LiveWhere First-Time Buyer Index: the monthly cost of owning a first-time buyer's home in England and Wales

August 2026 edition Published 21 October 2026 Updated monthly, on the day the official UK House Price Index is published
By Ryan Hughes, LiveWhere founder

Owning a typical first home in England and Wales cost a first-time buyer £1,714 a month in August 2026, £110 more than a year earlier (+6.8%). The figure is for someone buying their first home now, not for existing homeowners. The monthly cost was £1,736 in England (+6.7% on the year) and £1,406 in Wales (+8.8%).

Mortgage rates did most to change the cost: the average quoted rate for a 2-year fix at 90% loan to value rose from 4.55% to 5.16%, which added £77 a month. Across the regions, the change over the year ranged from +4.0% in London to +8.8% in Wales.

Monthly cost of owning, August 2026

England and Wales
£1,714
a month, first-time buyer home
On the month
+£16 (+1.0%)
On the year
+£110 (+6.8%)
England
£1,736
a month, first-time buyer home
On the month
+£16 (+0.9%)
On the year
+£109 (+6.7%)
Wales
£1,406
a month, first-time buyer home
On the month
+£21 (+1.5%)
On the year
+£114 (+8.8%)

What is the average monthly mortgage payment for a first-time buyer?

For a first-time buyer in England and Wales buying in August 2026, the average monthly mortgage payment is £1,294. It is £1,315 in England and £996 in Wales. These figures assume the average first-time buyer price from the official UK House Price Index, a 10% deposit and a 2-year fixed rate at 90% loan to value (5.16%, the Bank of England's average quoted rate), repaid over 25 years.

How much does it cost to buy a first home?

At the average first-time buyer price in England and Wales, £242,014, a 10% deposit is £24,201. At the average first-time buyer price, no stamp duty or Land Transaction Tax is due.

First-time buyers would pay some in 95 of 317 areas, based on each area's average price. The highest amounts are in Kensington and Chelsea (£45,794), Westminster (£29,589) and Camden (£24,829). To work out the tax on a particular price, use the first-time buyer stamp duty calculator.

Upfront cost for a first-time buyer at the average first-time buyer price, August 2026
AreaAverage first-time buyer price10% depositStamp duty or LTT
England and Wales £242,014 £24,201 Different taxes in England and Wales
England £246,042 £24,604 £0
Wales £186,313 £18,631 £0

England (rules from 1 April 2025): a first-time buyer pays no stamp duty up to £300,000 and 5% on the part from £300,001 to £500,000. Above £500,000 there is no first-time buyer relief and standard rates apply to the whole price. Wales: Land Transaction Tax has no first-time buyer relief (0% up to £225,000, 6% to £400,000, 7.5% to £750,000, 10% to £1.5 million, 12% above). Legal fees and other buying costs are not included. Each area's own deposit and tax are in the downloads.

What's driving the change

The change in the England and Wales monthly cost over the year, August 2025 to August 2026, split into its parts. The parts add up to the total change of +£110 a month.

Change in the England and Wales monthly cost over the year, by part
PartChange a month
House price+£9
Mortgage rate+£77
Energy+£12
Council tax+£9
Water and sewerage+£3
Total+£110

The house price part is the change in the mortgage from the change in the first-time buyer average price; the mortgage rate part is the change from the rate. Energy, council tax and water are the change in each bill.

England and Wales monthly cost since January 2024

England and Wales: monthly cost of owning a first-time buyer home, January 2024 to August 2026Line chart of the monthly cost, one point per month. £1,635 a month in January 2024; lowest £1,577 in January 2026; highest £1,723 in April 2026; £1,714 in August 2026.£ a month£1,550£1,600£1,650£1,700£1,750Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Aug 2026£1,714
England and Wales: monthly cost of owning a first-time buyer home, January 2024 to August 2026Line chart of the monthly cost, one point per month. £1,635 a month in January 2024; lowest £1,577 in January 2026; highest £1,723 in April 2026; £1,714 in August 2026.£ a month£1,550£1,600£1,650£1,700£1,750Jan 24Jan 25Jan 26Aug 26£1,714
Monthly cost of owning a first-time buyer home in England and Wales. Figures for earlier months are recalculated with the latest data in every edition.
Show the chart's data as a table
England and Wales monthly cost of owning, by month
MonthMonthly cost
January 2024£1,635
February 2024£1,613
March 2024£1,628
April 2024£1,633
May 2024£1,670
June 2024£1,676
July 2024£1,668
August 2024£1,674
September 2024£1,654
October 2024£1,658
November 2024£1,670
December 2024£1,663
January 2025£1,663
February 2025£1,656
March 2025£1,659
April 2025£1,613
May 2025£1,620
June 2025£1,629
July 2025£1,605
August 2025£1,604
September 2025£1,601
October 2025£1,606
November 2025£1,598
December 2025£1,581
January 2026£1,577
February 2026£1,577
March 2026£1,628
April 2026£1,723
May 2026£1,708
June 2026£1,687
July 2026£1,698
August 2026£1,714

Embed this chart

Copy this code to show the chart on your own site. It updates with each edition.

By region

Monthly cost of owning by region, August 2026
RegionMonthly costOn the monthOn the year
North East £1,189 +£3 (+0.2%) +£95 (+8.7%)
North West £1,450 +£10 (+0.7%) +£108 (+8.0%)
Yorkshire and The Humber £1,385 +£10 (+0.7%) +£102 (+7.9%)
East Midlands £1,526 +£13 (+0.9%) +£96 (+6.7%)
West Midlands £1,552 +£14 (+0.9%) +£111 (+7.7%)
East of England £1,915 +£18 (+1.0%) +£119 (+6.6%)
London £2,924 +£51 (+1.8%) +£113 (+4.0%)
South East £2,043 +£13 (+0.6%) +£109 (+5.6%)
South West £1,773 +£20 (+1.1%) +£106 (+6.4%)
Wales £1,406 +£21 (+1.5%) +£114 (+8.8%)

Regional figures use UK HPI's own average price for each region; energy, council tax and water are averages of the region's local authorities, weighted by number of homes.

