Manchester — area value breakdown
North West. Rank 271 of 287 for overall value.
Is Manchester a good-value place to live?
As of April 2026, Manchester scores 62.8/100 on the Gera Area Value Score, ranking 271 of 287 English local authorities. Average home £247,344, median rent £1,352/mo, crime 103.9/1,000 (Greater Manchester), 76% schools Good+ and 87.9% gigabit broadband. Gera re-dates quarterly.
| Factor | Real figure | vs national median | Sub-score /100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability (house price) | £247,344 avg home | better than the national median | 90 |
| Rent value | £1,352/mo | worse than the national median | 74 |
| Safety (low crime) | 103.9/1,000 (Greater Manchester) | worse than the national median | 23 |
| Schools (Ofsted Good+) | 76% Good+ (Manchester) | worse than the national median | 42 |
| Connectivity (gigabit) | 87.9% gigabit | better than the national median | 84 |
| Council tax (context, unweighted) | £2,312/yr Band D | — | — |
Crime is the recorded-crime rate of the Greater Manchester force that polices Manchester. Ofsted figures are for the Manchester education authority. Recorded-crime rates are neutral official statistics and must not be used to characterise an area or its residents.
See where Manchester ranks for your priorities
Adjust the weights — the ranking and this area's position update live.
Set how much each factor matters to you (0 = ignore, 10 = top priority). Your shortlist re-ranks instantly across all 287 areas.
Under your priorities, Manchester ranks #271 of 287 areas, with a Gera Area Value Score of 62.8 / 100.
Manchester: average home £247,344, median rent £1,352/mo, crime 103.9/1,000 (Greater Manchester), 76% schools Good+ (Manchester), 87.9% gigabit.
Full Manchester breakdown →Your top 10 best-value areas
- #1Warrington£253,219 · £885/mo89.5
- #2Ipswich£215,893 · £989/mo87.9
- #3Redditch£247,308 · £904/mo86.7
- #4York£308,788 · £1,182/mo86.4
- #5Stoke-on-Trent£152,101 · £709/mo86.1
- #6Worcester£251,825 · £965/mo85.9
- #7Wyre Forest£229,867 · £821/mo85.4
- #8Blackburn with Darwen£165,813 · £711/mo84.4
- #9Torbay£224,372 · £908/mo84.4
- #10Milton Keynes£318,038 · £1,336/mo84.3
Scores re-computed in your browser from the real source figures. The Gera Area Value Score normalises each factor 0–100 across all 287 areas, then takes the weighted mean of your chosen weights. See the methodology.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Gera Area Value Score for Manchester?
- Manchester scores 62.8 out of 100, ranking 271 of 287 ranked English local authorities. The score is a weighted mean of five normalised sub-scores: affordability 90, rent value 74, safety 23, schools 42, connectivity 84.
- How affordable is Manchester?
- The average home in Manchester is £247,344 (better than the national median of £305,174) and the median private rent is £1,352/month. Band D council tax is £2,312/year.
- How are Manchester's schools and crime measured?
- Schools: 76% of state schools are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted (for the Manchester education authority). Crime: the Greater Manchester force that polices Manchester records 103.9 offences per 1,000 residents (worse than the national median).
Find a home in Manchester
Browse verified rental listings in Manchester and nearby best-value areas.
Data sources
Contains public sector information published by HM Land Registry and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI) (April 2026).
Contains public sector information published by Office for National Statistics and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics — Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics (May 2026, published 17 June 2026).
Contains public sector information published by Home Office / Office for National Statistics and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Home Office — Police recorded crime (PFA) + ONS mid-2024 PFA population estimates (Year ending December 2025 (population: ONS mid-2024)).
Contains public sector information published by Ofsted and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes (management information) (31 May 2026, published 2026-06-18).
Contains public sector information published by Ofcom and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Ofcom — Connected Nations (fixed broadband coverage by local authority) (July 2024).
Contains public sector information published by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG) (2026-27).