North Yorkshire vs York: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £65,000 (31%) more in York than in North Yorkshire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in York: it takes 6.8× median annual pay, against 5.7× in North Yorkshire.
At a glance
| North Yorkshire | York | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | 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 York (£40,496) is 10% higher than in North Yorkshire (£36,783), while a typical terraced house costs 31% more (£275,000 against £210,000). Set against local pay, North Yorkshire is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 5.7× annual pay in North Yorkshire and 6.8× in York. Renting one takes 27% of pay in North Yorkshire and 35% in York. Both are harder in York, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, North Yorkshire is around the middle of 316 areas (174th most expensive) to buy in, and York is around the middle of 316 areas (170th most expensive). For renting against pay, North Yorkshire is the 82nd least expensive of 316 areas and York is the 126th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in North Yorkshire would need about £52,500 in York to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £57,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to York 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 47.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Yorkshire and 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 39% higher in York. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.7 per 1,000 in North Yorkshire against 2.4 in York.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | North Yorkshire | York |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,783 | £40,496 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.7× | 6.8× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 88% | 74% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 27% | 35% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | North Yorkshire | York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £410,000 | £435,000 | +6% in York |
| Semi-detached | £255,000 | £304,500 | +19% in York |
| Terraced | £210,000 | £275,000 | +31% in York |
| Flat | £150,000 | £192,000 | +28% in York |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | North Yorkshire | York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,187 | £1,561 | +32% in York |
| Semi-detached | £900 | £1,287 | +43% in York |
| Terraced | £832 | £1,191 | +43% in York |
| Flat | £686 | £1,010 | +47% in York |
Crime
Police recorded 47.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in North Yorkshire and 65.7 in York, so recorded crime per resident is 39% higher in York.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | North Yorkshire | York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 47.4 | 65.7 | +39% in York |
| Violence against the person | 20.1 | 24.3 | +21% in York |
| Sexual offences | 2.5 | 3.0 | +19% in York |
| Robbery | 0.3 | 0.9 | +191% in York |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 3.5 | 4.1 | +16% in York |
| Vehicle offences | 1.7 | 2.4 | +43% in York |
| Theft from the person | 0.1 | 0.4 | +344% in York |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.1 | 6.5 | +28% in York |
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 Yorkshire | York |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 105 |
| 2007 | 113 | 115 |
| 2008 | 110 | 109 |
| 2009 | 100 | 101 |
| 2010 | 107 | 107 |
| 2011 | 105 | 107 |
| 2012 | 104 | 109 |
| 2013 | 105 | 111 |
| 2014 | 108 | 119 |
| 2015 | 113 | 127 |
| 2016 | 118 | 135 |
| 2017 | 121 | 141 |
| 2018 | 125 | 144 |
| 2019 | 126 | 148 |
| 2020 | 129 | 151 |
| 2021 | 139 | 165 |
| 2022 | 152 | 180 |
| 2023 | 154 | 182 |
| 2024 | 153 | 184 |
| 2025 | 155 | 181 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 157 | 183 |
In 2005 the average home cost £172,002 in North Yorkshire and £168,002 in York. Now it is £270,482 and £307,747: North Yorkshire is up 57% and York is up 83%. Prices have risen faster in York, 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 Yorkshire | York |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7.9 years of pay | 7.0 years of pay |
| 2010 | 7.4 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2015 | 7.4 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.4 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2025 | 7.3 years of pay | 7.5 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 7.9 years of pay in North Yorkshire and 7.0 years in York. In 2025 it was 7.3 years and 7.5 years.
Affordability has worsened more in York 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 Yorkshire | York |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 104 |
| 2017 | 103 | 106 |
| 2018 | 105 | 108 |
| 2019 | 106 | 112 |
| 2020 | 108 | 110 |
| 2021 | 111 | 113 |
| 2022 | 115 | 117 |
| 2023 | 121 | 126 |
| 2024 | 128 | 139 |
| 2025 | 134 | 143 |
| August 2026 | 138 | 153 |
In 2015 the average rent was £613 a month in North Yorkshire and £786 in York. Now it is £849 and £1,199: up 38% in North Yorkshire and up 53% in York. Rents have risen faster in York.
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 Yorkshire to York
| Earning in North Yorkshire | Equivalent to buy in York | Equivalent to rent in York |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £39,500 | £43,000 |
| £40,000 | £52,500 | £57,500 |
| £50,000 | £65,500 | £71,500 |
| £60,000 | £78,500 | £86,000 |
Moving from York to North Yorkshire
| Earning in York | Equivalent to buy in North Yorkshire | Equivalent to rent in North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £23,000 | £21,000 |
| £40,000 | £30,500 | £28,000 |
| £50,000 | £38,000 | £35,000 |
| £60,000 | £46,000 | £42,000 |