Worcester vs Wyre Forest: buying or renting a home
A typical terraced house costs £39,500 (21%) more in Worcester than in Wyre Forest. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Worcester: it takes 5.9× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Wyre Forest.
At a glance
| Worcester | Wyre Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Renting a home | Fairly affordable | Fairly affordable |
| Recorded crime | About average | 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 Wyre Forest (£34,661) is 11% lower than in Worcester (£38,880), while a typical terraced house costs 17% less (£190,500 against £230,000). Set against local pay, Wyre Forest is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.
Buying a terraced house takes 5.9× annual pay in Worcester and 5.5× in Wyre Forest. Renting one takes 29% of pay in Worcester and 28% in Wyre Forest. Buying is harder in Worcester; renting is about the same.
Across all property types and measured against pay, Worcester is the 97th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Wyre Forest is around the middle of 316 areas (179th most expensive). For renting against pay, Worcester is the 122nd least expensive of 316 areas and Wyre Forest is the 96th least expensive of 316 areas.
Someone on £40,000 in Worcester would need about £33,000 in Wyre Forest 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 Wyre Forest 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 63.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Worcester and 63.8 in Wyre Forest: about the same. The biggest difference is in vehicle offences: 2.8 per 1,000 in Worcester against 3.8 in Wyre Forest.
Can a typical earner buy?
| Terraced house | Worcester | Wyre Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time pay | £38,880 | £34,661 |
| House price ÷ pay | 5.9× | 5.5× |
| Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy | 85% | 91% |
| Rent a year as a share of median pay | 29% | 28% |
Buying, by property type
| Type | Worcester | Wyre Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,000 | £355,000 | -5% in Wyre Forest |
| Semi-detached | £260,000 | £249,000 | -4% in Wyre Forest |
| Terraced | £230,000 | £190,500 | -17% in Wyre Forest |
Renting, by property type
| Type (average rent a month) | Worcester | Wyre Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £1,343 | £1,072 | -20% in Wyre Forest |
| Semi-detached | £1,043 | £917 | -12% in Wyre Forest |
| Terraced | £955 | £810 | -15% in Wyre Forest |
Crime
Police recorded 63.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Worcester and 63.8 in Wyre Forest: about the same.
| Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents | Worcester | Wyre Forest | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime (excluding fraud) | 63.6 | 63.8 | +0% in Wyre Forest |
| Violence against the person | 25.1 | 25.6 | +2% in Wyre Forest |
| Sexual offences | 2.8 | 3.1 | +10% in Wyre Forest |
| Robbery | 0.8 | 0.9 | +10% in Wyre Forest |
| Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) | 6.0 | 5.4 | -10% in Wyre Forest |
| Vehicle offences | 2.8 | 3.8 | +37% in Wyre Forest |
| Theft from the person | 0.2 | 0.2 | -4% in Wyre Forest |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.0 | 5.8 | -3% in Wyre Forest |
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 | Worcester | Wyre Forest |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100 | 100 |
| 2006 | 105 | 104 |
| 2007 | 114 | 110 |
| 2008 | 109 | 107 |
| 2009 | 95 | 95 |
| 2010 | 100 | 98 |
| 2011 | 100 | 97 |
| 2012 | 103 | 96 |
| 2013 | 102 | 97 |
| 2014 | 109 | 100 |
| 2015 | 114 | 105 |
| 2016 | 120 | 111 |
| 2017 | 127 | 117 |
| 2018 | 132 | 123 |
| 2019 | 132 | 126 |
| 2020 | 135 | 131 |
| 2021 | 142 | 142 |
| 2022 | 159 | 156 |
| 2023 | 161 | 160 |
| 2024 | 165 | 158 |
| 2025 | 167 | 161 |
| 12 months to July 2026 | 168 | 162 |
In 2005 the average home cost £149,911 in Worcester and £143,580 in Wyre Forest. Now it is £252,084 and £232,015: Worcester is up 68% and Wyre Forest is up 62%. Prices have risen faster in Worcester, 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 | Worcester | Wyre Forest |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6.5 years of pay | 7.3 years of pay |
| 2010 | 6.0 years of pay | – |
| 2015 | 6.3 years of pay | 5.9 years of pay |
| 2020 | 7.3 years of pay | 6.2 years of pay |
| 2025 | 6.5 years of pay | 6.7 years of pay |
In 2005 a home cost 6.5 years of pay in Worcester and 7.3 years in Wyre Forest. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.7 years.
Affordability has worsened more in Worcester 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 | Worcester | Wyre Forest |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 | 100 |
| 2016 | 102 | 101 |
| 2017 | 106 | 104 |
| 2018 | 107 | 105 |
| 2019 | 108 | 107 |
| 2020 | 112 | 110 |
| 2021 | 115 | 113 |
| 2022 | 114 | 119 |
| 2023 | 120 | 126 |
| 2024 | 133 | 135 |
| 2025 | 142 | 147 |
| August 2026 | 151 | 145 |
In 2015 the average rent was £649 a month in Worcester and £568 in Wyre Forest. Now it is £977 and £825: up 51% in Worcester and up 45% in Wyre Forest. Rents have risen faster in Worcester.
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 Worcester to Wyre Forest
| Earning in Worcester | Equivalent to buy in Wyre Forest | Equivalent to rent in Wyre Forest |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,000 | £25,500 |
| £40,000 | £33,000 | £34,000 |
| £50,000 | £41,500 | £42,500 |
| £60,000 | £49,500 | £51,000 |
Moving from Wyre Forest to Worcester
| Earning in Wyre Forest | Equivalent to buy in Worcester | Equivalent to rent in Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £36,000 | £35,500 |
| £40,000 | £48,500 | £47,000 |
| £50,000 | £60,500 | £59,000 |
| £60,000 | £72,500 | £70,500 |