Where Are the Cheapest Places to Live in the North West? A Guide
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by Property Investments UK
The Property Investments UK editorial team have been researching and writing about the UK's property market for more than a decade.
In times of high inflation and a cost of living crisis affordability is key when it comes to finding a place to live. We’ve crunched the numbers and found which are the cheapest places to live in north west England when it comes to the average cost to buy a home and the average cost to rent a home.
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Is the North West a Cheap Place to Live?
The north-west of England has some costly places to live and some very cheap places to live. On average, however, the northwest is a good value place to live whether you are buying a property or renting a property.
The Average House Price
The average house price in the northwest is currently around £176,499. This compares with an average house price in England of £308,633.
For buyers, the average house in the northwest is almost 45% cheaper than in the rest of England.
Average Rent
The average monthly rent in the northwest is around £1,006 PCM. This compares with average monthly rents across the UK of £1,276 PCM according to the Homelet Rental Index.
For renters, the average monthly rent in the northwest is just over 20% cheaper than in the rest of England.
The 15 Cheapest Places to Live in the North West of England
Here are the top 15 cheapest places to live in the north-west based on average housing costs:
Accrington
Accrington is in central Lancashire around 6 miles from Blackburn and is 20 miles north of Manchester. Accrington has a population of around 35,400 and is in the borough of Hyndburn. Accrington has good transport connections via the M65 and A56 for those who need to travel around Lancashire or into Greater Manchester.
Accrington is a good value town for buyers. The average property price in Accrington is £131,832, although it is possible to buy a property for just £44,000. This puts Accrington in the top ten cheapest places in the northwest to buy a place to live.
For those renting a home, Accrington is also within the top ten cheapest places for rent. The average rent in Accrington is just £135 weekly.
Barrow in Furness
Barrow in Furness, often known as Barrow for short, is in Cumbria. Located on the Furness peninsula Barrow is on the fringe of the beautiful Lake District, although it is mainly a working town and industrial centre. Barrow in Furness is known for BAE Systems, which supports thousands of jobs here.
The average home in Barrow (based on the LA14 postcode area) costs £129,333, although it’s possible to buy a house or flat for just £20,000. For renters, the average rent here is £142 per week.
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is located on the Wirral peninsula just across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Birkenhead is part of the borough of Wirral and has a population of around 90,000.
Birkenhead is a one-time heavy industrial centre which has suffered a decline in recent years. But lots of regeneration is ongoing with town centre improvements, new houses and new green space. Birkenhead also benefits from easy access to Liverpool city centre and to the employment opportunities on Deeside.
The average house in Birkenhead (based on the CH41 postcode area) costs just £123,068, making it the third cheapest town in the northwest. Renters pay on average £142 per week.
Blackpool
Blackpool is England’s biggest seaside resort, known for attractions such as Blackpool Tower, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool trams and Blackpool Beach.
Blackpool is also a very cheap place to live. The average property price in Blackpool (based on the FY1 postcode area) is just £111,562. That makes Blackpool the cheapest place to buy property in the northwest.
Blackpool is good for renters too. The average rent in Blackpool (FY1) is just £122 per week. This means Blackpool has the lowest overall rents in the northwest.
Burnley
Burnley is a former textile town whose main industries are now light manufacturing and services. The nearby M65 motorway provides fast access to the rest of Lancashire and there are direct train services to Preston, Blackpool, Leeds and Manchester (46 minutes). The Lancashire and Yorkshire countryside is right on the doorstep.
Burnley is the second cheapest place to buy in the northwest. House prices start from £25,000 while the average house here (based on the BB11 postcode area) is just £121,074. Burnley is also the second cheapest place to rent in the region, with average rents of £124 per week.
Carlisle
Carlisle is in Cumbria and is often known as the Great Border City. Carlisle is just 13 miles from the England-Scotland border and right on the edge of the Lake District. Carlisle is a compact small city, having a population of around 108,000, but it offers everything residents might need – it is the main business, service, shopping and entertainment area for this part of the northwest.
Carlisle is one of the top ten cheapest places to buy in the northwest. The average property price here (based on the CA2 part of the city) is just £142,783. The average weekly rent in Carlisle CA2 comes in at £136.
Colne
Colne is in the Pendle area of east Lancashire and around six miles from the larger town of Burnley. Colne has good access to the other east Lancashire towns, as well as into West and North Yorkshire making it a good location for those who need to travel around the region.
The average property price in Colne (based on the BB8 postcode area) is just £165,277.
