If you’ve been watching UK house prices and thinking “I’ll never be able to buy,” take a breath — there are still places where a modest budget will get you a proper home rather than a postage-stamp box. In 2025, the market is patchwork: London and the prosperous South-East remain expensive, but a number of Northern towns, post-industrial coastal communities and smaller regional centres offer genuine affordability for first-time buyers, families and investors. In this post, I’ll list the most affordable places to buy a home in England, based on current data.
How I’m defining “affordable”
When people say “cheapest places to buy,” it helps to be clear about the metric. Practically, affordability is measured by:
- Average (mean or median) house price in a town, local authority or postcode.
- Price compared with the national average, showing how much lower local prices are.
- Local earnings and rental markets, which affect what mortgages and buy-to-let returns look like.
- Market liquidity and stock — if there are few properties for sale, bargains are rarer even if average prices are low.
The UK Land Registry and national statistics agencies provide the raw price data; local price lists and property platforms use those figures to rank towns. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also publishes analysis on affordability and regional differences to give a wider context
Snapshot: national context
As a frame of reference, the UK average house price sits in the mid-to-high £200,000s in 2025, depending on which index you use — the Land Registry UK HPI and other indices report slightly different figures but broadly the same band. Prices rose regionally through 2024 and into 2025, though growth has been uneven: London lagged while parts of northern England and Northern Ireland saw stronger gains. Knowing the national average is useful because it highlights how much lower prices are in the cheapest places (sometimes less than half the national number). landregistry.data.gov.uk+1
Towns and areas that still offer the best value (2025)
Below are places that repeatedly appear on affordability lists compiled from Land Registry/sales data and property-site analyses. I’ve grouped them geographically and given a short, human-friendly picture of what you can expect there today.
North East & County Durham
Sunderland (SR1 and surrounding postcodes)
Sunderland consistently surfaces as one of the cheapest cities in England. In many central postcode pockets, the average asking or sold price can be a fraction of the national average, and bargain terraced housing is common. The area benefits from good transport links to Newcastle and affordable local living costs, making it a practical option for buyers wanting coastal access without city prices. Property lists and local market summaries flagged Sunderland among the lowest-priced urban areas in 2025.
County Durham / Shildon
Outside the main city centres, you’ll find small former mining towns (Shildon, Bishop Auckland, etc.) where average sale prices are low and the housing stock often includes terraces and semi-detached homes. These markets are attractive to buyers who prioritise space and value over urban nightlife.
North West & Yorkshire
Burnley (Lancashire)
Multiple analyses of Land Registry sales place Burnley at or near the top of the “cheapest places to buy” lists in recent data — average house prices here have been reported well below the national mean, often around the low £100,000s depending on the dataset and date. Burnley is a practical commute for Manchester for some buyers and offers immediate value for first-time purchasers.
Bradford & parts of West Yorkshire
Bradford borough and surrounding towns combine low average prices with decent local amenities and transport links to Leeds and Halifax. Expect to find inexpensive terraces, modest semis and pockets of regeneration that are slowly reshaping local markets.
Humber & Lincolnshire Coast
Grimsby / Cleethorpes / Hull
The Humber coast towns show up repeatedly in affordability surveys. Historically industrial, these towns have lower house prices and relatively stable rental demand (from local workers and students), plus the coast is a real lift for quality of life, even when budgets are tight.
North East coast & Teesside
Middlesbrough & Hartlepool
The Teesside area remains a go-to for affordability. Large swathes of terraced housing and lower entry prices are balanced against ongoing investment projects in some parts, meaning there are potential upside cases for patient buyers.
Midlands & North West towns
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke is another perennial value-market: cheap detached and semi properties in outlying suburbs, and very low central prices in many postcodes. Accessibility to Manchester and Birmingham by road can make Stoke attractive to commuters who prioritise mortgage affordability.
Rochdale / Oldham / parts of Greater Manchester
On the edge of the Manchester economic zone, these towns offer markedly lower entry prices than the city centre while still being within commuting distance. They attract buyers who want access to the Manchester jobs market without the premium.
Coastal resorts & tourist towns
Blackpool / Morecambe
Traditional seaside towns can be a mixed bag — some neighbourhoods are cheap, while others have been transformed by holiday lets. But if you’re after very low initial purchase costs, seaside towns like Blackpool frequently offer some of the cheapest average prices.
| Rank | Town / Area | Average House Price (ONS Jul 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley (Lancashire) | £125,000 |
| 2 | Blackpool (Lancashire) | £130,000 |
| 3 | Hull (Kingston upon Hull) | £133,000 |
| 4 | Hartlepool (Tees Valley) | £133,000 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough (Tees Valley) | £139,000 |
| 6 | Stoke-on-Trent (Staffordshire) | £146,000 |
| 7 | North East Lincolnshire (Grimsby / Cleethorpes) | £146,000 |
| 8 | Sunderland (Tyne & Wear) | £147,000 |
| 9 | Bradford (West Yorkshire) | £183,000 |
| 10 | Lancaster (including Morecambe) | £192,000 |
| 11 | Rochdale (Greater Manchester) | £199,000 |
| 12 | Oldham (Greater Manchester) | £206,000 |
Why prices remain low in these places (and what that means for you)
There are several structural reasons the towns above are inexpensive:
- Industrial decline and slower wage growth — many low-price towns were built around factories, mining or ports; when those industries contracted, local wages and demand for housing fell.
- Housing stock type — a high proportion of terraced housing and small-sized properties reduces the average price.
- Lower demand from wealthy commuters — towns that aren’t on fast rail links to London see less investor and commuter buyer interest, which keeps prices down.
- Local social and economic challenges — higher unemployment or lower services in some wards can dampen prices, even where other parts of the town are improving.
For buyers this means good entry prices but also risk: slower capital growth, pockets of lower demand, and sometimes higher maintenance costs for older properties. That said, for first-time buyers looking to get on the ladder, these towns offer an undeniable route to ownership. The Land Registry and county-level datasets show exactly these contrasts between high priced regions and the most affordable local authorities.
Practical tips if you’re hunting in affordable areas
- Check the micro-location: within cheap towns, there are often neighbourhoods that buck the trend — good streets are worth seeking out.
- Factor in transport costs: lower house prices can be offset by higher commuting costs; do the sums for your typical journey.
- Survey and condition: Cheaper houses are more likely to need work. Factor renovation, insulation and potential damp into your budget.
- Local amenities and jobs: consider schools, shops and job prospects — long-term demand is influenced by these.
- Speak to local agents: they’ll flag which streets and postcodes are genuinely buyable and which are risky.
Final thoughts
Buying in 2025 still rewards pragmatism. If your priority is to buy as cheaply as possible and secure a mortgage rather than rent indefinitely, towns across the North (Sunderland, Burnley, parts of Yorkshire and the Humber, and midland centres such as Stoke) offer genuine value. Those areas come with trade-offs — sometimes slower price growth and local challenges — but for many people, they’re the most realistic path to home ownership.
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