Reigate and Banstead vs Wokingham: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £53,000 (14%) more in Reigate and Banstead than in Wokingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Reigate and Banstead: it takes 10.1× median annual pay, against 7.4× in Wokingham.
At a glance
| Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Very expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very 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 Wokingham (£52,222) is 20% higher than in Reigate and Banstead (£43,434), while a typical terraced house costs 12% less (£385,000 against £438,000). Set against local pay, Wokingham 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 7.4× in Wokingham. Renting one takes 46% of pay in Reigate and Banstead and 32% in Wokingham. Both are harder in Reigate and Banstead, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Reigate and Banstead is the 29th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Wokingham is the 81st most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Reigate and Banstead is the 48th most expensive of 316 areas and Wokingham is around the middle of 316 areas (150th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in Reigate and Banstead would need about £35,000 in Wokingham to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Wokingham 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 39.2 in Wokingham, so recorded crime per resident is 34% lower in Wokingham. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 5.2 per 1,000 in Reigate and Banstead against 2.9 in Wokingham.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £43,434 | £52,222 |
| House price ÷ pay | 10.1× | 7.4× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 50% | 68% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 46% | 32% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £812,500 | £670,000 | -18% in Wokingham |
| Semi-detached | £540,000 | £482,000 | -11% in Wokingham |
| Terraced | £438,000 | £385,000 | -12% in Wokingham |
| Flat | £260,000 | £260,000 | 0% in Wokingham |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £2,396 | £2,120 | -12% in Wokingham |
| Semi-detached | £1,751 | £1,679 | -4% in Wokingham |
| Terraced | £1,654 | £1,401 | -15% in Wokingham |
| Flat | £1,318 | £1,206 | -8% in Wokingham |
Crime
Police recorded 59.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in Reigate and Banstead and 39.2 in Wokingham, so recorded crime per resident is 34% lower in Wokingham.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 59.8 | 39.2 | -34% in Wokingham |
| Violence against the person | 24.2 | 14.9 | -38% in Wokingham |
| Sexual offences | 2.4 | 1.6 | -31% in Wokingham |
| Robbery | 0.5 | 0.4 | -23% in Wokingham |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 5.2 | 2.9 | -44% in Wokingham |
| Vehicle offences | 3.8 | 2.2 | -41% in Wokingham |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 | 0.2 | -48% in Wokingham |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.6 | 3.5 | -38% in Wokingham |
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 | Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 103 | 105 |
| 2007 | 116 | 117 |
| 2008 | 115 | 115 |
| 2009 | 102 | 104 |
| 2010 | 113 | 113 |
| 2011 | 113 | 114 |
| 2012 | 116 | 115 |
| 2013 | 121 | 120 |
| 2014 | 136 | 135 |
| 2015 | 151 | 151 |
| 2016 | 165 | 168 |
| 2017 | 169 | 170 |
| 2018 | 171 | 171 |
| 2019 | 168 | 166 |
| 2020 | 174 | 171 |
| 2021 | 178 | 177 |
| 2022 | 193 | 191 |
| 2023 | 194 | 197 |
| 2024 | 193 | 195 |
| 2025 | 195 | 205 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 194 | 203 |
In 2005 the average home cost £247,666 in Reigate and Banstead and £245,648 in Wokingham. Now it is £481,000 and £498,516: Reigate and Banstead is up 94% and Wokingham is up 103%. Prices have risen faster in Wokingham, 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 | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.6 years of pay | 7.6 years of pay |
| 2010 | 8.1 years of pay | 7.8 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.7 years of pay | 9.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.8 years of pay | 11.0 years of pay |
| 2025 | 11.1 years of pay | 9.6 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 8.6 years of pay in Reigate and Banstead and 7.6 years in Wokingham. In 2025 it was 11.1 years and 9.6 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Reigate and Banstead 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 | Reigate and Banstead | Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 103 | 102 |
| 2017 | 107 | 105 |
| 2018 | 107 | 103 |
| 2019 | 108 | 104 |
| 2020 | 110 | 103 |
| 2021 | 112 | 104 |
| 2022 | 115 | 106 |
| 2023 | 124 | 112 |
| 2024 | 135 | 126 |
| 2025 | 143 | 137 |
| August 2026 | 147 | 139 |
In 2015 the average rent was £1,117 a month in Reigate and Banstead and £1,057 in Wokingham. Now it is £1,640 and £1,466: up 47% in Reigate and Banstead and up 39% in Wokingham. Rents have risen faster in Reigate and Banstead.
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 Wokingham
| Earning in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to buy in Wokingham | Equivalent to rent in Wokingham |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £26,500 | £25,500 |
| £40,000 | £35,000 | £34,000 |
| £50,000 | £44,000 | £42,500 |
| £60,000 | £52,500 | £51,000 |
Moving from Wokingham to Reigate and Banstead
| Earning in Wokingham | Equivalent to buy in Reigate and Banstead | Equivalent to rent in Reigate and Banstead |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £34,000 | £35,500 |
| £40,000 | £45,500 | £47,000 |
| £50,000 | £57,000 | £59,000 |
| £60,000 | £68,500 | £71,000 |