Best places in East Midlands for first-time buyers
Persona weighting: Affordability (rent) 40%, Living cost (council tax) 20%, Safety (low crime) 15%, Schools (Ofsted Good+) 10%, Connectivity (broadband) 10%, Health (life expectancy) 5%.
Updated quarterly · from the latest government data releases.
What is the best place to live in East Midlands for first-time buyers?
As of 2026-06-19, the best East Midlands local authority for first-time buyers is Erewash, scoring 70.7/100 on the Gera Persona Fit index — a persona-weighted composite of rent, crime, Ofsted schools, broadband, life expectancy and council tax across 33 East Midlands local authorities. GeraRent recomputes it quarterly.
| # | Area | Persona Fit | GLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erewash | 70.7 | 66.2 |
| 2 | Derby | 70.3 | 64.3 |
| 3 | Chesterfield | 70.2 | 62.3 |
| 4 | South Kesteven | 69.6 | 64.4 |
| 5 | Amber Valley | 69.3 | 63.7 |
| 6 | South Holland | 69.3 | 61.9 |
| 7 | North East Derbyshire | 68.7 | 62.5 |
| 8 | North Kesteven | 68.6 | 62.7 |
| 9 | Boston | 68.5 | 60.3 |
| 10 | South Derbyshire | 68.5 | 62.9 |
| 11 | Oadby and Wigston | 68.1 | 66.2 |
| 12 | Bolsover | 67.4 | 59.0 |
| 13 | Lincoln | 67.3 | 59.7 |
| 14 | Melton | 66.9 | 60.9 |
| 15 | Charnwood | 66.5 | 62.3 |
| 16 | Broxtowe | 66.3 | 63.5 |
| 17 | West Lindsey | 66.3 | 57.2 |
| 18 | East Lindsey | 66.2 | 54.4 |
| 19 | Gedling | 66.2 | 62.4 |
| 20 | Blaby | 66.1 | 64.1 |
| 21 | Mansfield | 65.9 | 57.9 |
| 22 | Rutland | 65.9 | 66.5 |
| 23 | Harborough | 65.7 | 61.9 |
| 24 | Hinckley and Bosworth | 65.5 | 59.9 |
| 25 | North West Leicestershire | 65.5 | 59.6 |
| 26 | Ashfield | 65.4 | 57.6 |
| 27 | Bassetlaw | 65.3 | 57.3 |
| 28 | Leicester | 65.2 | 60.3 |
| 29 | Derbyshire Dales | 64.2 | 57.4 |
| 30 | Newark and Sherwood | 64.1 | 57.5 |
| 31 | High Peak | 62.5 | 54.1 |
| 32 | Rushcliffe | 61.9 | 59.0 |
| 33 | Nottingham | 61.5 | 55.4 |
First-time buyers in other regions
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Search rentals on GeraRentSources (all Open Government Licence v3.0):
- ONS — Price Index of Private Rents — as of May 2026.
- HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index — as of April 2026.
- MHCLG — Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England — as of 2026-27.
- Ofcom — Connected Nations (Gera Broadband Index) — as of July 2024.
- ONS — Life expectancy by local authority — as of 2017-19.
- Ofsted — State-funded school inspection outcomes — as of 31 May 2026.
- Home Office — Police recorded crime (PFA) + ONS population — as of Year ending December 2025.
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 © Crown copyright. Recorded-crime figures are neutral official statistics shown as context only and must not be used to characterise an area or its residents.