Here’s the most and least affordable places for first-time buyers

The regional disparities in average house prices and annual income can be huge depending on where you live in the UK, but where works out as the most and least affordable to get your foot on that first rung of the property ladder?

To find out, Compare My Move divided the amount needed for a 15% deposit by the average annual income in each of the UK’s most populated towns and cities to create a deposit to income ratio.

Most of the most affordable towns and cities were found in the North, where although earnings are usually lower, house prices are too.

Birkenhead comes in top spot for the lowest estimated monthly mortgage repayments, lowest 15% deposit, and average house price. It has the cheapest average house price of £109,041 and average earnings of £24,172, meaning that a 15% deposit works out at just 0.68 times a year’s wages.

Hartlepool in County Durham was the second most affordable town, with first-time buyers requiring an average deposit of £18,356 to get onto the property ladder which, with a local salary of £22,258, works out at 0.82 times a year’s wages.

Another Merseyside town, St Helens, completes the top three most affordable places for first-time buyers in the UK. With a 15% deposit averaging £21,011 and annual earnings of £24,644, a deposit works out at just 0.85 times the average salary. St Helens is also located within easy distance of both Manchester and Liverpool, which could potentially strengthen its appeal among first-time buyers.

Bradford, Barnsley, Gateshead, Stockton-on-Tees, Blackpool, Sunderland and Blackburn completed the top 10 list of most affordable locations.

Turning to the least affordable areas, London unsurprisingly topped the list, where an average house price of £605,437 and average yearly salary of £31,114 means potential buyers need a £90,816 deposit – 2.92 times annual earnings.

Oxford followed in second place, with an average house price of £478,180 and average salary of £25,886 meaning a 15% deposit is 2.77 times earnings.

Buyers in Woking will need a £72,529 deposit to buy an average house costing £483,528 – a 2.52 deposit to income ratio.

Bath came in at position 4, with average house prices of £402,357 and a median salary of just £24,425 means buyers face a deposit to income ratio of 2.47.

Guildford completed the top 5 list, where an average house price of £561,267 and average wages of £34,207 means a 15% deposit will set buyers back £84,190 – 2.46 times average yearly earnings.