South Hams vs Stroud: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £5,000 (2%) more in South Hams than in Stroud. Measured against local pay, buying is about equally hard in both.
At a glance
| South Hams | Stroud | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Expensive | Expensive |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| 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 Stroud (£38,608) is the same than in South Hams (£38,638), while a typical terraced house costs 2% less (£270,000 against £275,000).
Buying a terraced house takes 7.1× annual pay in South Hams and 7.0× in Stroud. Renting one takes 29% of pay in South Hams and 32% in Stroud. Renting is harder in Stroud; buying is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, South Hams is the 85th most expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Stroud is the 101st most expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, South Hams is around the middle of 316 areas (179th most expensive) and Stroud is around the middle of 316 areas (168th most expensive).
Someone on £40,000 in South Hams would need about £39,500 in Stroud to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £43,000 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Stroud 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 46.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in South Hams and 49.3 in Stroud, so recorded crime per resident is 7% higher in Stroud. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 1.3 per 1,000 in South Hams against 2.5 in Stroud.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | South Hams | Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,638 | £38,608 |
| House price ÷ pay | 7.1× | 7.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 70% | 71% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 29% | 32% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | South Hams | Stroud | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £515,000 | £500,000 | -3% in Stroud |
| Semi-detached | £305,000 | £325,000 | +7% in Stroud |
| Terraced | £275,000 | £270,000 | -2% in Stroud |
| Flat | £210,000 | £160,000 | -24% in Stroud |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | South Hams | Stroud | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,394 | £1,396 | +0% in Stroud |
| Semi-detached | £1,103 | £1,113 | +1% in Stroud |
| Terraced | £949 | £1,023 | +8% in Stroud |
| Flat | £853 | £835 | -2% in Stroud |
Crime
Police recorded 46.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in South Hams and 49.3 in Stroud, so recorded crime per resident is 7% higher in Stroud.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | South Hams | Stroud | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 46.3 | 49.3 | +7% in Stroud |
| Violence against the person | 21.8 | 21.3 | -2% in Stroud |
| Sexual offences | 2.6 | 2.5 | -4% in Stroud |
| Robbery | 0.2 | 0.4 | +85% in Stroud |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 2.4 | 4.0 | +68% in Stroud |
| Vehicle offences | 1.3 | 2.5 | +96% in Stroud |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 0.1 | -50% in Stroud |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.9 | 4.4 | -10% in Stroud |
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 Hams | Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 106 | 104 |
| 2007 | 118 | 114 |
| 2008 | 112 | 109 |
| 2009 | 100 | 96 |
| 2010 | 112 | 104 |
| 2011 | 112 | 103 |
| 2012 | 111 | 104 |
| 2013 | 110 | 105 |
| 2014 | 117 | 112 |
| 2015 | 122 | 119 |
| 2016 | 126 | 127 |
| 2017 | 126 | 137 |
| 2018 | 132 | 140 |
| 2019 | 135 | 142 |
| 2020 | 140 | 148 |
| 2021 | 152 | 150 |
| 2022 | 170 | 168 |
| 2023 | 170 | 171 |
| 2024 | 168 | 171 |
| 2025 | 164 | 174 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 159 | 177 |
In 2005 the average home cost £228,256 in South Hams and £196,733 in Stroud. Now it is £362,244 and £348,740: South Hams is up 59% and Stroud is up 77%. Prices have risen faster in Stroud, 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 Hams | Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9.9 years of pay | 8.4 years of pay |
| 2010 | 10.0 years of pay | 7.9 years of pay |
| 2015 | 10.1 years of pay | 8.6 years of pay |
| 2020 | 10.7 years of pay | 9.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 9.7 years of pay | 8.9 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 9.9 years of pay in South Hams and 8.4 years in Stroud. In 2025 it was 9.7 years and 8.9 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Stroud 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 Hams | Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 102 | 103 |
| 2017 | 104 | 105 |
| 2018 | 106 | 108 |
| 2019 | 108 | 110 |
| 2020 | 110 | 111 |
| 2021 | 114 | 115 |
| 2022 | 122 | 119 |
| 2023 | 130 | 130 |
| 2024 | 136 | 139 |
| 2025 | 142 | 146 |
| August 2026 | 148 | 155 |
In 2015 the average rent was £686 a month in South Hams and £671 in Stroud. Now it is £1,012 and £1,041: up 48% in South Hams and up 55% in Stroud. Rents have risen faster in Stroud.
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 Hams to Stroud
| Earning in South Hams | Equivalent to buy in Stroud | Equivalent to rent in Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £29,500 | £32,500 |
| £40,000 | £39,500 | £43,000 |
| £50,000 | £49,000 | £54,000 |
| £60,000 | £59,000 | £64,500 |
Moving from Stroud to South Hams
| Earning in Stroud | Equivalent to buy in South Hams | Equivalent to rent in South Hams |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,500 | £28,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,500 | £37,000 |
| £50,000 | £51,000 | £46,500 |
| £60,000 | £61,000 | £55,500 |