With property prices continuing to skyrocket in many parts of the UK, the dream of homeownership can feel increasingly out of reach for most buyers. From eye-watering deposits to endless bidding wars, it’s no wonder so many would-be homeowners are feeling priced out. But have you ever wondered which UK cities are still offering a fighting chance to get on the property ladder in 2025?
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.
Rounding out the top 10 is Blackburn, where the average home costs £158,790 and residents earn about £30,048 annually. That results in a price-to-income ratio of 5.28 – the highest in the top ten, but still significantly more affordable than many southern cities.
While house prices remain below the UK average, wages in Blackburn aren’t rising at the same pace. Still, for buyers priced out of other parts of the country, Blackburn presents an appealing mix of low property costs and decent connectivity to larger cities.
Aberdeen (1st) takes the top spot with an unbeatable price-to-income ratio of 3.90. Dundee (2nd), Kingston upon Hull (3rd), and Blackpool (4th) all offer home prices under £147,000 with average incomes ranging from £28,000 to £33,000. Middlesbrough (5th) and Burnley (6th) remain strong players thanks to their extremely low property costs.
Stoke-on-Trent (7th), Sunderland (8th), and Glasgow (9th) round out the top 10 list with affordability ratios between 4.90 and 5.12.
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:
| Rank | City | Average home price | Annual income | Home price-to-income ratio |
| 1 | Aberdeen | £146,182 | £37,440 | 3.90 |
| 2 | Dundee | £146,796 | £32,688 | 4.49 |
| 3 | Kingston upon Hull | £134,561 | £29,232 | 4.60 |
| 4 | Blackpool | £134,013 | £28,704 | 4.67 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | £134,424 | £28,368 | 4.74 |
| 6 | Burnley | £122,188 | £24,960 | 4.90 |
| 7 | Stoke-on-Trent | £142,901 | £29,136 | 4.90 |
| 8 | Sunderland | £140,675 | £28,512 | 4.93 |
| 9 | Glasgow | £184,206 | £36,000 | 5.12 |
| 10 | Blackburn | £158,790 | £30,048 | 5.28 |
