*Collaborative post
Housing affordability in the UK has always been a bit of an issue. In places like London, buying or even renting a home can take a large portion of your income, and it can also be a somewhat stressful experience. With that said, recent data is indicating that not all of the UK has steep housing prices, and if you look at Durham and Middlesbrough, you’ll see that they are some of the most affordable places to live in the world.
Inside the DIHA Report
The Demographia International Housing Affordability report compares house prices against the international income people have. The study works by showing the average income and how this can be applied to homeownership. Anything under 3.0 is said to be affordable, with anything above 4.0 being seriously unaffordable. Middlesbrough and Durham score 3.7, making them amongst the most affordable places to own a home in the world. The only city that ranked higher was Pittsburgh, which scored 3.2.
With house prices rising by 1.1% since February 2025, there’s also been a rise in people searching for terms like how much is my house worth. With online sites now giving people the chance to get an accurate valuation for their home, homeowners in the UK are more empowered than ever to make smart choices with their property, which when given the recent price increases, has led to a surge of homes hitting the market.
Sheffield is in Second Place
The house price index for March 2025 also indicates that there has been a price rise of 6.4%, showing that the housing market as a whole is experiencing positive growth, with sellers set to benefit the most.
Other parts of the study indicated that Sheffield in the UK came in at second, with an affordability rating of 3.8. Glasgow, Derby and Staffordshire came in at 4.6, within the areas being listed as seriously unaffordable. London, however, had a ratio of 9.1, indicating that houses in the area are on average 9 times more expensive than the median income of those in the area. The findings indicate that UK properties aren’t as unaffordable as they may seem, however, and that other parts of the UK offer very reasonable opportunities for those who want to buy a property.
For families who are looking to move to the area, or for people who are thinking about buying an investment property, it seems that Middlesbrough and Durham stand out as being more manageable, with affordability rates like this making the biggest difference to both first-time buyers and families. It also helps people to escape the cost of the city, providing more opportunities to those on lower incomes.
Studies like this are also a good way to assess the housing market and whether some cities are increasing faster than others, which can be a good way to drive both economic growth and investment in areas that may be on the rise. Data like this also shows how much of a stark difference there is in London prices, which is interesting for those who live in the area.