28 May 2025
The salary required to be able to buy a home per area
Buying a house is a big deal, and where you are planning to buy will make a difference financially.
Of course, London is one of the priciest areas to buy a property. You’ll be required to earn £86,513 for a flat compared to £14,426 for the equivalent property in Burnley, or £205,405 for a detached home versus £42,996 for the same property in Middlesborough which is quite a contrast.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average UK wage is £37,430, and the type of property makes a big difference in the price, for example; a detached house compared to a flat is going to be more expensive.
Most affordable areas in the UK*
Research from GoCompare shows the salaries you need to purchase a house and the average price in different areas across the UK. Below are the top five affordable areas:
| Salary Required | Flat | Terraced | Semi | Detached |
| Burnley | £14,426 | £18,940 | £27,214 | £42,262 |
| Middlesborough | £15,751 | £20,458 | £28,549 | £42,996 |
| Blackpool | £15,859 | £22,923 | £29,065 | £43,702 |
| Sunderland | £17,097 | £22,964 | £29,366 | £48,800 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £18,268 | £23,160 | £30,560 | £51,243 |
| Average Price | Flat | Terraced | Semi | Detached |
| Burnley | £72,150 | £95,196 | £136,780 | £212,414 |
| Middlesborough | £79,166 | £102,825 | £143,492 | £216,101 |
| Blackpool | £79,708 | £115,213 | £146,084 | £219,652 |
| Sunderland | £85,933 | £115,420 | £147,597 | £245,274 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £91,816 | £116,405 | £153,596 | £257,553 |
Most expensive areas in the UK*
These are the salaries you need to purchase a house, and the average price in different areas across the UK. Below are the top five most expensive areas:
| Salary Required | Flat | Terraced | Semi | Detached |
| London | £86,513 | £113,764 | £135,326 | £205,405 |
| Cambridge | £66,650 | £100,023 | £119,439 | £193,519 |
| Oxford | £61,982 | £94,256 | £117,701 | £189,489 |
| Brighton | £58,464 | £93,227 | £104,011 | £157,673 |
| Edinburgh | £52,136 | £73,962 | £91,976 | £145,882 |
| Average Price | Flat | Terraced | Semi | Detached |
| London | £435,818 | £571,783 | £680,157 | £1,032,371 |
| Cambridge | £334,988 | £502,721 | £600,304 | £972,634 |
| Oxford | £311,527 | £473,734 | £591,569 | £952,380 |
| Brighton | £293,845 | £468,564 | £522,764 | £792,472 |
| Edinburgh | £262,037 | £371,735 | £462,275 | £733,211 |
Remember, wherever you are looking to buy, the team at Mortgage Required are experts at finding the best product available. Give them a call on 01628 507477 or email team@mortgagerequired.com.
*House prices were taken from HM Land Registry UK House Price Index: June 2024. Repayments were calculated based on a 90% mortgage with 5.5% interest rate over 25 years.
Recent posts
Best UK Mortgage Rates this Week
4 days ago
Here are the lowest fixed mortgage rates of the week, available to first-time buyers, home movers, buy-to-let, and those remortgaging.
Call us for more information: 01628 507477 or email: team@mortgagerequired.com.
Maidenhead, Berkshire – 26th January 2026 – Dedicated independent mortgage experts, Mortgage Required, are delighted to have acquired fellow experienced brokerage, Y-Not Finance.
The acquisition connects two well-respected brokerages, both with a wealth of experience and shared values, to continue providing the best advice on all aspects of the mortgage market.
As part of the UK government’s plans to change the leasehold system to help families struggling with unaffordable ground rent costs.
The Prime Minister announced this morning (27 January) that ground rents will be capped at £250 per year, reverting to a peppercorn rate after 40 years.
Additional borrowing, also known as a further advance, is when you borrow more money on your existing mortgage for a specific reason agreed with your lender.
Here are five of the most common reasons for additional borrowing.
UK Housing Market Round-Up: 2025
30 Dec 2025
Property search site Zoopla has estimated that the UK housing market will end 2025 with approximately 1.15 million completed sales – 4.5% more than the previous year.
Take a look at the 2025 summary of the UK housing market.
Buying in the New Year
29 Dec 2025
If buying your first property, or moving home, is on your to-do list this year, the new year can be a great time to take this big step. In this short blog, we look at what you need to consider as you plan and prepare for your home-buying journey.
Just because the Bank of England decides to reduce the base rate, this doesn't automatically mean that your mortgage rate will go down.
Autumn Budget 2025: A Summary
26 Nov 2025
Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has delivered the Autumn 2025 budget. We have summarised the government's plans for tax and spending.
More information
Trusted by