Most expensive

  1. 1 Kensington and Chelsea London £5,829
  2. 2 Westminster † London £4,544
  3. 3 Camden † London £4,121
  4. 4 Richmond upon Thames London £3,891
  5. 5 Hammersmith and Fulham † London £3,775
  6. 6 Islington London £3,454
  7. 7 Wandsworth London £3,430
  8. 8 Hackney London £3,376
  9. 9 Haringey London £3,265
  10. 10 Merton London £3,166

Least expensive

  1. 1 Hartlepool North East £1,052
  2. 2 Burnley North West £1,079
  3. 3 Hull Yorkshire and The Humber £1,081
  4. 4 Sunderland North East £1,085
  5. 5 County Durham North East £1,093
  6. 6 Middlesbrough North East £1,096
  7. 7 Redcar and Cleveland North East £1,105
  8. 8 Blackpool North West £1,105
  9. 9 North East Lincolnshire Yorkshire and The Humber £1,121
  10. 10 Hyndburn North West £1,126

Biggest risers over the year

  1. 1 Calderdale Yorkshire and The Humber: £1,211 to £1,358 a month +£147+12.1%
  2. 2 Trafford North West: £1,893 to £2,120 a month +£226+12.0%
  3. 3 Pendle North West: £1,068 to £1,195 a month +£127+11.9%
  4. 4 High Peak East Midlands: £1,479 to £1,645 a month +£166+11.3%
  5. 5 Mid Suffolk East of England: £1,635 to £1,814 a month +£179+10.9%
  6. 6 Newcastle upon Tyne North East: £1,272 to £1,410 a month +£138+10.9%
  7. 7 Wirral North West: £1,305 to £1,446 a month +£142+10.9%
  8. 8 Hull Yorkshire and The Humber: £975 to £1,081 a month +£105+10.8%
  9. 9 Hyndburn North West: £1,016 to £1,126 a month +£110+10.8%
  10. 10 North East Derbyshire East Midlands: £1,431 to £1,584 a month +£152+10.7%

Biggest fallers over the year

  1. 1 Westminster † London: £4,959 to £4,544 a month -£416-8.4%
  2. 2 Kensington and Chelsea London: £6,356 to £5,829 a month -£527-8.3%
  3. 3 Tower Hamlets † London: £2,818 to £2,652 a month -£166-5.9%
  4. 4 Camden † London: £4,307 to £4,121 a month -£186-4.3%
  5. 5 Islington London: £3,531 to £3,454 a month -£77-2.2%
  6. 6 Lambeth London: £2,910 to £2,909 a month -£10.0%
  7. 7 Wandsworth London: £3,408 to £3,430 a month +£22+0.6%
  8. 8 Hammersmith and Fulham † London: £3,741 to £3,775 a month +£33+0.9%
  9. 9 Barnet † London: £2,854 to £2,897 a month +£44+1.5%
  10. 10 Dartford South East: £1,969 to £2,006 a month +£38+1.9%

Lists include only areas that meet the headline rule: at least 50 sales a month on average, and a first-time buyer price that moved by 5% or less on the month. Every area is in the table below.

Fewer sales than usual. Information only, does not affect eligibility. The area's UK HPI sales in the latest 12 months with sales figures, compared with the 12 months before, changed by more than 10 percentage points less than sales in its country (England or Wales) over the same periods. Using 12-month periods, and comparing with the country, means short national swings, such as the rush of sales before the stamp duty change on 1 April 2025, and provisional recent sales figures do not trigger it.

Average first-time buyer house price and monthly cost by area

All 317 local authorities in the index, for August 2026.

Showing 10 of 317 areas. Select a column heading to sort.

