West Lancashire vs Westmorland and Furness: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £345 (0%) more in Westmorland and Furness than in West Lancashire. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in West Lancashire: it takes 4.3× median annual pay, against 4.0× in Westmorland and Furness.
At a glance
| West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Affordable |
| Recorded crime | Low | About 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 Westmorland and Furness (£41,859) is 10% higher than in West Lancashire (£38,102), while a typical terraced house costs the same (£165,345 against £165,000). Set against local pay, Westmorland and Furness is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 4.3× annual pay in West Lancashire and 4.0× in Westmorland and Furness. Renting one takes 26% of pay in West Lancashire and 23% in Westmorland and Furness. Both are harder in West Lancashire, and the gap is wider for renting.
Across all property types and measured against pay, West Lancashire is the 98th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Westmorland and Furness is the 52nd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, West Lancashire is the 38th least expensive of 316 areas and Westmorland and Furness is the 21st least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in West Lancashire would need about £40,000 in Westmorland and Furness to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,000 to be equally placed to rent one. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.
Police recorded 48.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in West Lancashire and 66.0 in Westmorland and Furness, so recorded crime per resident is 36% higher in Westmorland and Furness. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 2.1 per 1,000 in West Lancashire against 1.2 in Westmorland and Furness.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,102 | £41,859 |
| House price ÷ pay | 4.3× | 4.0× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 115% | 127% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 26% | 23% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,000 | £390,000 | +4% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Semi-detached | £235,000 | £250,000 | +6% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Terraced | £165,000 | £165,345 | +0% in Westmorland and Furness |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,148 | £1,132 | -1% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Semi-detached | £833 | £914 | +10% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Terraced | £816 | £815 | -0% in Westmorland and Furness |
Crime
Police recorded 48.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in West Lancashire and 66.0 in Westmorland and Furness, so recorded crime per resident is 36% higher in Westmorland and Furness.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 48.6 | 66.0 | +36% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Violence against the person | 21.8 | 29.5 | +35% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Sexual offences | 2.5 | 3.5 | +41% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Robbery | 0.6 | 0.3 | -55% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 4.6 | 2.7 | -42% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Vehicle offences | 2.1 | 1.2 | -43% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 0.3 | +106% in Westmorland and Furness |
| Criminal damage and arson | 5.4 | 6.8 | +27% in Westmorland and Furness |
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 | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 107 | 110 |
| 2007 | 118 | 119 |
| 2008 | 113 | 118 |
| 2009 | 108 | 109 |
| 2010 | 111 | 113 |
| 2011 | 112 | 112 |
| 2012 | 108 | 109 |
| 2013 | 108 | 109 |
| 2014 | 110 | 112 |
| 2015 | 112 | 116 |
| 2016 | 120 | 120 |
| 2017 | 123 | 124 |
| 2018 | 127 | 128 |
| 2019 | 128 | 131 |
| 2020 | 129 | 133 |
| 2021 | 137 | 142 |
| 2022 | 148 | 154 |
| 2023 | 156 | 155 |
| 2024 | 163 | 157 |
| 2025 | 166 | 157 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 171 | 159 |
In 2005 the average home cost £137,815 in West Lancashire and £141,261 in Westmorland and Furness. Now it is £235,697 and £225,218: West Lancashire is up 71% and Westmorland and Furness is up 59%. Prices have risen faster in West Lancashire, so the gap between the two has narrowed.
How rents have changed in each area
Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.
Show the figures
| Year | West Lancashire | Westmorland and Furness |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 101 | 101 |
| 2017 | 103 | 104 |
| 2018 | 103 | 107 |
| 2019 | 103 | 110 |
| 2020 | 102 | 112 |
| 2021 | 101 | 115 |
| 2022 | 102 | 119 |
| 2023 | 108 | 124 |
| 2024 | 117 | 131 |
| 2025 | 131 | 141 |
| August 2026 | 140 | 151 |
In 2015 the average rent was £573 a month in West Lancashire and £541 in Westmorland and Furness. Now it is £805 and £816: up 40% in West Lancashire and up 51% in Westmorland and Furness. Rents have risen faster in Westmorland and Furness.
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 West Lancashire to Westmorland and Furness
| Earning in West Lancashire | Equivalent to buy in Westmorland and Furness | Equivalent to rent in Westmorland and Furness |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £60,000 |
Moving from Westmorland and Furness to West Lancashire
| Earning in Westmorland and Furness | Equivalent to buy in West Lancashire | Equivalent to rent in West Lancashire |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £30,000 | £30,000 |
| £40,000 | £40,000 | £40,000 |
| £50,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| £60,000 | £60,000 | £60,000 |
All West Lancashire figures · All Westmorland and Furness figures