North Hertfordshire vs Rochford: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £38,000 (11%) more in North Hertfordshire than in Rochford. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| North Hertfordshire | Rochford | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Recorded crime | Low | 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 Rochford (£44,750) is 9% lower than in North Hertfordshire (£49,224), while a typical terraced house costs 10% less (£332,000 against £370,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.5× annual pay in North Hertfordshire and 7.4× in Rochford. Renting one takes 34% of pay in North Hertfordshire and 35% in Rochford. On both measures the two areas are close.
Across all property types and measured against pay, North Hertfordshire is the 116th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Rochford is the 89th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, North Hertfordshire is around the middle of 316 areas (130th most expensive) and Rochford is around the middle of 316 areas (131st most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in North Hertfordshire would need about £36,000 in Rochford to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £37,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Rochford 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 49.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Hertfordshire and 43.5 in Rochford, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in Rochford. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 2.4 per 1,000 in North Hertfordshire against 1.8 in Rochford.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | North Hertfordshire | Rochford |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £49,224 | £44,750 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.5× | 7.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 67% | 67% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 34% | 35% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | North Hertfordshire | Rochford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £694,000 | £535,000 | -23% in Rochford |
| Semi-detached | £499,975 | £390,000 | -22% in Rochford |
| Terraced | £370,000 | £332,000 | -10% in Rochford |
| Flat | £222,750 | £195,000 | -12% in Rochford |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | North Hertfordshire | Rochford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,939 | £1,715 | -12% in Rochford |
| Semi-detached | £1,550 | £1,359 | -12% in Rochford |
| Terraced | £1,379 | £1,297 | -6% in Rochford |
| Flat | £1,158 | £1,066 | -8% in Rochford |
Crime
Police recorded 49.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Hertfordshire and 43.5 in Rochford, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in Rochford.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | North Hertfordshire | Rochford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 49.5 | 43.5 | -12% in Rochford |
| Violence against the person | 20.7 | 20.8 | +0% in Rochford |
| Sexual offences | 2.4 | 1.8 | -23% in Rochford |
| Robbery | 0.4 | 0.3 | -26% in Rochford |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.3 | 3.5 | -18% in Rochford |
| Vehicle offences | 2.9 | 2.6 | -9% in Rochford |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.1 | -71% in Rochford |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.9 | 3.8 | -22% in Rochford |
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 | North Hertfordshire | Rochford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 107 | 103 |
| 2007 | 114 | 112 |
| 2008 | 112 | 113 |
| 2009 | 103 | 102 |
| 2010 | 112 | 108 |
| 2011 | 112 | 106 |
| 2012 | 115 | 107 |
| 2013 | 116 | 110 |
| 2014 | 130 | 118 |
| 2015 | 145 | 133 |
| 2016 | 164 | 150 |
| 2017 | 171 | 162 |
| 2018 | 178 | 165 |
| 2019 | 171 | 171 |
| 2020 | 175 | 169 |
| 2021 | 182 | 172 |
| 2022 | 193 | 185 |
| 2023 | 196 | 188 |
| 2024 | 194 | 182 |
| 2025 | 201 | 187 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 203 | 192 |
In 2005 the average home cost £204,727 in North Hertfordshire and £212,283 in Rochford. Now it is £416,551 and £408,609: North Hertfordshire is up 103% and Rochford is up 92%. Prices have risen faster in North Hertfordshire, 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 | North Hertfordshire | Rochford |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.8 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.4 years of pay | 8.2 years of pay |
| 2015 | 8.6 years of pay | – |
| 2020 | 9.0 years of pay | – |
| 2025 | 8.4 years of pay | 8.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.8 years of pay in North Hertfordshire and 8.2 years in Rochford. In 2025 it was 8.4 years and 8.9 years.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | North Hertfordshire | Rochford |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 105 |
| 2017 | 115 | 109 |
| 2018 | 117 | 112 |
| 2019 | 118 | 114 |
| 2020 | 118 | 116 |
| 2021 | 122 | 119 |
| 2022 | 132 | 123 |
| 2023 | 139 | 129 |
| 2024 | 154 | 134 |
| 2025 | 162 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 171 | 149 |
In 2015 the average rent was £838 a month in North Hertfordshire and £875 in Rochford. Now it is £1,434 and £1,300: up 71% in North Hertfordshire and up 49% in Rochford. Rents have risen faster in North Hertfordshire.
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 Hertfordshire to Rochford
| Earning in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to buy in Rochford | Equivalent to rent in Rochford |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,000 | £28,000 |
| £40,000 | £36,000 | £37,500 |
| £50,000 | £45,000 | £47,000 |
| £60,000 | £54,000 | £56,500 |
Moving from Rochford to North Hertfordshire
| Earning in Rochford | Equivalent to buy in North Hertfordshire | Equivalent to rent in North Hertfordshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £33,500 | £32,000 |
| £40,000 | £44,500 | £42,500 |
| £50,000 | £55,500 | £53,000 |
| £60,000 | £67,000 | £64,000 |