ONE northern city has seen house prices surge at nine times the rate of London over the past decade — and the capital languishes at the very bottom of the table.
New data from property website Rightmove reveals a remarkable north-south divide that is reshaping the UK property map, with Manchester crowned Britain’s top city for house price growth and London left trailing far behind.
Average asking prices in Manchester have rocketed by 63% over the past 10 years.
The typical price tag on a home there now stands at £261,891 – around £100,000 more than the £160,422 figure recorded a decade ago.
While that is a huge boost for existing homeowners, it also means the dream of getting a first foothold on the property ladder in the vibrant city is becoming an increasingly tough ask for many buyers.
London, despite remaining by far the most expensive city in Britain with an average asking price of £687,080, has seen growth of just 7% over the same period – creeping up from £639,593 ten years ago.
It sits firmly at the bottom of Rightmove’s league table for percentage price growth.
Wolverhampton comes in as a close runner-up to Manchester at 63% growth, with Newport on 57%, Nottingham on 53% and Wakefield and Salford both on 52%.
Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent, Doncaster and Swansea round out the top ten fastest-growing cities – and not one of them is in the south of England.
That is no accident, according to Rightmove.
The website said the data reveals a longer-term north versus south divide, with no cities in southern England appearing in its top ten for the fastest price growth, while the south dominates the list for the slowest.
Among the cities where prices have risen least are Oxford at 13%, Winchester at 14%, Cambridge at 15% and St Albans at 19% – all of which are also among the most expensive places to buy in the country.
Zooming in around Manchester itself, asking prices in Levenshulme, Atherton, Droylsden and Failsworth have grown by around 80% on average over the past decade – outpacing even the city’s already impressive overall figure.
Rightmove also points to what it calls a “spill over” effect from major cities into nearby towns and suburbs, as buyers cast their nets wider in search of value.
Manchester’s growth has spread into Salford, Birmingham‘s into Wolverhampton, and Leeds’ into Wakefield and Bradford – all of which feature in the top ten.
Prices in these spillover locations remain lower than in the major cities themselves, making them increasingly attractive to buyers being priced out of the bigger urban centres.
The shift in working patterns since the pandemic is playing a significant role too.
Hybrid and remote working has given more people the freedom to live outside London, fuelling demand in cities that offer better value and a different quality of life.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “Manchester is a big winner of the past decade, with strong price growth underlining its growing popularity among buyers.
“By contrast, London has seen much slower growth, reflecting how higher prices in the capital have limited how much further buyers can stretch. Greater flexibility through hybrid and remote working is still influencing where people choose to live, supporting demand in cities that offer better value and a different lifestyle balance.”
Maurice Kilbride, managing director at Maurice Kilbride Residential Sales in Cheadle, said: “Manchester’s growth over the past decade has been extraordinary.
“Strong employment opportunities, significant inward investment, excellent transport links and a vibrant lifestyle offering have helped attract people from across the UK and beyond.”
Mary-Lou Press, president of NAEA Propertymark, said: “Manchester’s success reflects more than affordability alone.
“The data reinforces a broader shift away from a London-centric market, with regional cities across the North and Midlands emerging as major growth centres, though increasing housing supply will be essential to maintain accessibility.”
Top 10 and bottom 10 cities for house price growth
ACCORDING to Rightmove, these are the top ten cities across Britain for average asking price growth over the past decade:
- Manchester, £261,891, 63%
- Wolverhampton, £229,094, 63%
- Newport, £235,275, 57%
- Nottingham, £210,238, 53%
- Wakefield, £231,581, 52%
- Salford, £226,559, 52%
- Bradford, £171,282, 51%
- Stoke-on-Trent, £174,850, 49%
- Doncaster, £186,378, 49%
- Swansea, £215,866, 48%
According to Rightmove, these are the bottom ten cities across Britain for average asking price growth over the past decade:
- London, £687,080, 7%
- Oxford, £554,387, 13%
- Brighton, £416,440, 13%
- Winchester, £543,972, 14%
- Cambridge, £512,872, 15%
- St Albans, £657,627, 19%
- Canterbury, £367,271, 22%
- Chelmsford, £402,308, 22%
- Colchester, £300,714, 26%
- Dundee, £170,171, 27%
