Reigate and Banstead vs Sevenoaks: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £58,000 (15%) more in Reigate and Banstead than in Sevenoaks. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Reigate and Banstead: it takes 10.1× median annual pay, against 8.5× in Sevenoaks.
At a glance
| Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Very 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 Sevenoaks (£44,581) is 3% higher than in Reigate and Banstead (£43,434), while a typical terraced house costs 13% less (£380,000 against £438,000). Set against local pay, Sevenoaks is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 10.1× annual pay in Reigate and Banstead and 8.5× in Sevenoaks. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Reigate and Banstead and 45% in Sevenoaks. Buying is harder in Reigate and Banstead; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Reigate and Banstead is the 29th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Sevenoaks is the 30th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Reigate and Banstead is the 48th most expensive of 316 areas and Sevenoaks is the 32nd most expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Reigate and Banstead would need about £34,500 in Sevenoaks to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Sevenoaks 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 59.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Reigate and Banstead and 52.7 in Sevenoaks, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in Sevenoaks. The biggest difference is in sexual offences: 2.4 per 1,000 in Reigate and Banstead against 1.6 in Sevenoaks.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £43,434 | £44,581 |
| House price ÷ pay | 10.1× | 8.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 50% | 59% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 45% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £812,500 | £850,000 | +5% in Sevenoaks |
| Semi-detached | £540,000 | £495,498 | -8% in Sevenoaks |
| Terraced | £438,000 | £380,000 | -13% in Sevenoaks |
| Flat | £260,000 | £265,000 | +2% in Sevenoaks |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,396 | £2,750 | +15% in Sevenoaks |
| Semi-detached | £1,751 | £1,902 | +9% in Sevenoaks |
| Terraced | £1,654 | £1,655 | +0% in Sevenoaks |
| Flat | £1,318 | £1,475 | +12% in Sevenoaks |
Crime
Police recorded 59.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Reigate and Banstead and 52.7 in Sevenoaks, so recorded crime per resident is 12% lower in Sevenoaks.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 59.8 | 52.7 | -12% in Sevenoaks |
| Violence against the person | 24.2 | 19.7 | -19% in Sevenoaks |
| Sexual offences | 2.4 | 1.6 | -33% in Sevenoaks |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 0.3 | -37% in Sevenoaks |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.2 | 5.1 | -1% in Sevenoaks |
| Vehicle offences | 3.8 | 4.6 | +22% in Sevenoaks |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.2 | -30% in Sevenoaks |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.6 | 6.8 | +22% in Sevenoaks |
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 | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 103 |
| 2007 | 116 | 114 |
| 2008 | 115 | 115 |
| 2009 | 102 | 102 |
| 2010 | 113 | 111 |
| 2011 | 113 | 112 |
| 2012 | 116 | 116 |
| 2013 | 121 | 120 |
| 2014 | 136 | 132 |
| 2015 | 151 | 145 |
| 2016 | 165 | 161 |
| 2017 | 169 | 166 |
| 2018 | 171 | 170 |
| 2019 | 168 | 170 |
| 2020 | 174 | 176 |
| 2021 | 178 | 182 |
| 2022 | 193 | 197 |
| 2023 | 194 | 202 |
| 2024 | 193 | 199 |
| 2025 | 195 | 208 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 194 | 210 |
In 2005 the average home cost £247,666 in Reigate and Banstead and £256,378 in Sevenoaks. Now it is £481,000 and £538,214: Reigate and Banstead is up 94% and Sevenoaks is up 110%. Prices have risen faster in Sevenoaks, 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 | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.6 years of pay | 9.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.1 years of pay | 8.7 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.7 years of pay | 12.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.8 years of pay | 12.1 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.1 years of pay | 12.0 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.6 years of pay in Reigate and Banstead and 9.4 years in Sevenoaks. In 2025 it was 11.1 years and 12.0 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 | Reigate and Banstead | Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 102 |
| 2017 | 107 | 105 |
| 2018 | 107 | 108 |
| 2019 | 108 | 109 |
| 2020 | 110 | 110 |
| 2021 | 112 | 115 |
| 2022 | 115 | 124 |
| 2023 | 124 | 129 |
| 2024 | 135 | 136 |
| 2025 | 143 | 144 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,117 a month in Reigate and Banstead and £1,196 in Sevenoaks. Now it is £1,640 and £1,809: up 47% in Reigate and Banstead and up 51% in Sevenoaks.
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 Reigate and Banstead to Sevenoaks
| Earning in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to buy in Sevenoaks | Equivalent to rent in Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £26,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £34,500 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £43,500 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £52,000 | £60,000 |
Moving from Sevenoaks to Reigate and Banstead
| Earning in Sevenoaks | Equivalent to buy in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to rent in Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £34,500 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £46,000 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £57,500 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £69,000 | £60,000 |