Monthly cost of owning in every local authority, August 2026
Adur South East £322,256 £2,156 +£8 (+0.4%) +£126 (+6.2%)
Amber Valley East Midlands £205,248 £1,508 +£11 (+0.7%) +£121 (+8.7%)
Arun South East £253,833 £1,775 +£9 (+0.5%) +£88 (+5.2%)
Ashfield East Midlands £171,008 £1,336 +£11 (+0.8%) +£99 (+8.0%)
Ashford South East £282,491 £1,946 -£17 (-0.9%) +£104 (+5.7%)
Babergh East of England £262,771 £1,834 +£15 (+0.8%) +£123 (+7.2%)
Barking and Dagenham London £354,545 £2,288 -£13 (-0.6%) +£211 (+10.1%)
Barnet Fewer sales than usual London £463,079 £2,897 -£3 (-0.1%) +£44 (+1.5%)
Barnsley Yorkshire and The Humber £154,540 £1,227 +£1 (+0.1%) +£89 (+7.8%)
Basildon East of England £306,407 £2,057 +£17 (+0.8%) +£128 (+6.6%)
Basingstoke and Deane South East £297,500 £2,002 +£21 (+1.1%) +£154 (+8.3%)
Bassetlaw East Midlands £183,215 £1,409 -£6 (-0.4%) +£109 (+8.4%)
Bath and North East Somerset South West £331,079 £2,201 +£2 (+0.1%) +£100 (+4.8%)
Bedford East of England £273,305 £1,895 +£16 (+0.8%) +£135 (+7.7%)
Bexley London £362,775 £2,363 +£24 (+1.0%) +£171 (+7.8%)
Birmingham West Midlands £212,774 £1,558 +£19 (+1.2%) +£114 (+7.9%)
Blaby East Midlands £260,507 £1,813 +£29 (+1.6%) +£151 (+9.1%)
Blackburn with Darwen North West £145,946 £1,203 -£6 (-0.5%) +£70 (+6.2%)
Blackpool North West £128,480 £1,105 +£12 (+1.1%) +£98 (+9.7%)
Blaenau Gwent Wales £136,700 £1,156 +£7 (+0.6%) +£81 (+7.6%)
Bolsover East Midlands £169,721 £1,322 +£8 (+0.6%) +£95 (+7.7%)
Bolton North West £180,018 £1,378 +£10 (+0.7%) +£125 (+9.9%)
Boston East Midlands £155,661 £1,242 +£17 (+1.4%) +£61 (+5.1%)
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole South West £248,778 £1,740 +£15 (+0.9%) +£84 (+5.1%)
Bracknell Forest South East £318,897 £2,122 +£16 (+0.8%) +£93 (+4.6%)
Bradford Yorkshire and The Humber £166,791 £1,316 +£16 (+1.2%) +£98 (+8.1%)
Braintree East of England £266,204 £1,843 +£17 (+1.0%) +£135 (+7.9%)
Breckland East of England £223,317 £1,625 +£1 (+0.1%) +£98 (+6.4%)
Brent London £482,719 £3,000 +£90 (+3.1%) +£169 (+6.0%)
Brentwood East of England £374,949 £2,447 +£37 (+1.5%) +£144 (+6.2%)
Bridgend Wales £185,670 £1,411 +£15 (+1.1%) +£110 (+8.5%)
Brighton and Hove South East £343,329 £2,270 +£18 (+0.8%) +£95 (+4.4%)
Bristol South West £314,404 £2,116 +£16 (+0.8%) +£140 (+7.1%)
Broadland East of England £270,304 £1,871 +£12 (+0.7%) +£152 (+8.8%)
Bromley London £397,470 £2,542 +£48 (+1.9%) +£131 (+5.4%)
Bromsgrove West Midlands £257,627 £1,818 +£4 (+0.2%) +£134 (+8.0%)
Broxbourne East of England £343,542 £2,259 +£32 (+1.5%) +£173 (+8.3%)
Broxtowe East Midlands £221,281 £1,609 -£5 (-0.3%) +£48 (+3.0%)
Buckinghamshire South East £353,944 £2,361 +£13 (+0.5%) +£141 (+6.4%)
Burnley North West £123,197 £1,079 +£11 (+1.0%) +£95 (+9.7%)
Bury North West £214,424 £1,578 +£15 (+1.0%) +£122 (+8.4%)
Caerphilly Wales £180,385 £1,352 +£18 (+1.3%) +£121 (+9.9%)
Calderdale Yorkshire and The Humber £174,353 £1,358 +£33 (+2.5%) +£147 (+12.1%)
Cambridge East of England £393,745 £2,520 +£4 (+0.2%) +£101 (+4.2%)
Camden Fewer sales than usual London £696,585 £4,121 -£23 (-0.6%) -£186 (-4.3%)
Cannock Chase West Midlands £204,194 £1,492 -£15 (-1.0%) +£75 (+5.3%)
Canterbury South East £284,041 £1,948 +£16 (+0.8%) +£110 (+6.0%)
Cardiff Wales £234,533 £1,637 +£17 (+1.1%) +£123 (+8.1%)
Carmarthenshire Wales £169,075 £1,321 -£5 (-0.4%) +£101 (+8.3%)
Castle Point East of England £307,215 £2,071 +£22 (+1.1%) +£59 (+2.9%)
Central Bedfordshire East of England £299,948 £2,041 +£14 (+0.7%) +£128 (+6.7%)
Ceredigion Wales £194,781 £1,482 +£6 (+0.4%) +£70 (+4.9%)
Charnwood East Midlands £229,590 £1,638 -£4 (-0.2%) +£104 (+6.8%)
Chelmsford East of England £297,135 £2,016 +£11 (+0.6%) +£81 (+4.2%)
Cheltenham South West £273,977 £1,870 +£43 (+2.4%) +£127 (+7.3%)
Cherwell South East £305,382 £2,079 +£22 (+1.1%) +£166 (+8.7%)
Cheshire East North West £252,798 £1,797 +£31 (+1.8%) +£166 (+10.2%)
Cheshire West and Chester North West £223,667 £1,633 +£18 (+1.1%) +£141 (+9.5%)
Chesterfield East Midlands £177,131 £1,348 +£14 (+1.1%) +£108 (+8.7%)
Chichester South East £335,901 £2,234 +£7 (+0.3%) +£84 (+3.9%)
Chorley North West £186,036 £1,413 +£24 (+1.7%) +£118 (+9.1%)
City of London Low sales volume Fewer sales than usual London £717,122 £4,177 +£53 (+1.3%) -£360 (-7.9%)
