Liverpool named among top 15 cheapest UK cities to buy a home in 2025, new study shows

A new study by Conveyancing-Solicitor.co.uk offers just that. Analysing 70 of the UK’s most populated cities using the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, the study compared the average property price in each city with the average annual salary. The result? A home price-to-income ratio that shows how many years of full earnings it would take to afford a typical home. The lower the ratio, the more affordable the city is for aspiring homeowners.

Liverpool lands in 12th place in the 2025 rankings of the UK’s most affordable cities to buy a home, with a home price-to-income ratio of 5.47. The average property price sits at £176,211, while local annual earnings come in at £32,208. While it's not quite enough to break into the top ten, Liverpool still presents a competitive offer for buyers, particularly when compared to southern cities where ratios often exceed 10. For a major metropolitan area with rich culture, a strong music scene, and thriving universities, this level of affordability is nothing to sneeze at.

Aberdeen tops the list with an enviable home price-to-income ratio of just 3.90, thanks to homes averaging £146,182 and solid earnings of £37,440. Dundee is in 2nd place, where slightly higher property prices (£146,796) are balanced by lower incomes (£32,688), giving a still-impressive ratio of 4.49. Kingston upon Hull is in 3rd place, offering homes at just £134,561, though more modest earnings of £29,232 stretch the affordability ratio to 4.60. Blackpool and Middlesbrough, in 4th and 5th respectively, charm with house prices under £135,000, but their sub-£29k earnings keep ratios at 4.67 and 4.74.

Burnley boasts the lowest house price in the top ten at £122,188, though its equally low income level (£24,960) pushes its ratio to 4.90. Stoke-on-Trent matches Burnley’s ratio despite more expensive homes (£142,901), saved by its higher average income of £29,136. Sunderland, with a ratio of 4.93, ranks 8th, followed by Glasgow, where high wages (£36,000) keep its pricier homes (£184,206) just about within reach at a ratio of 5.12. Rounding off the list is Blackburn, with a ratio of 5.28.

At the other end of the scale, several cities are priced well beyond the reach of average earners. Westminster ranks at the bottom of the list as the least affordable location, with an eye-watering home price-to-income ratio of 19.97. Other London hotspots such as Archway (17.06), Islington (15.27), and London overall (13.63) all follow closely behind.

University towns and commuter favourites aren’t far off either, with Cambridge (13.53), Brighton (13.17), and Sutton (13.16) showing how tricky it is to buy without a substantial salary or outside help. Even Oxford (13.08), Huddersfield (12.80) and Bexley (11.96) round out the bottom ten, where homes are simply out of sync with local incomes. For many buyers in these areas, affordability is little more than a pipe dream.

Top 10 list of the cheapest UK cities to buy a home in 2025 according to the study: