How Much Do You Need to Earn to Buy a Home in Every UK City?

How much do you need to earn to buy a home in the UK in 2026?

On a UK median salary of around £35,000, you could afford a property worth up to roughly £175,000 — assuming a 10% deposit and a standard 4.5x income multiplier. As of January 2026, 26 cities across the UK fall within that range, according to HM Land Registry data.

This guide uses real first-time buyer prices from the UK House Price Index (January 2026) and median earnings from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE 2024) to show exactly what salary you need in every major UK city.

Which UK cities need the lowest salary to buy a home?

These 15 cities require the lowest household income to purchase a first-time buyer property with a 10% deposit and a 4.5x mortgage multiplier. Many are in the North East, Yorkshire, and Scotland.

Which UK cities need the highest salary to buy?

At the other end, London boroughs and commuter-belt cities dominate the most expensive list. In Kensington and Chelsea, you would need a household income of £204,564 — more than 6x the UK median salary.

Where can you buy on the UK median salary of £35,000?

26 cities are accessible to a single earner on the UK median salary of £35,000, assuming a 10% deposit. These are concentrated in the North of England, Wales, Scotland, and the Midlands:

• Aberdeen — FTB price £113,084, income needed £22,617
• Hartlepool — FTB price £113,979, income needed £22,796
• Dundee — FTB price £120,530, income needed £24,106
• Durham — FTB price £123,208, income needed £24,642
• Middlesbrough — FTB price £124,848, income needed £24,970
• Blackpool — FTB price £126,310, income needed £25,262
• Sunderland — FTB price £128,382, income needed £25,676
• Blackburn — FTB price £135,741, income needed £27,148
• Gateshead — FTB price £135,961, income needed £27,192
• Stoke-on-Trent — FTB price £136,788, income needed £27,358
• Darlington — FTB price £143,476, income needed £28,695
• Carlisle — FTB price £154,521, income needed £30,904
• Barnsley — FTB price £155,710, income needed £31,142
• Doncaster — FTB price £158,946, income needed £31,789
• Preston — FTB price £165,469, income needed £33,094
• Halifax — FTB price £166,180, income needed £33,236
• Bradford — FTB price £166,944, income needed £33,389
• Glasgow — FTB price £167,060, income needed £33,412
• Liverpool — FTB price £167,535, income needed £33,507
• Lincoln — FTB price £168,623, income needed £33,725
• Rotherham — FTB price £169,249, income needed £33,850
• Mansfield — FTB price £169,689, income needed £33,938
• Wigan — FTB price £171,428, income needed £34,286
• Perth — FTB price £171,810, income needed £34,362
• Inverness — FTB price £173,928, income needed £34,786
• Chesterfield — FTB price £174,968, income needed £34,994

How is the income needed to buy a house calculated?

Most UK mortgage lenders cap borrowing at 4.5 times your gross annual household income — though some specialist lenders stretch to 5x or even 6x for high earners. Here is the formula we have used:

1. Deposit: 10% of the first-time buyer average price
2. Mortgage needed: FTB price minus the deposit (i.e. 90% of the price)
3. Income required: Mortgage amount divided by 4.5

For example, if the average FTB price in a city is £238,200, the deposit is £23,820, the mortgage is £214,380, and the income needed is £47,640.

Use our mortgage calculator to see exactly what your monthly repayments would be, or check the stamp duty calculator to factor in purchase costs.

How does affordability vary by region?

The gap between the most and least affordable regions is enormous. Here is the median income needed per region: