40,000 | £16,500 | £31,000 |
| £50,000 | £20,500 | £38,500 |
| £60,000 | £24,500 | £46,500 |