North Warwickshire vs Worcester: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £35,000 (18%) more in Worcester than in North Warwickshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Worcester: it takes 5.9× median annual pay, against 4.9× in North Warwickshire.
At a glance
| North Warwickshire | Worcester | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | About average | 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 Worcester (£38,880) is 3% lower than in North Warwickshire (£40,095), while a typical terraced house costs 18% more (£230,000 against £195,000). Set against local pay, North Warwickshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 4.9× annual pay in North Warwickshire and 5.9× in Worcester. Renting one takes 28% of pay in North Warwickshire and 29% in Worcester. Buying is harder in Worcester; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, North Warwickshire is the 101st least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Worcester is the 97th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, North Warwickshire is the 112th least expensive of 316 areas and Worcester is the 122nd least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in North Warwickshire would need about £47,000 in Worcester to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Worcester 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 61.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Warwickshire and 63.6 in Worcester, so recorded crime per resident is 4% higher in Worcester. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 8.2 per 1,000 in North Warwickshire against 2.8 in Worcester.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | North Warwickshire | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £40,095 | £38,880 |
| House price ÷ pay | 4.9× | 5.9× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 103% | 85% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 28% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | North Warwickshire | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | £375,000 | -5% in Worcester |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | £260,000 | -2% in Worcester |
| Terraced | £195,000 | £230,000 | +18% in Worcester |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | North Warwickshire | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,354 | £1,343 | -1% in Worcester |
| Semi-detached | £1,035 | £1,043 | +1% in Worcester |
| Terraced | £938 | £955 | +2% in Worcester |
Crime
Police recorded 61.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Warwickshire and 63.6 in Worcester, so recorded crime per resident is 4% higher in Worcester.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | North Warwickshire | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 61.3 | 63.6 | +4% in Worcester |
| Violence against the person | 23.0 | 25.1 | +9% in Worcester |
| Sexual offences | 2.9 | 2.8 | -2% in Worcester |
| Robbery | 0.9 | 0.8 | -14% in Worcester |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.1 | 6.0 | +17% in Worcester |
| Vehicle offences | 8.2 | 2.8 | -66% in Worcester |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.2 | -8% in Worcester |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.1 | 6.0 | -1% in Worcester |
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 Warwickshire | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 105 |
| 2007 | 107 | 114 |
| 2008 | 103 | 109 |
| 2009 | 97 | 95 |
| 2010 | 99 | 100 |
| 2011 | 97 | 100 |
| 2012 | 97 | 103 |
| 2013 | 98 | 102 |
| 2014 | 103 | 109 |
| 2015 | 108 | 114 |
| 2016 | 117 | 120 |
| 2017 | 124 | 127 |
| 2018 | 131 | 132 |
| 2019 | 133 | 132 |
| 2020 | 135 | 135 |
| 2021 | 142 | 142 |
| 2022 | 154 | 159 |
| 2023 | 158 | 161 |
| 2024 | 156 | 165 |
| 2025 | 158 | 167 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 160 | 168 |
In 2005 the average home cost £166,782 in North Warwickshire and £149,911 in Worcester. Now it is £267,509 and £252,084: North Warwickshire is up 60% and Worcester is up 68%. Prices have risen faster in Worcester, 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 Warwickshire | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.2 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.7 years of pay | 6.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.9 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.2 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.2 years of pay in North Warwickshire and 6.5 years in Worcester. In 2025 it was 6.6 years and 6.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Worcester 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 | North Warwickshire | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 102 |
| 2017 | 107 | 106 |
| 2018 | 110 | 107 |
| 2019 | 114 | 108 |
| 2020 | 119 | 112 |
| 2021 | 122 | 115 |
| 2022 | 126 | 114 |
| 2023 | 132 | 120 |
| 2024 | 147 | 133 |
| 2025 | 158 | 142 |
| August 2026 | 168 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £584 a month in North Warwickshire and £649 in Worcester. Now it is £982 and £977: up 68% in North Warwickshire and up 51% in Worcester. Rents have risen faster in North Warwickshire.
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 Warwickshire to Worcester
| Earning in North Warwickshire | Equivalent to buy in Worcester | Equivalent to rent in Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £35,500 | £30,500 |
| £40,000 | £47,000 | £40,500 |
| £50,000 | £59,000 | £51,000 |
| £60,000 | £71,000 | £61,000 |
Moving from Worcester to North Warwickshire
| Earning in Worcester | Equivalent to buy in North Warwickshire | Equivalent to rent in North Warwickshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,500 | £29,500 |
| £40,000 | £34,000 | £39,500 |
| £50,000 | £42,500 | £49,000 |
| £60,000 | £51,000 | £59,000 |