South Gloucestershire vs South Hams: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £25,000 (9%) more in South Gloucestershire than in South Hams. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| South Gloucestershire | South Hams | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Very expensive | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | About average | 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 South Hams (£38,638) is 5% lower than in South Gloucestershire (£40,731), while a typical terraced house costs 8% less (£275,000 against £300,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.4× annual pay in South Gloucestershire and 7.1× in South Hams. Renting one takes 43% of pay in South Gloucestershire and 29% in South Hams. Renting is harder in South Gloucestershire; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, South Gloucestershire is the 124th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and South Hams is the 85th most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, South Gloucestershire is the 58th most expensive of 316 areas and South Hams is around the middle of 316 areas (179th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in South Gloucestershire would need about £36,500 in South Hams to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £26,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to South Hams 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 73.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in South Gloucestershire and 46.3 in South Hams, so recorded crime per resident is 37% lower in South Hams. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 6.6 per 1,000 in South Gloucestershire against 2.4 in South Hams.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | South Gloucestershire | South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £40,731 | £38,638 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.4× | 7.1× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 68% | 70% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 43% | 29% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | South Gloucestershire | South Hams | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £500,000 | £515,000 | +3% in South Hams |
| Semi-detached | £355,000 | £305,000 | -14% in South Hams |
| Terraced | £300,000 | £275,000 | -8% in South Hams |
| Flat | £199,950 | £210,000 | +5% in South Hams |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | South Gloucestershire | South Hams | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,978 | £1,394 | -30% in South Hams |
| Semi-detached | £1,572 | £1,103 | -30% in South Hams |
| Terraced | £1,467 | £949 | -35% in South Hams |
| Flat | £1,156 | £853 | -26% in South Hams |
Crime
Police recorded 73.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in South Gloucestershire and 46.3 in South Hams, so recorded crime per resident is 37% lower in South Hams.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | South Gloucestershire | South Hams | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 73.8 | 46.3 | -37% in South Hams |
| Violence against the person | 30.0 | 21.8 | -27% in South Hams |
| Sexual offences | 3.4 | 2.6 | -22% in South Hams |
| Robbery | 1.0 | 0.2 | -80% in South Hams |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.6 | 2.4 | -64% in South Hams |
| Vehicle offences | 3.5 | 1.3 | -64% in South Hams |
| Theft from the person | 0.1 | 0.2 | +33% in South Hams |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.9 | 4.9 | -17% in South Hams |
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 | South Gloucestershire | South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 106 |
| 2007 | 119 | 118 |
| 2008 | 113 | 112 |
| 2009 | 100 | 100 |
| 2010 | 108 | 112 |
| 2011 | 107 | 112 |
| 2012 | 109 | 111 |
| 2013 | 112 | 110 |
| 2014 | 122 | 117 |
| 2015 | 132 | 122 |
| 2016 | 146 | 126 |
| 2017 | 155 | 126 |
| 2018 | 160 | 132 |
| 2019 | 163 | 135 |
| 2020 | 166 | 140 |
| 2021 | 176 | 152 |
| 2022 | 195 | 170 |
| 2023 | 198 | 170 |
| 2024 | 196 | 168 |
| 2025 | 202 | 164 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 204 | 159 |
In 2005 the average home cost £164,427 in South Gloucestershire and £228,256 in South Hams. Now it is £334,712 and £362,244: South Gloucestershire is up 104% and South Hams is up 59%. Prices have risen faster in South Gloucestershire, 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 | South Gloucestershire | South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.8 years of pay | 9.9 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.8 years of pay | 10.0 years of pay |
| 2015 | 7.5 years of pay | 10.1 years of pay |
| 2020 | 8.5 years of pay | 10.7 years of pay |
| 2025 | 8.2 years of pay | 9.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.8 years of pay in South Gloucestershire and 9.9 years in South Hams. In 2025 it was 8.2 years and 9.7 years.
Affordability has worsened more in South Gloucestershire 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 | South Gloucestershire | South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 106 | 102 |
| 2017 | 113 | 104 |
| 2018 | 116 | 106 |
| 2019 | 118 | 108 |
| 2020 | 120 | 110 |
| 2021 | 128 | 114 |
| 2022 | 137 | 122 |
| 2023 | 151 | 130 |
| 2024 | 162 | 136 |
| 2025 | 171 | 142 |
| August 2026 | 178 | 148 |
In 2015 the average rent was £822 a month in South Gloucestershire and £686 in South Hams. Now it is £1,464 and £1,012: up 78% in South Gloucestershire and up 48% in South Hams. Rents have risen faster in South Gloucestershire.
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 South Gloucestershire to South Hams
| Earning in South Gloucestershire | Equivalent to buy in South Hams | Equivalent to rent in South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £27,500 | £19,500 |
| £40,000 | £36,500 | £26,000 |
| £50,000 | £46,000 | £32,500 |
| £60,000 | £55,000 | £39,000 |
Moving from South Hams to South Gloucestershire
| Earning in South Hams | Equivalent to buy in South Gloucestershire | Equivalent to rent in South Gloucestershire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £32,500 | £46,500 |
| £40,000 | £43,500 | £62,000 |
| £50,000 | £54,500 | £77,500 |
| £60,000 | £65,500 | £93,000 |