Zoopla has released new data showing which parts of Britain currently offer the best value for homebuyers. The portal compared local earnings with average house prices and found that, although affordability has improved slightly this year, the picture varies widely across the country. On average, a two-income household can expect to spend around 4.4 times their combined annual salary on a property, down from 4.5 times in 2024. But in places such as Scotland and the North East, the gap between pay and prices is far smaller.
To identify the most affordable areas, Zoopla looked at local house price-to-earnings ratios for two earners. This reveals a clear divide between the North and South, with some of the cheapest towns concentrated in Scotland and the North East of England.
Shildon, in County Durham, comes out as the most affordable place to buy in Britain. With average home values around £73,800 and typical local household earnings of just over £60,000, buyers need barely more than one year’s income to buy a property. Scotland also features strongly, claiming seven of the ten most affordable towns, including Cumnock, Saltcoats, Ardrossan, and Irvine. The remaining places in the top ten are located in the North East.
Zoopla’s list highlights how sharply affordability shifts as you move south. At the opposite end of the scale, Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is ranked the least affordable town in Britain. Here, a typical home costs more than 15 times the average household income, with median prices exceeding £1.1 million. Other expensive areas such as Gerrards Cross and Esher—both in the South East and within commuting distance of London—show similarly high multiples, often exceeding ratios found in many London boroughs.
Zoopla also examined the most affordable spot in each region. While towns like Shildon and Cumnock offer ratios close to one, areas in the South of England tell a different story. Even the most affordable towns in the South East and South West—Dover and Cinderford—still require buyers to spend more than three and a half times their annual income. For many households, especially single earners, owning a home in the South remains challenging, adding pressure to local rental markets.
London presents a mixed picture. Tower Hamlets is the most affordable borough in the capital, with a price-to-earnings ratio of just under five. This is helped by higher local incomes and a large supply of flats. However, affordability in London is still significantly weaker than in the cheapest areas of the UK. While Outer London generally offers better value, some Inner London boroughs—such as Southwark and Lambeth—also appear on the more affordable end due to stronger local earnings and a wider selection of apartments.
Zoopla’s data also lists the top ten most affordable London boroughs, including Croydon, Greenwich, Lewisham, and Havering. Most of these areas sit below a ratio of six, making them more attainable for buyers compared with much of the South.
Richard Donnell, Zoopla’s Executive Director, notes that the wide gap between towns like Shildon and Beaconsfield reflects the challenges facing buyers. While affordability remains strong across Scotland and the North East, there are still pockets where prices stretch beyond typical incomes. In the South, there are a few pockets of relative value, but large areas remain out of reach for many households unless they have higher wages or sizeable deposits.
Donnell adds that the cost of buying and moving home is now a major factor in people’s decision-making. Many buyers are no longer able to remain within a short distance of their current location and instead must search further afield to find homes that match their budget. Having access to reliable information and tools is increasingly important for making these decisions.
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