Colchester East of England £247,168 £1,735 -£1 (0.0%) +£87 (+5.3%)
Conwy Wales £189,977 £1,442 +£17 (+1.2%) +£116 (+8.8%)
Cornwall South West £226,508 £1,658 +£12 (+0.7%) +£61 (+3.8%)
Cotswold South West £325,128 £2,196 +£37 (+1.7%) +£99 (+4.7%)
County Durham North East £125,556 £1,093 +£11 (+1.0%) +£93 (+9.3%)
Coventry West Midlands £207,081 £1,523 +£20 (+1.3%) +£131 (+9.4%)
Crawley South East £297,902 £2,008 +£12 (+0.6%) +£146 (+7.9%)
Croydon London £332,560 £2,228 +£40 (+1.8%) +£102 (+4.8%)
Cumberland North West £152,989 £1,242 +£19 (+1.6%) +£102 (+9.0%)
Dacorum East of England £364,385 £2,377 -£1 (0.0%) +£143 (+6.4%)
Darlington North East £140,719 £1,164 +£5 (+0.4%) +£85 (+7.9%)
Dartford South East £297,477 £2,006 -£17 (-0.8%) +£38 (+1.9%)
Denbighshire Wales £180,855 £1,389 +£32 (+2.3%) +£127 (+10.1%)
Derby East Midlands £187,817 £1,401 +£16 (+1.2%) +£111 (+8.6%)
Derbyshire Dales East Midlands £275,503 £1,907 -£39 (-2.0%) +£109 (+6.1%)
Doncaster Yorkshire and The Humber £156,486 £1,227 +£7 (+0.6%) +£101 (+8.9%)
Dorset South West £257,241 £1,830 +£25 (+1.4%) +£102 (+5.9%)
Dover South East £238,056 £1,691 +£27 (+1.6%) +£101 (+6.4%)
Dudley West Midlands £207,742 £1,492 +£12 (+0.8%) +£126 (+9.2%)
Ealing London £493,727 £3,045 +£66 (+2.2%) +£215 (+7.6%)
East Cambridgeshire East of England £295,761 £2,021 -£20 (-1.0%) +£153 (+8.2%)
East Devon South West £275,754 £1,915 +£38 (+2.1%) +£142 (+8.0%)
East Hampshire South East £309,704 £2,093 +£14 (+0.7%) +£99 (+5.0%)
East Hertfordshire East of England £356,853 £2,348 +£15 (+0.6%) +£170 (+7.8%)
East Lindsey East Midlands £172,896 £1,338 -£8 (-0.6%) +£68 (+5.3%)
East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and The Humber £183,537 £1,407 +£9 (+0.6%) +£91 (+6.9%)
East Staffordshire West Midlands £195,087 £1,442 +£17 (+1.2%) +£109 (+8.2%)
East Suffolk East of England £227,188 £1,630 +£25 (+1.5%) +£73 (+4.7%)
Eastbourne South East £218,785 £1,603 +£19 (+1.2%) +£86 (+5.7%)
Eastleigh South East £253,901 £1,774 +£25 (+1.5%) +£144 (+8.9%)
Elmbridge South East £492,874 £3,119 +£6 (+0.2%) +£184 (+6.3%)
Enfield London £401,763 £2,572 +£45 (+1.8%) +£161 (+6.7%)
Epping Forest East of England £410,012 £2,635 +£23 (+0.9%) +£141 (+5.7%)
Epsom and Ewell South East £421,646 £2,715 +£19 (+0.7%) +£221 (+8.9%)
Erewash East Midlands £192,228 £1,428 +£18 (+1.3%) +£99 (+7.5%)
Exeter South West £249,707 £1,752 +£38 (+2.2%) +£94 (+5.7%)
Fareham South East £264,017 £1,810 +£20 (+1.1%) +£114 (+6.8%)
Fenland East of England £194,259 £1,476 +£10 (+0.7%) +£116 (+8.5%)
Flintshire Wales £184,800 £1,409 +£5 (+0.4%) +£106 (+8.1%)
Folkestone and Hythe South East £245,379 £1,741 +£11 (+0.7%) +£90 (+5.4%)
Forest of Dean South West £248,353 £1,752 +£61 (+3.6%) +£120 (+7.3%)
Fylde North West £194,585 £1,471 +£4 (+0.3%) +£95 (+6.9%)
Gateshead North East £141,251 £1,182 +£6 (+0.5%) +£102 (+9.5%)
Gedling East Midlands £209,898 £1,553 +£27 (+1.7%) +£116 (+8.1%)
Gloucester South West £209,016 £1,516 -£5 (-0.3%) +£114 (+8.2%)
Gosport South East £209,790 £1,512 +£9 (+0.6%) +£104 (+7.4%)
Gravesham South East £295,313 £2,011 +£6 (+0.3%) +£126 (+6.7%)
Great Yarmouth East of England £178,630 £1,368 -£13 (-0.9%) +£65 (+5.0%)
Greenwich London £409,131 £2,573 +£10 (+0.4%) +£101 (+4.1%)
Guildford South East £396,381 £2,587 +£42 (+1.7%) +£165 (+6.8%)
Gwynedd Wales £176,395 £1,380 +£1 (0.0%) +£116 (+9.2%)
Hackney London £561,870 £3,376 +£67 (+2.0%) +£151 (+4.7%)
Halton North West £168,586 £1,312 -£9 (-0.7%) +£62 (+4.9%)
Hammersmith and Fulham Fewer sales than usual London £643,534 £3,775 +£83 (+2.2%) +£33 (+0.9%)
Harborough East Midlands £274,706 £1,896 +£4 (+0.2%) +£181 (+10.6%)
Haringey London £534,079 £3,265 +£18 (+0.6%) +£137 (+4.4%)
Harlow East of England £286,893 £1,925 +£5 (+0.2%) +£172 (+9.8%)
Harrow Fewer sales than usual London £437,780 £2,789 +£35 (+1.3%) +£103 (+3.8%)
Hart South East £352,968 £2,333 -£8 (-0.3%) +£151 (+6.9%)
Hartlepool North East £118,618 £1,052 +£10 (+0.9%) +£86 (+8.9%)
Hastings South East £203,153 £1,526 +£16 (+1.1%) +£66 (+4.5%)
Havant South East £262,181 £1,801 +£26 (+1.5%) +£100 (+5.9%)
Havering London £385,091 £2,486 +£6 (+0.2%) +£165 (+7.1%)
Herefordshire West Midlands £225,408 £1,645 +£22 (+1.4%) +£121 (+7.9%)
Hertsmere East of England £411,137 £2,642 +£23 (+0.9%) +£177 (+7.2%)
