I know, I know! After reading that headline, I’m sure you’re just as surprised as I am to hear that another city in England has somehow overtaken London as the least affordable city to rent in. After all, London’s reputation for exorbitant rental prices (and a sky-high cost of living) is the stuff of legend. But, as the BBC reports, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that Bristol has overtaken us. That’s right, Bristol is now England’s least affordable city for renters.
According to the latest complete ONS data (which covers 2024, but still provides accurate trending information), Bristol’s renters spend an average of 44.6% of their salary on accommodation. That’s in comparison to Greater London, where rent costs us a comparatively paltry 41.6% of our salaries.
How is Bristol the least affordable city for renters?
The study does not simply look at the overall cost and just try to find the most expensive place by pure monetary amount. Instead, the ONS data looks at how much of their salary, on average, a person is paying on their rent. And Bristol came out on top when compared to Greater London.
As always, though, there’s a bit more to the situation. Many areas within London are much less affordable than Bristol. In fact, 11 London areas are less affordable than Bristol. These are:
- Kensington and Chelsea (74.3%)
- Westminster (55.8%)
- Wandsworth (54%)
- Camden (51.7%)
- Hammersmith and Fulham (51.3)
- Haringey (48.3%)
- Lambeth 47.1%
- Merton (46.8%)
- Islington (45.5%)
- Richmond upon Thames (45.3%)
- Southwark (45.1%)
The city’s average is brought down, however, by comparatively affordable parts of London. 21 areas in London are more affordable for renters than Bristol. These include Hackney (44.5%), Waltham Forest (39.1%), and Croydon (31.3%)
The most affordable area for renters in London is Havering. On average, renters here spend just 30.5% of their salary on rent.
According to the ONS data, the most affordable place to rent in England is Hartlepool. On average, renters here spend just 15.9% of their salary on rent.
