Newcastle upon Tyne vs Wakefield: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £30,000 (19%) more in Newcastle upon Tyne than in Wakefield. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Newcastle upon Tyne: it takes 5.2× median annual pay, against 4.5× in Wakefield.
At a glance
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | Above average | 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 Wakefield (£34,400) is 3% lower than in Newcastle upon Tyne (£35,446), while a typical terraced house costs 16% less (£155,000 against £185,000). Set against local pay, Wakefield 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 4.5× in Wakefield. Renting one takes 44% of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne and 27% in Wakefield. Both are harder in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the 53rd least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Wakefield is the 58th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Newcastle upon Tyne is the 70th most expensive of 316 areas and Wakefield is the 88th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne would need about £33,500 in Wakefield to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £24,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wakefield 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 107.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newcastle upon Tyne and 105.8 in Wakefield: about the same. The biggest difference is in violence against the person: 36.6 per 1,000 in Newcastle upon Tyne against 47.7 in Wakefield.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £35,446 | £34,400 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.2× | 4.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 96% | 111% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 44% | 27% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £357,000 | £335,000 | -6% in Wakefield |
| Semi-detached | £215,000 | £205,000 | -5% in Wakefield |
| Terraced | £185,000 | £155,000 | -16% in Wakefield |
| Flat | £155,000 | £105,000 | -32% in Wakefield |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,697 | £1,105 | -35% in Wakefield |
| Semi-detached | £1,263 | £868 | -31% in Wakefield |
| Terraced | £1,293 | £784 | -39% in Wakefield |
| Flat | £993 | £664 | -33% in Wakefield |
Crime
Police recorded 107.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newcastle upon Tyne and 105.8 in Wakefield: about the same.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 107.4 | 105.8 | -2% in Wakefield |
| Violence against the person | 36.6 | 47.7 | +30% in Wakefield |
| Sexual offences | 4.5 | 4.4 | -3% in Wakefield |
| Robbery | 2.3 | 1.1 | -49% in Wakefield |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 9.0 | 7.5 | -16% in Wakefield |
| Vehicle offences | 5.9 | 6.3 | +7% in Wakefield |
| Theft from the person | 1.4 | 0.6 | -59% in Wakefield |
| Criminal damage and arson | 10.3 | 8.2 | -21% in Wakefield |
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 | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 108 | 108 |
| 2007 | 115 | 116 |
| 2008 | 110 | 111 |
| 2009 | 99 | 102 |
| 2010 | 103 | 102 |
| 2011 | 98 | 98 |
| 2012 | 98 | 97 |
| 2013 | 98 | 97 |
| 2014 | 101 | 101 |
| 2015 | 108 | 104 |
| 2016 | 111 | 109 |
| 2017 | 112 | 114 |
| 2018 | 114 | 118 |
| 2019 | 114 | 121 |
| 2020 | 115 | 125 |
| 2021 | 123 | 141 |
| 2022 | 132 | 155 |
| 2023 | 134 | 158 |
| 2024 | 137 | 160 |
| 2025 | 145 | 165 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 148 | 169 |
In 2005 the average home cost £138,227 in Newcastle upon Tyne and £116,811 in Wakefield. Now it is £204,282 and £197,147: Newcastle upon Tyne is up 48% and Wakefield is up 69%. Prices have risen faster in Wakefield, 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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 5.7 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.4 years of pay | 5.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 5.6 years of pay | 5.2 years of pay |
| 2020 | 5.5 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
| 2025 | 5.6 years of pay | 5.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Newcastle upon Tyne and 5.7 years in Wakefield. In 2025 it was 5.6 years and 5.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Wakefield 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 | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 101 |
| 2017 | 113 | 102 |
| 2018 | 112 | 103 |
| 2019 | 113 | 104 |
| 2020 | 117 | 108 |
| 2021 | 123 | 112 |
| 2022 | 127 | 119 |
| 2023 | 137 | 128 |
| 2024 | 143 | 136 |
| 2025 | 160 | 139 |
| August 2026 | 176 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £690 a month in Newcastle upon Tyne and £546 in Wakefield. Now it is £1,215 and £806: up 76% in Newcastle upon Tyne and up 48% in Wakefield. 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 Wakefield
| Earning in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to buy in Wakefield | Equivalent to rent in Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,000 | £18,000 |
| £40,000 | £33,500 | £24,500 |
| £50,000 | £42,000 | £30,500 |
| £60,000 | £50,500 | £36,500 |
Moving from Wakefield to Newcastle upon Tyne
| Earning in Wakefield | Equivalent to buy in Newcastle upon Tyne | Equivalent to rent in Newcastle upon Tyne |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £36,000 | £49,500 |
| £40,000 | £47,500 | £66,000 |
| £50,000 | £59,500 | £82,500 |
| £60,000 | £71,500 | £99,000 |