High Peak East Midlands £228,774 £1,645 +£35 (+2.1%) +£166 (+11.3%)
Hillingdon London £409,715 £2,590 +£50 (+2.0%) +£152 (+6.3%)
Hinckley and Bosworth East Midlands £222,454 £1,600 +£10 (+0.6%) +£93 (+6.2%)
Horsham South East £324,417 £2,188 +£11 (+0.5%) +£127 (+6.2%)
Hounslow London £460,699 £2,878 +£47 (+1.7%) +£128 (+4.7%)
Hull Yorkshire and The Humber £128,899 £1,081 +£11 (+1.0%) +£105 (+10.8%)
Huntingdonshire East of England £248,630 £1,768 +£2 (+0.1%) +£120 (+7.3%)
Hyndburn North West £133,390 £1,126 +£6 (+0.5%) +£110 (+10.8%)
Ipswich East of England £202,302 £1,499 +£31 (+2.1%) +£114 (+8.3%)
Isle of Anglesey Wales £194,158 £1,457 +£15 (+1.1%) +£80 (+5.8%)
Isle of Wight South East £200,374 £1,508 +£10 (+0.6%) +£81 (+5.7%)
Islington London £576,764 £3,454 -£61 (-1.7%) -£77 (-2.2%)
Kensington and Chelsea London £1,020,436 £5,829 -£201 (-3.3%) -£527 (-8.3%)
King's Lynn and West Norfolk East of England £221,355 £1,621 +£21 (+1.3%) +£126 (+8.4%)
Kingston upon Thames London £477,799 £3,009 +£46 (+1.6%) +£276 (+10.1%)
Kirklees Yorkshire and The Humber £179,924 £1,387 +£8 (+0.6%) +£130 (+10.3%)
Knowsley Fewer sales than usual North West £177,210 £1,364 +£29 (+2.2%) +£98 (+7.8%)
Lambeth London £474,320 £2,909 +£32 (+1.1%) -£1 (0.0%)
Lancaster North West £181,499 £1,391 +£10 (+0.7%) +£119 (+9.4%)
Leeds Yorkshire and The Humber £215,025 £1,559 +£5 (+0.3%) +£121 (+8.4%)
Leicester East Midlands £210,898 £1,553 +£12 (+0.8%) +£80 (+5.4%)
Lewes South East £300,807 £2,068 +£31 (+1.5%) +£143 (+7.4%)
Lewisham London £429,182 £2,690 +£14 (+0.5%) +£114 (+4.4%)
Lichfield West Midlands £268,406 £1,848 +£33 (+1.8%) +£148 (+8.7%)
Lincoln East Midlands £163,743 £1,270 -£8 (-0.6%) +£75 (+6.3%)
Liverpool North West £173,916 £1,367 +£10 (+0.7%) +£123 (+9.9%)
Luton East of England £269,180 £1,862 +£20 (+1.1%) +£111 (+6.4%)
Maidstone South East £292,511 £2,006 +£23 (+1.1%) +£99 (+5.2%)
Maldon East of England £308,439 £2,084 +£32 (+1.6%) +£149 (+7.7%)
Malvern Hills West Midlands £267,998 £1,861 +£15 (+0.8%) +£165 (+9.7%)
Manchester North West £241,449 £1,700 +£32 (+1.9%) +£126 (+8.0%)
Mansfield East Midlands £165,702 £1,307 +£7 (+0.6%) +£63 (+5.1%)
Medway South East £270,313 £1,864 +£11 (+0.6%) +£124 (+7.1%)
Melton Fewer sales than usual East Midlands £239,563 £1,701 +£21 (+1.2%) +£149 (+9.6%)
Merthyr Tydfil Low sales volume Wales £135,796 £1,159 -£28 (-2.3%) +£63 (+5.7%)
Merton London £515,923 £3,166 +£52 (+1.7%) +£167 (+5.6%)
Mid Devon South West £232,725 £1,697 +£22 (+1.3%) +£101 (+6.4%)
Mid Suffolk East of England £260,075 £1,814 +£26 (+1.5%) +£179 (+10.9%)
Mid Sussex South East £327,144 £2,198 +£26 (+1.2%) +£116 (+5.6%)
Middlesbrough North East £128,017 £1,096 +£16 (+1.4%) +£85 (+8.4%)
Milton Keynes South East £271,609 £1,867 -£11 (-0.6%) +£122 (+7.0%)
Mole Valley South East £384,461 £2,523 +£23 (+0.9%) +£173 (+7.4%)
Monmouthshire Wales £264,431 £1,843 -£7 (-0.4%) +£123 (+7.2%)
Neath Port Talbot Wales £153,277 £1,241 -£3 (-0.3%) +£86 (+7.5%)
New Forest South East £291,458 £1,984 +£8 (+0.4%) +£110 (+5.9%)
Newark and Sherwood East Midlands £196,257 £1,487 +£12 (+0.8%) +£121 (+8.9%)
Newcastle upon Tyne North East £185,133 £1,410 +£22 (+1.6%) +£138 (+10.9%)
Newcastle-under-Lyme West Midlands £181,218 £1,375 +£7 (+0.5%) +£129 (+10.4%)
Newham Fewer sales than usual London £373,908 £2,371 +£2 (+0.1%) +£51 (+2.2%)
Newport Wales £195,764 £1,432 -£7 (-0.5%) +£86 (+6.4%)
North Devon South West £227,377 £1,661 +£3 (+0.2%) +£49 (+3.1%)
North East Derbyshire East Midlands £216,906 £1,584 +£3 (+0.2%) +£152 (+10.7%)
North East Lincolnshire Yorkshire and The Humber £131,831 £1,121 +£8 (+0.7%) +£96 (+9.4%)
North Hertfordshire East of England £343,025 £2,268 +£47 (+2.1%) +£195 (+9.4%)
North Kesteven East Midlands £202,191 £1,494 +£5 (+0.3%) +£99 (+7.1%)
North Lincolnshire Yorkshire and The Humber £159,863 £1,261 +£11 (+0.9%) +£104 (+9.0%)
North Norfolk East of England £232,909 £1,681 -£22 (-1.3%) +£47 (+2.9%)
North Northamptonshire East Midlands £217,161 £1,580 -£7 (-0.5%) +£99 (+6.7%)
North Somerset South West £246,206 £1,739 +£21 (+1.2%) +£154 (+9.7%)
North Tyneside North East £179,127 £1,361 +£12 (+0.9%) +£115 (+9.2%)
North Warwickshire West Midlands £225,914 £1,636 -£4 (-0.3%) +£126 (+8.3%)
North West Leicestershire East Midlands £238,097 £1,691 +£20 (+1.2%) +£122 (+7.8%)
