Portsmouth vs Southampton: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £2,500 (1%) more in Portsmouth than in Southampton. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| Portsmouth | Southampton | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very expensive |
| Recorded crime | Above average | Above 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 Southampton (£37,130) is 3% higher than in Portsmouth (£36,022), while a typical terraced house costs 1% less (£260,000 against £262,500).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.3× annual pay in Portsmouth and 7.0× in Southampton. Renting one takes 47% of pay in Portsmouth and 43% in Southampton. Renting is harder in Portsmouth; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Portsmouth is around the middle of 316 areas (184th most expensive) to buy in, and Southampton is the 124th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Portsmouth is the 44th most expensive of 316 areas and Southampton is the 79th most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Portsmouth would need about £39,500 in Southampton to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £38,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Southampton 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 112.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Portsmouth and 120.1 in Southampton, so recorded crime per resident is 6% higher in Southampton. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 4.9 per 1,000 in Portsmouth against 9.1 in Southampton.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Portsmouth | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £36,022 | £37,130 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.3× | 7.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 69% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 47% | 43% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Portsmouth | Southampton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £336,625 | £300,000 | -11% in Southampton |
| Terraced | £262,500 | £260,000 | -1% in Southampton |
| Flat | £169,000 | £160,876 | -5% in Southampton |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Portsmouth | Southampton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £1,562 | £1,424 | -9% in Southampton |
| Terraced | £1,405 | £1,329 | -5% in Southampton |
| Flat | £1,045 | £1,000 | -4% in Southampton |
Crime
Police recorded 112.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Portsmouth and 120.1 in Southampton, so recorded crime per resident is 6% higher in Southampton.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Portsmouth | Southampton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 112.8 | 120.1 | +6% in Southampton |
| Violence against the person | 44.8 | 45.1 | +1% in Southampton |
| Sexual offences | 4.9 | 5.0 | +2% in Southampton |
| Robbery | 1.8 | 2.0 | +13% in Southampton |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.9 | 9.1 | +86% in Southampton |
| Vehicle offences | 5.8 | 7.2 | +23% in Southampton |
| Theft from the person | 0.8 | 1.0 | +19% in Southampton |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.1 | 9.3 | +15% in Southampton |
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 | Portsmouth | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 104 | 102 |
| 2007 | 113 | 110 |
| 2008 | 108 | 107 |
| 2009 | 97 | 96 |
| 2010 | 104 | 106 |
| 2011 | 102 | 103 |
| 2012 | 103 | 104 |
| 2013 | 105 | 104 |
| 2014 | 113 | 112 |
| 2015 | 122 | 121 |
| 2016 | 130 | 132 |
| 2017 | 140 | 139 |
| 2018 | 145 | 142 |
| 2019 | 145 | 141 |
| 2020 | 148 | 143 |
| 2021 | 157 | 151 |
| 2022 | 173 | 164 |
| 2023 | 176 | 166 |
| 2024 | 171 | 163 |
| 2025 | 173 | 164 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 172 | 164 |
In 2005 the average home cost £143,878 in Portsmouth and £142,894 in Southampton. Now it is £247,436 and £233,804: Portsmouth is up 72% and Southampton is up 64%. Prices have risen faster in Portsmouth, 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 | Portsmouth | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.5 years of pay |
| 2010 | 5.9 years of pay | 6.4 years of pay |
| 2015 | 6.6 years of pay | 6.7 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.8 years of pay | 6.8 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.9 years of pay | 6.3 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.6 years of pay in Portsmouth and 6.5 years in Southampton. In 2025 it was 6.9 years and 6.3 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Portsmouth 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 | Portsmouth | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 105 | 105 |
| 2017 | 110 | 107 |
| 2018 | 112 | 108 |
| 2019 | 113 | 110 |
| 2020 | 115 | 111 |
| 2021 | 117 | 113 |
| 2022 | 123 | 119 |
| 2023 | 137 | 128 |
| 2024 | 151 | 140 |
| 2025 | 158 | 148 |
| August 2026 | 162 | 154 |
In 2015 the average rent was £843 a month in Portsmouth and £817 in Southampton. Now it is £1,368 and £1,257: up 62% in Portsmouth and up 54% in Southampton. Rents have risen faster in Portsmouth.
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 Portsmouth to Southampton
| Earning in Portsmouth | Equivalent to buy in Southampton | Equivalent to rent in Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £28,500 |
| £40,000 | £39,500 | £38,000 |
| £50,000 | £49,500 | £47,500 |
| £60,000 | £59,500 | £57,000 |
Moving from Southampton to Portsmouth
| Earning in Southampton | Equivalent to buy in Portsmouth | Equivalent to rent in Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £31,500 |
| £40,000 | £40,500 | £42,500 |
| £50,000 | £50,500 | £53,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,500 | £63,500 |