The average rent here (BB8 postcode) is £131 per week, making Colne amongst the top five cheapest places to rent in the northwest.
Liverpool
Liverpool is world famous for many things, including football and music. Liverpool also has a growing visitor economy.
However, it’s also a major industrial and commercial city with employers including the port, chemicals, food processing, business and financial services, retail and motor manufacturing.
Liverpool is one of the UK’s cheapest cities for property prices and rents overall. Not all parts of the city are cheap, however. The cheapest parts of Liverpool are the L7 postcode area (part of the city centre, Edge Hill, Fairfield and Kensington) where buyers can buy a home for £131,603 on average. In the L5 postcode (Anfield and Everton) a house costs slightly more at £133,890 on average.
The cheapest part of Liverpool in which to rent a home is also the L7 area, where the average weekly rent is just £129.
Nelson
Nelson is in the Pendle area of east Lancashire around 3 miles from Burnley. Nelson has good access to the other east Lancashire towns via the M65, as well as West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire making it a good location for those who need to travel around the region.
The average property price in Nelson (based on the BB9 postcode area) is just £145,915. That makes Nelson among the top ten cheapest places to buy property in the northwest. Renters in Nelson (again BB9 postcode) pay £131 weekly on average. That makes Nelson one of the top ten cheapest places to rent in the northwest too.
Oldham
Oldham is in Greater Manchester, around 6 miles to the northeast of Manchester city centre. Oldham has great transport links being right by the M60, M62 and A627(M). Frequent Metrolink tram services run through the Oldham district into Manchester city centre which provides many jobs. There is a £550m transformation plan for the town centre too.
Oldham is a cheaper place to live than Manchester itself: The average house price in Oldham (based on the OL8 postcode area) is just £166,784 while the average rent in Oldham (OL8) is £163 per week.
Preston
The city of Preston is in Lancashire and has a population of around 148,000. Preston has great links around the region on the M6, M65, M61 and M55. Manufacturing, engineering and services are important to the Preston economy. However, Preston also has a large student population with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) having 33,000 students.
The average price of a house in Preston (based on the PR1 postcode area) is just £157,427. Renters can expect to pay £202 per week on average in rent. That puts Preston within the top 20 cheapest places to buy and rent in the northwest, and one of the cheapest cities for housing costs in the country.
St. Helens
St. Helens is just 13 miles to the east of Liverpool. The main employment here is in manufacturing, public services and distribution. However, St. Helens is within easy reach of Liverpool by road and train (in as little as 20 minutes) as well as other regional centres such as Warrington and Widnes making it popular with commuters.
Buyers looking to buy a house in St. Helens (based on the WA9 postcode area) will find the average house costs £163,168 currently. Average rents in St. Helens (WA9 postcode) stand at £160 per week.
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a port town on the Solway Firth in northwest Cumbria. Whitehaven has a population of around 23,900. Although Whitehaven is on the fringes of the Lake District which attracts many tourists it is mainly a working town. The nearby Sellafield nuclear waste reprocessing and storage plant provides many jobs.
The average property price in Whitehaven (based on the CA28 postcode area) is £161,051 while the average weekly rent in the district is £142.
Wigan
Wigan is in Greater Manchester and has a population of around 110,000. It is mid-way between both Manchester and Liverpool. Wigan is a manufacturing town, well known for the Kraft Heinz food processing factory. Wigan is close to the M6 and has good transport links for those who work and commute around Lancashire.
The cheapest part of the Wigan district in WN2 is based around the small town of Hindley. Buyers looking to buy a house here will find house prices start at around £67,500 while average house prices are currently £165,277. The average weekly rent in Wigan WN2 is £164.
Workington
Workington is in northwest Cumbria on the Solway Firth and around 30 miles from Carlisle. Workington has a population of around 25,200 and is mainly a working town.
Workington is in the top 10 cheapest places for living costs in the northwest. A house here (based on the CA14 postcode area) costs just £148,477 while average rents are £133 weekly. Bargain hunters will find Workington house prices start at around £45,000.
So, Where are the Cheapest Places to Live in the North-West?
According to our latest research, and based on a comparison of prices and rents, the cheapest places to live in the northwest of England are (in alphabetical order): Accrington, Blackpool, Barrow in Furness, Birkenhead, Burnley, Carlisle, Colne, Liverpool, Nelson, Oldham, Preston, St. Helens, Whitehaven, Wigan and Workington.
About Our Data. Property prices and rents are based on figures from property.xyz (except where stated otherwise).