North Yorkshire Yorkshire and The Humber £218,075 £1,607 +£6 (+0.4%) +£115 (+7.7%)
Northumberland North East £175,253 £1,364 +£14 (+1.0%) +£121 (+9.8%)
Norwich East of England £205,202 £1,506 +£19 (+1.3%) +£69 (+4.8%)
Nottingham East Midlands £174,318 £1,367 +£9 (+0.7%) +£64 (+4.9%)
Nuneaton and Bedworth West Midlands £205,231 £1,508 +£9 (+0.6%) +£91 (+6.4%)
Oadby and Wigston East Midlands £229,143 £1,642 +£43 (+2.7%) +£81 (+5.2%)
Oldham North West £198,052 £1,490 +£5 (+0.3%) +£131 (+9.7%)
Oxford South East £409,369 £2,642 +£55 (+2.1%) +£91 (+3.6%)
Pembrokeshire Wales £176,883 £1,345 +£13 (+1.0%) +£56 (+4.4%)
Pendle North West £141,865 £1,195 +£30 (+2.6%) +£127 (+11.9%)
Peterborough East of England £203,657 £1,493 +£2 (+0.1%) +£79 (+5.6%)
Plymouth South West £199,602 £1,471 +£9 (+0.6%) +£117 (+8.6%)
Portsmouth South East £226,877 £1,600 -£18 (-1.1%) +£95 (+6.3%)
Powys Wales £196,672 £1,485 +£21 (+1.4%) +£101 (+7.3%)
Preston North West £165,111 £1,311 +£11 (+0.9%) +£104 (+8.6%)
Reading South East £308,748 £2,094 +£14 (+0.7%) +£116 (+5.9%)
Redbridge London £416,366 £2,659 +£24 (+0.9%) +£87 (+3.4%)
Redcar and Cleveland North East £130,331 £1,105 -£11 (-1.0%) +£46 (+4.3%)
Redditch West Midlands £210,797 £1,537 +£14 (+0.9%) +£82 (+5.6%)
Reigate and Banstead South East £370,621 £2,438 +£26 (+1.1%) +£149 (+6.5%)
Rhondda Cynon Taf Wales £152,631 £1,219 +£17 (+1.4%) +£107 (+9.7%)
Ribble Valley North West £222,685 £1,623 +£12 (+0.7%) +£111 (+7.3%)
Richmond upon Thames London £643,891 £3,891 +£73 (+1.9%) +£198 (+5.4%)
Rochdale North West £190,694 £1,448 +£12 (+0.9%) +£116 (+8.7%)
Rochford East of England £331,112 £2,202 -£3 (-0.1%) +£145 (+7.0%)
Rossendale North West £175,367 £1,372 +£20 (+1.5%) +£118 (+9.4%)
Rother South East £257,185 £1,843 +£2 (+0.1%) +£82 (+4.7%)
Rotherham Yorkshire and The Humber £171,413 £1,323 +£12 (+0.9%) +£86 (+6.9%)
Rugby West Midlands £235,130 £1,680 +£40 (+2.4%) +£79 (+4.9%)
Runnymede South East £368,771 £2,422 +£10 (+0.4%) +£119 (+5.2%)
Rushcliffe East Midlands £266,834 £1,870 +£43 (+2.4%) +£105 (+5.9%)
Rushmoor South East £285,247 £1,933 -£5 (-0.3%) +£115 (+6.3%)
Rutland East Midlands £240,213 £1,755 +£38 (+2.2%) +£71 (+4.2%)
Salford Fewer sales than usual North West £206,393 £1,535 -£13 (-0.8%) +£80 (+5.5%)
Sandwell West Midlands £196,942 £1,443 +£17 (+1.2%) +£89 (+6.5%)
Sefton North West £189,330 £1,450 -£2 (-0.2%) +£108 (+8.1%)
Sevenoaks South East £405,786 £2,640 +£35 (+1.3%) +£163 (+6.6%)
Sheffield Yorkshire and The Humber £192,153 £1,452 -£4 (-0.3%) +£94 (+7.0%)
Shropshire West Midlands £224,381 £1,626 +£17 (+1.1%) +£97 (+6.3%)
Slough South East £316,869 £2,126 +£53 (+2.6%) +£130 (+6.5%)
Solihull West Midlands £265,849 £1,832 -£2 (-0.1%) +£118 (+6.9%)
Somerset South West £232,749 £1,682 +£14 (+0.8%) +£129 (+8.3%)
South Cambridgeshire East of England £350,694 £2,316 +£53 (+2.3%) +£145 (+6.7%)
South Derbyshire East Midlands £224,934 £1,607 +£7 (+0.4%) +£123 (+8.3%)
South Gloucestershire South West £284,510 £1,947 -£8 (-0.4%) +£132 (+7.3%)
South Hams South West £284,923 £1,976 +£30 (+1.6%) +£130 (+7.0%)
South Holland East Midlands £195,981 £1,461 +£5 (+0.4%) +£102 (+7.5%)
South Kesteven East Midlands £219,431 £1,583 +£34 (+2.2%) +£137 (+9.5%)
South Norfolk East of England £253,657 £1,791 +£3 (+0.2%) +£106 (+6.3%)
South Oxfordshire South East £380,165 £2,497 +£6 (+0.2%) +£194 (+8.4%)
South Ribble North West £190,825 £1,434 +£7 (+0.5%) +£107 (+8.0%)
South Staffordshire West Midlands £254,371 £1,776 -£5 (-0.3%) +£138 (+8.4%)
South Tyneside North East £145,120 £1,170 -£3 (-0.2%) +£89 (+8.2%)
Southampton South East £210,366 £1,544 +£11 (+0.7%) +£102 (+7.0%)
Southend-on-Sea East of England £268,955 £1,852 +£4 (+0.2%) +£110 (+6.3%)
Southwark London £497,815 £3,025 -£4 (-0.1%) +£117 (+4.0%)
Spelthorne South East £367,850 £2,403 +£40 (+1.7%) +£110 (+4.8%)
St Albans East of England £481,627 £3,019 +£39 (+1.3%) +£239 (+8.6%)
St. Helens North West £169,943 £1,322 +£7 (+0.5%) +£121 (+10.1%)
Stafford West Midlands £211,673 £1,540 +£15 (+1.0%) +£131 (+9.3%)
Staffordshire Moorlands West Midlands £190,895 £1,436 +£1 (+0.1%) +£132 (+10.1%)
Stevenage East of England £273,968 £1,866 -£10 (-0.6%) +£84 (+4.7%)
Stockport North West £265,331 £1,861 +£23 (+1.3%) +£163 (+9.6%)
Stockton-on-Tees North East £148,440 £1,212 +£16 (+1.3%) +£97 (+8.7%)
