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Rent or buy in South West?

In South West the average home costs £302,618 (HM Land Registry UKHPI, April 2026) while the average private rent is £1,234 a month, or £14,808 a year (ONS PIPR, May 2026). The price-to-rent ratio is 20.4, which tends to favour renting on the conventional rule of thumb (UK average 16.3).

Price-to-rent ratio
20.4
<15 buy · 16–20 balanced · >20 rent
Average house price
£302,618
UKHPI
Average monthly rent
£1,234
ONS PIPR
Annual rent
£14,808

The price-to-rent ratio is the average house price divided by one year of rent. It is a like-for-like value signal, not a mortgage calculation: it ignores interest rates, maintenance and house-price growth, so treat it as a starting point rather than personal advice.

Similar areas by price-to-rent

See also: years of salary to buy in South West · full house prices in South West

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South West?
In South West the average home costs £302,618 (HM Land Registry UKHPI, April 2026) and the average private rent is £1,234 a month, or £14,808 a year (ONS PIPR, May 2026). That is a price-to-rent ratio of 20.4, which tends to favour renting on the conventional rule of thumb.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in South West?
The price-to-rent ratio in South West is 20.4 — the £302,618 average house price divided by £14,808 of annual rent. A ratio below 15 is usually read as favouring buying, 16–20 as balanced, and above 20 as favouring renting.
How much is rent in South West?
The average monthly private rent in South West is £1,234 (ONS Price Index of Private Rents, May 2026).
Does South West favour renting or buying compared with the UK?
South West's price-to-rent ratio of 20.4 compares with 16.3 for the UK as a whole, so relative to renting, buying here is pricier than the UK average.

Sources: house price — HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI) (April 2026); rent — ONS — Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics (May 2026). Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. UKHPI and ONS PIPR are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.