Pay vs Place

North Devon vs Somerset: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £10,000 (5%) more in Somerset than in North Devon. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in North Devon: it takes 6.7× median annual pay, against 6.3× in Somerset.

North Devon, terraced
£220,000
Income typically needed: £44,000
Median full-time pay: £32,682
Somerset, terraced
£230,000
Income typically needed: £46,000
Median full-time pay: £36,279

At a glance

North Devon Somerset
Buying a home Expensive Fairly affordable
Renting a home Fairly affordable Expensive
Recorded crime Low About 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 Somerset (£36,279) is 11% higher than in North Devon (£32,682), while a typical terraced house costs 5% more (£230,000 against £220,000). Set against local pay, Somerset is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 6.7× annual pay in North Devon and 6.3× in Somerset. Renting one takes 31% of pay in North Devon and 34% in Somerset. The two measures point different ways: buying is harder in North Devon, but renting takes a bigger share of pay in Somerset.

Across all property types and measured against pay, North Devon is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (153rd most expensive). For renting against pay, North Devon is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive) and Somerset is around the middle of 316 areas (151st most expensive).

Someone on £40,000 in North Devon would need about £42,000 in Somerset to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £47,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Somerset 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 55.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Devon and 84.1 in Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 52% higher in Somerset. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.1 per 1,000 in North Devon against 2.6 in Somerset.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house North Devon Somerset
Median full-time pay £32,682 £36,279
House price ÷ pay 6.7× 6.3×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 74% 79%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 31% 34%

Buying, by property type

Type North Devon Somerset Difference
Detached £375,000 £422,500 +13% in Somerset
Semi-detached £276,000 £275,000 -0% in Somerset
Terraced £220,000 £230,000 +5% in Somerset
Flat £160,000 £143,000 -11% in Somerset

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) North Devon Somerset Difference
Detached £1,124 £1,392 +24% in Somerset
Semi-detached £915 £1,097 +20% in Somerset
Terraced £857 £1,016 +19% in Somerset
Flat £667 £788 +18% in Somerset

Crime

Police recorded 55.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Devon and 84.1 in Somerset, so recorded crime per resident is 52% higher in Somerset.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents North Devon Somerset Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 55.3 84.1 +52% in Somerset
Violence against the person 24.6 36.9 +50% in Somerset
Sexual offences 3.3 4.1 +25% in Somerset
Robbery 0.4 1.0 +153% in Somerset
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 2.4 4.6 +88% in Somerset
Vehicle offences 1.1 2.6 +133% in Somerset
Theft from the person 0.3 0.2 -44% in Somerset
Criminal damage and arson 5.8 6.9 +20% in Somerset

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.

North Devon: 157Somerset: 168
House prices in North Devon and Somerset since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. North Devon now 157, Somerset now 168.8010012014016018020052010201520202025House prices in North Devon and Somerset since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. North Devon now 157, Somerset now 168.8010012014016018020102020
Show the figures
YearNorth DevonSomerset
2005100100
2006104105
2007111115
2008107111
200998101
2010104106
2011103105
2012103104
2013100106
2014108111
2015113116
2016116122
2017120129
2018120135
2019130137
2020132140
2021142150
2022162167
2023164168
2024156164
2025159166
12 months to July 2026157168

In 2005 the average home cost £181,587 in North Devon and £165,777 in Somerset. Now it is £285,012 and £279,149: North Devon is up 57% and Somerset is up 68%. Prices have risen faster in Somerset, 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.

North Devon: 8.8 years of paySomerset: 7.6 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in North Devon and SomersetNorth Devon now 8.8, Somerset now 7.6 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in North Devon and SomersetNorth Devon now 8.8, Somerset now 7.6 years of pay.0×5×10×15×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearNorth DevonSomerset
200511.0 years of pay7.7 years of pay
20109.5 years of pay7.2 years of pay
20159.3 years of pay7.6 years of pay
20209.7 years of pay7.8 years of pay
20258.8 years of pay7.6 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 11.0 years of pay in North Devon and 7.7 years in Somerset. In 2025 it was 8.8 years and 7.6 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Somerset over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

North Devon: 142Somerset: 161
Rents in North Devon and Somerset since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. North Devon now 142, Somerset now 161.100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in North Devon and Somerset since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. North Devon now 142, Somerset now 161.100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearNorth DevonSomerset
2015100100
2016101102
2017101105
2018104107
2019106110
2020108114
2021112119
2022117124
2023124135
2024132145
2025141152
August 2026142161

In 2015 the average rent was £597 a month in North Devon and £631 in Somerset. Now it is £846 and £1,016: up 42% in North Devon and up 61% in Somerset. Rents have risen faster in Somerset.

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 North Devon to Somerset

Earning in North Devon Equivalent to buy in Somerset Equivalent to rent in Somerset
£30,000 £31,500 £35,500
£40,000 £42,000 £47,500
£50,000 £52,500 £59,500
£60,000 £62,500 £71,000

Moving from Somerset to North Devon

Earning in Somerset Equivalent to buy in North Devon Equivalent to rent in North Devon
£30,000 £28,500 £25,500
£40,000 £38,500 £33,500
£50,000 £48,000 £42,000
£60,000 £57,500 £50,500
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All North Devon figures · All Somerset figures