Stoke-on-Trent West Midlands £139,305 £1,129 +£19 (+1.7%) +£69 (+6.6%)
Stratford-on-Avon West Midlands £307,646 £2,084 +£24 (+1.1%) +£149 (+7.7%)
Stroud South West £290,253 £1,982 +£29 (+1.5%) +£156 (+8.5%)
Sunderland North East £131,489 £1,085 +£10 (+0.9%) +£97 (+9.8%)
Surrey Heath South East £335,208 £2,263 +£21 (+0.9%) +£160 (+7.6%)
Sutton London £376,922 £2,438 +£46 (+1.9%) +£168 (+7.4%)
Swale South East £260,575 £1,820 +£3 (+0.2%) +£120 (+7.1%)
Swansea Wales £182,295 £1,374 +£39 (+2.9%) +£98 (+7.7%)
Swindon South West £224,898 £1,620 +£10 (+0.6%) +£126 (+8.4%)
Tameside North West £195,881 £1,457 +£18 (+1.3%) +£100 (+7.4%)
Tamworth West Midlands £205,692 £1,487 +£15 (+1.1%) +£86 (+6.1%)
Tandridge Large monthly price change South East £352,302 £2,359 +£107 (+4.8%) +£124 (+5.6%)
Teignbridge South West £241,001 £1,731 -£2 (-0.1%) +£95 (+5.8%)
Telford and Wrekin West Midlands £189,436 £1,403 -£9 (-0.6%) +£99 (+7.6%)
Tendring East of England £222,460 £1,593 +£17 (+1.1%) +£83 (+5.5%)
Test Valley South East £286,803 £1,963 +£31 (+1.6%) +£112 (+6.0%)
Tewkesbury South West £261,872 £1,804 +£6 (+0.3%) +£112 (+6.6%)
Thanet South East £227,417 £1,641 +£5 (+0.3%) +£90 (+5.8%)
Three Rivers East of England £426,190 £2,730 +£18 (+0.7%) +£176 (+6.9%)
Thurrock East of England £294,718 £1,989 +£1 (0.0%) +£97 (+5.1%)
Tonbridge and Malling South East £324,939 £2,183 +£3 (+0.2%) +£129 (+6.3%)
Torbay South West £191,474 £1,445 +£1 (+0.1%) +£53 (+3.8%)
Torfaen Wales £173,388 £1,315 -£17 (-1.3%) +£53 (+4.2%)
Torridge South West £214,439 £1,590 +£26 (+1.7%) +£97 (+6.5%)
Tower Hamlets Fewer sales than usual London £430,635 £2,652 +£14 (+0.5%) -£166 (-5.9%)
Trafford North West £317,404 £2,120 -£5 (-0.2%) +£226 (+12.0%)
Tunbridge Wells South East £348,684 £2,325 +£25 (+1.1%) +£133 (+6.1%)
Uttlesford East of England £335,535 £2,240 -£19 (-0.8%) +£145 (+6.9%)
Vale of Glamorgan Wales £237,789 £1,675 +£4 (+0.2%) +£139 (+9.1%)
Vale of White Horse South East £330,205 £2,214 +£21 (+1.0%) +£205 (+10.2%)
Wakefield Yorkshire and The Humber £178,078 £1,351 +£9 (+0.7%) +£108 (+8.7%)
Walsall West Midlands £199,456 £1,494 +£21 (+1.4%) +£117 (+8.5%)
Waltham Forest London £478,143 £2,969 +£42 (+1.4%) +£181 (+6.5%)
Wandsworth London £585,383 £3,430 +£52 (+1.5%) +£22 (+0.6%)
Warrington North West £215,884 £1,581 +£3 (+0.2%) +£130 (+8.9%)
Warwick West Midlands £305,880 £2,059 +£18 (+0.9%) +£149 (+7.8%)
Watford East of England £355,866 £2,328 +£46 (+2.0%) +£133 (+6.1%)
Waverley South East £398,716 £2,616 +£49 (+1.9%) +£118 (+4.7%)
Wealden South East £289,839 £2,028 -£16 (-0.8%) +£96 (+5.0%)
Welwyn Hatfield East of England £359,339 £2,350 +£6 (+0.2%) +£148 (+6.7%)
West Berkshire South East £315,411 £2,144 +£8 (+0.4%) +£124 (+6.2%)
West Devon South West £231,506 £1,700 +£22 (+1.3%) +£78 (+4.8%)
West Lancashire North West £204,069 £1,518 +£32 (+2.1%) +£143 (+10.4%)
West Lindsey East Midlands £178,160 £1,375 +£38 (+2.9%) +£92 (+7.2%)
West Northamptonshire East Midlands £240,551 £1,719 +£5 (+0.3%) +£108 (+6.7%)
West Oxfordshire South East £335,614 £2,251 +£5 (+0.2%) +£94 (+4.4%)
West Suffolk East of England £246,508 £1,738 +£21 (+1.2%) +£101 (+6.1%)
Westminster Fewer sales than usual London £791,770 £4,544 +£8 (+0.2%) -£416 (-8.4%)
Westmorland and Furness North West £194,242 £1,470 +£7 (+0.5%) +£134 (+10.0%)
Wigan North West £175,758 £1,322 +£10 (+0.7%) +£102 (+8.4%)
Wiltshire South West £263,201 £1,856 +£13 (+0.7%) +£132 (+7.7%)
Winchester South East £337,881 £2,250 -£28 (-1.2%) +£139 (+6.6%)
Windsor and Maidenhead South East £434,955 £2,743 +£73 (+2.8%) +£158 (+6.1%)
Wirral North West £190,039 £1,446 +£13 (+0.9%) +£142 (+10.9%)
Woking South East £332,691 £2,239 +£20 (+0.9%) +£84 (+3.9%)
Wokingham South East £384,975 £2,511 +£7 (+0.3%) +£106 (+4.4%)
Wolverhampton West Midlands £197,788 £1,486 -£11 (-0.7%) +£117 (+8.6%)
Worcester West Midlands £229,417 £1,629 +£27 (+1.7%) +£124 (+8.2%)
Worthing South East £245,915 £1,742 +£12 (+0.7%) +£38 (+2.2%)
Wrexham Wales £183,250 £1,394 +£8 (+0.6%) +£117 (+9.1%)
Wychavon West Midlands £245,479 £1,731 +£15 (+0.9%) +£108 (+6.6%)
Wyre North West £163,890 £1,295 -£2 (-0.1%) +£87 (+7.2%)
Wyre Forest West Midlands £197,935 £1,477 +£20 (+1.4%) +£100 (+7.3%)
York Yorkshire and The Humber £267,559 £1,840 +£19 (+1.0%) +£123 (+7.1%)

