Buying a house is never cheap but in recent years it’s become a tiny bit more affordable. Since the pandemic year of 2021, median earnings in Wales and England have risen by 25% – a rate of increase higher than that for median house prices (5%).
Affordability is defined by median earnings as a proportion of median house prices. In the year to September 2025, Wales had an affordability ratio of 5.95, meaning houses typically cost six times average household earnings. This is a ratio similar to those seen to the pre-pandemic years of 2015-2020.
In North Wales, two counties currently have affordability ratios above the Welsh average – Conwy’s is 6.77 and Anglesey’s is 6.12. All counties in the region are above the affordability “threshold” of five times earnings – the standard lending multiple for most mortgage providers.
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It’s a far cry from 1997 when the average house price in Wales and England were three to four times the average salary. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: “By 2025, these affordability ratios had doubled in both England and Wales, meaning the average house price was six to eight times the average worker’s annual earnings in many areas.”
Inevitably, some places are more affordable than others. Last year the most affordable local authorities were Hyndburn and Kingston upon Hull in England, both with a ratio of 4.1. The least affordable was Kensington and Chelsea (25.2) – a six-fold difference.
Cheapest place to buy a house last year was Horden in County Durham, where sold prices levelled at £60,000. In North Wales, the cheapest properties cost more than double this figure on average. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
These could be found in the Blaenau Ffestiniog & Trawsfynydd MSOA (areas with roughly 8,000 people). Despite rich mining and farming heritages, and with haunting beautiful surroundings, houses in this area sold for an average of just £125,500 last year.
Below are the “cheapest” MSOAs for properties in North Wales, listed by county, for the year ending September 2025 (source: Office for National Statistics).
Anglesey
- Holyhead – £137,500
- Amlwch & Llannerchymedd – £185,000
- Newborough – £195,000
- Llangefni – £210,000
- Bodedern & Rhosneigr – £220,500
Gwynedd
- Blaenau Ffestiniog & Trawsfynydd – £125,500
- Bangor City – £148,000
- Pen-y-groes, Talysarn & Dyffryn Nantlle – £160,000
- Bethesda – £180,000
- Tywyn & Llangelynnin – £180,000
- Harlech & Llanbedr – £184,500
- Caernarfon West & Waunfawr – £161,500
- Caernarfon East – £200,000
Conwy
- Llandudno Town & Gogarth – £167,750
- Kinmel Bay & Towyn – £182,000
- Colwyn Bay North – £182,500
- Llanfairfechan & Penmaenmawr – £190,000
- Llandudno Junction South & Llasanffraid Glan Conwy – £190,000
- Llanrwst & Betws-y-Coed – £199,250
- Old Colwyn & Llanddulas – £205,750
- Betws-yn-Rhos, Llangernyw & Llansannan – £225,000
Denbighshire
- Rhyl South West – £135,000
- Denbigh West – £148,000
- Rhyl North – £156,000
- Rhyl East – £175,000
- Prestatyn North – £180,000
- Prestatyn South – £187,500
- Dyserth & Tremeirchion – £215,000
Flintshire
- Connah’s Quay North – £160,000
- Flint North East – £165,000
- Holywell & Bagillt – £165,000
- Queensferry & Sandycroft – £172,000
- Flint South West – £177,000
- Gronant, Ffynnongroyw & Trelawnyd – £180,000
- Buckley South – £189,998
- Connah’s Quay Wepre – £195,000
- Shotton & Garden City – £199,995
- Mold – £210,000
Wrexham
- Caia Park – £130,000
- Hermitage & Whitegate – £139,950
- Rhosllannerchrugog & Johnstown South – £148,000
- New Broughton & Bryn Cefn – £168,000
- Wrexham West – £170,000
- Coedpoeth & Brymbo – £175,000
- Pen-y-cae & Minera – £180,000
- Cefn Mawr – £182,500
- Llay South & Gwersyllt East – £190,000
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