Newham vs Sutton: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £5,000 (1%) more in Sutton than in Newham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Newham: it takes 11.2× median annual pay, against 10.8× in Sutton.
At a glance
| Newham | Sutton | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | 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 Sutton (£44,393) is 4% higher than in Newham (£42,595), while a typical terraced house costs 1% more (£480,000 against £475,000). Set against local pay, Sutton is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 11.2× annual pay in Newham and 10.8× in Sutton. Renting one takes 58% of pay in Newham and 47% in Sutton. Renting is harder in Newham; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Newham is the 51st most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Sutton is the 49th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Newham is the 19th most expensive of 316 areas and Sutton is the 66th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Newham would need about £40,500 in Sutton to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Sutton 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 104.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newham and 60.3 in Sutton, so recorded crime per resident is 42% lower in Sutton. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 10.6 per 1,000 in Newham against 5.4 in Sutton.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Newham | Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £42,595 | £44,393 |
| House price ÷ pay | 11.2× | 10.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 45% | 46% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 58% | 47% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Newham | Sutton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £475,000 | £480,000 | +1% in Sutton |
| Flat | £360,000 | £290,000 | -19% in Sutton |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Newham | Sutton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £2,068 | £1,749 | -15% in Sutton |
| Flat | £1,836 | £1,404 | -24% in Sutton |
Crime
Police recorded 104.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in Newham and 60.3 in Sutton, so recorded crime per resident is 42% lower in Sutton.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Newham | Sutton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 104.0 | 60.3 | -42% in Sutton |
| Violence against the person | 28.9 | 21.8 | -25% in Sutton |
| Sexual offences | 3.0 | 2.1 | -28% in Sutton |
| Robbery | 4.6 | 1.3 | -72% in Sutton |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 8.3 | 7.8 | -6% in Sutton |
| Vehicle offences | 10.6 | 5.4 | -49% in Sutton |
| Theft from the person | 9.8 | 1.0 | -90% in Sutton |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.3 | 4.4 | -16% in Sutton |
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 | Newham | Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 103 |
| 2007 | 117 | 115 |
| 2008 | 115 | 116 |
| 2009 | 97 | 101 |
| 2010 | 106 | 111 |
| 2011 | 107 | 111 |
| 2012 | 110 | 114 |
| 2013 | 115 | 120 |
| 2014 | 133 | 139 |
| 2015 | 154 | 154 |
| 2016 | 180 | 174 |
| 2017 | 187 | 180 |
| 2018 | 186 | 181 |
| 2019 | 188 | 177 |
| 2020 | 193 | 181 |
| 2021 | 199 | 193 |
| 2022 | 208 | 207 |
| 2023 | 209 | 207 |
| 2024 | 212 | 204 |
| 2025 | 203 | 212 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 199 | 213 |
In 2005 the average home cost £202,231 in Newham and £211,844 in Sutton. Now it is £401,602 and £450,518: Newham is up 99% and Sutton is up 113%. Prices have risen faster in Sutton, 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 | Newham | Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.4 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.9 years of pay | 7.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 11.5 years of pay | 10.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 11.9 years of pay | 10.9 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.6 years of pay | 10.1 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.4 years of pay in Newham and 7.8 years in Sutton. In 2025 it was 9.6 years and 10.1 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Sutton 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 | Newham | Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 108 | 107 |
| 2017 | 113 | 109 |
| 2018 | 116 | 108 |
| 2019 | 117 | 108 |
| 2020 | 119 | 111 |
| 2021 | 120 | 113 |
| 2022 | 120 | 117 |
| 2023 | 126 | 124 |
| 2024 | 135 | 139 |
| 2025 | 145 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 152 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,266 a month in Newham and £1,030 in Sutton. Now it is £1,928 and £1,556: up 52% in Newham and up 51% in Sutton.
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 Newham to Sutton
| Earning in Newham | Equivalent to buy in Sutton | Equivalent to rent in Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £25,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,500 | £34,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,500 | £42,500 |
| £60,000 | £60,500 | £50,500 |
Moving from Sutton to Newham
| Earning in Sutton | Equivalent to buy in Newham | Equivalent to rent in Newham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £35,500 |
| £40,000 | £39,500 | £47,500 |
| £50,000 | £49,500 | £59,000 |
| £60,000 | £59,500 | £71,000 |