Revealed: Britain's most and least affordable towns to buy a home

Zoopla has identified Shildon in County Durham as the most affordable town in Britain for 2025.

The median property value there sits at £73,900, compared with an estimated average household income of £60,300 for a two-earner working family.

It gives Shildon a house price-to-earnings ratio of 1.23, the lowest in the UK.

The stark contrast with Britain's priciest town becomes apparent when comparing these figures to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, where typical properties exceed £1 million.

The study examined postal towns containing at least 5,000 homes, calculating affordability through price-to-earnings ratios for households with two full-time workers.

Zoopla said Scotland and the North East dominate the most affordable locations list, describing the findings as evidence of “a significant geographical divide in housing value for home buyers”.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said the research shows how sharply affordability now varies around the country. He said: “The gap between the most and least affordable places to buy a home is more extreme than ever.

“You have Shildon in the North East where a home costs barely more than a year’s household income, compared with Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire where a property costs more than 15 years of earnings.”

Mr Donnell added that the most affordable opportunities continue to be concentrated in Scotland and the North East, although even these regions include areas where buyers still struggle to match wages with property values.

Following Shildon in affordability rankings are Cumnock in East Ayrshire at £83,700 and Saltcoats in North Ayrshire at £96,500, with both Scottish towns offering properties for less than 1.5 times local earnings.

Peterlee in the North East and Ardrossan in Scotland complete the five most affordable locations.

Regional analysis shows Tower Hamlets represents London's most accessible area at £455,400, whilst Dover offers the South East's best value at £242,500.

Mr Donnell explained that increasing numbers of purchasers must search beyond traditional five-mile radiuses: "The days of most people moving within five miles of where they live are over."

At the opposite end of the affordability spectrum, Beaconsfield commands property prices exceeding 15 times typical household earnings, with median values reaching £1,112,000.

The Buckinghamshire town leads a cluster of expensive South East locations where homeownership remains beyond reach for average earners.

Gerrards Cross follows closely with properties at £977,900, whilst Esher's median house price of £1,130,700 represents more than 13 times local household incomes.

These towns, favoured by London commuters, demonstrate what the research identifies as a "premium" attached to rural settings within commuting distance of the capital.

Mr Donnell added: “There are good-value places in the South, but there are also large parts of the region where homes are simply beyond reach for many working households unless they have a much higher income or a sizeable deposit.”

He also warned that affordability pressures are fundamentally reshaping how and where people choose to move. “The days of most buyers staying within a five-mile radius of their current home are gone,” Mr Donnell said. “More people are widening their search to find better value, and they need clear information to make informed choices.”

Top 10 most affordable towns

(median home value, annual household income, value-to-earnings ratio)

1. Shildon, North East – £73,800, £60,300, 1.23
2. Cumnock, East Ayrshire – £83,700, £67,200, 1.5
3. Saltcoats, North Ayrshire – £96,500, £70,400, 1.37
4. Ardrossan, North Ayrshire – £100,050, £70,400, 1.42
5. Peterlee, North East – £85,900, £60,300, 1.42
6. Irvine, North Ayrshire – £101,100, £70,400, 1.44
7. Kilwinning, North Ayrshire – £102,600, £70,400, 1.46
8. Ferryhill, North East – £92,500, £60,300, 1.53
9. Girvan, South Ayrshire – £107,300, £69,000, 1.56
10. Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire – £105,800, £64,900, 1.63

Top 10 least affordable towns

(median home value, annual household income, value-to-earnings ratio)

1. Beaconsfield, South East – £1,112,000, £72,900, 15.25
2. Gerrards Cross, South East – £977,900, £72,900, 13.41
3. Esher, South East – £1,130,700, £86,500, 13.08
4. Radlett, East of England – £891,950, £73,400, 12.15
5. Cobham, South East – £1,039,400, £86,500, 12.02
6. Ashtead, South East – £816,200, £71,700, 11.38
7. Welwyn, East of England – £829,150, £76,700, 10.81
8. Amersham, South East – £752,450, £72,900, 10.32
9. Marlow, South East – £750,950, £72,900, 10.3
10. Great Missenden, South East – £743,050, £72,900, 10.19

Nationally, Zoopla found the typical two-income household needs 4.4 times their annual earnings to buy a home, down slightly from 4.5 times in 2024.

While the fall offers some relief, the figures ultimately show that affordability remains stretched for many buyers across the UK.