Buying a home? Check a specific property for its sale history, EPC, flood risk and more.

"Low sales volume": fewer than 50 sales a month on average (2025-07 to 2026-06). "Large monthly price change": the first-time buyer price moved by more than 5% on the month. These areas are left out of the lists above but stay in this table and the downloads.

How to cite

Citation

Source: LiveWhere First-Time Buyer Index, August 2026 edition (livewhere.co.uk/first-time-buyer-index)

Licence

LiveWhere's figures (monthly costs, components and changes) are published under CC BY 4.0. Source data remains under its own terms; see Licences.

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)

Press enquiries

We can run custom breakdowns for your story, such as a region, town or comparison. Email [email protected].

Email us

How it's calculated

The index describes someone buying their first home now, with a 10% deposit. It is not the cost for people who already own a home. It adds up four regular costs of owning a typical first-time buyer home in each local authority.

The mortgage is a 25-year repayment loan on the average first-time buyer price from the official UK House Price Index, with a 10% deposit, at the Bank of England's average quoted rate for a 2-year fix at 90% loan to value.

Energy is average metered use for the area (DESNZ) priced at the Ofgem price cap for its region. Council tax is Band D, and water is the local water and sewerage bill. Read the full method.

Sources

InputSourcePeriod
House pricesUK House Price Index, HM Land Registry: first-time buyer average price (all-homes average price in the downloads)August 2026
Mortgage rateBank of England, series IUMB482: average quoted rate, 2-year fixed, 90% loan to value (5.16%)August 2026
Energy useDESNZ subnational electricity and gas consumption, average per domestic meter (gas weather corrected)2024
Energy pricesOfgem energy price cap, regional unit rates and standing charges, Direct Debit1 July 2026 to 30 September 2026
Council taxBand D: MHCLG (England), Welsh Government (Wales)2026-27
Water and sewerageDiscover Water (figures from Water UK); company areas from Ofwat2026-27
Weights for averagesValuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties (number of dwellings)31 March 2026

Last updated: . Method version 1.3.

Licences

LiveWhere's figures (monthly costs, components and changes) are published under CC BY 4.0. Source data remains under its own terms; see Licences.

Sources: HM Land Registry, Bank of England, Ofgem, DESNZ, MHCLG, Welsh Government, Valuation Office Agency, Ofwat, Water UK Stream, Discover Water, Office for National Statistics.

Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2020. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026

Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026

Source: Office for National Statistics

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Appointed Wastewater Boundaries © 2025 by Stream Water Data is licensed under CC BY 4.0