‘The city’s success has extended well beyond the centre’
Manchester has emerged as Britain’s leading hotspot for property growth over the last decade, with average house prices surging at nine times the rate of London.
New data released by property portal Rightmove highlights a stark geographic divide across the UK housing market. Over the past 10 years, the average asking price for a home in Greater Manchester has climbed by 63%, rising from £160,422 to £261,891 – an increase of approximately £100,000.
By contrast, London languishes at the bottom of the growth spectrum, recording a modest 7% uptick over the same period.
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Industry experts point to shifting employment trends and affordability constraints as the primary drivers of the trend.
“Greater flexibility through hybrid and remote working is still influencing where people choose to live, supporting demand in cities that offer better value,” said Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove. “Areas with lower starting price points have had more room for growth.”
The data reveals a distinct “north versus south” dynamic. No cities in southern England appeared in Rightmove’s top 10 list for fastest price growth, while the south dominated the list for the slowest growth.
The analysis also points to a “spillover” effect, where priced-out buyers cast a wider net into neighbouring areas.
This knock-on demand has boosted prices in locations directly outside major hubs, such as Salford, Wolverhampton, Wakefield and Bradford.
Within the Greater Manchester periphery, suburbs like Levenshulme, Atherton, Droylsden, and Failsworth saw average asking prices spike by roughly 80%.
Despite its stagnant growth rate, London remains the UK’s most expensive urban market by a wide margin, with an average asking price of £687,080, up from £639,593 a decade ago. Other high-cost southern cities, including Oxford, St Albans, and Winchester, also landed in the bottom ten for percentage growth.
While the price boom has significantly boosted equity for existing northern homeowners, it poses a severe challenge to aspiring buyers.
Mary-Lou Press, president of NAEA Propertymark, noted that Manchester’s rise reflects robust regional economics, transport upgrades, and regeneration. However, she warned that “increasing housing supply will be essential to maintain accessibility” as regional hubs become increasingly unaffordable for local first-time buyers.
The figures below outline the stark contrast between the fastest-growing property markets and the UK’s slowest-moving urban centres over the last decade.
Top 10 Cities for Asking Price Growth
- Manchester, £261,891, 63%
- Wolverhampton, £229,094, 63%
- Newport, £235,275, 57%
- Nottingham, £210,238, 53%
- Wakefield, £231,581, 52%
- Salford, £226,559, 52%
- Bradford, £171,282, 51%
- Stoke-on-Trent, £174,850, 49%
- Doncaster, £186,378, 49%
- Swansea, £215,866, 48%
Bottom 10 Cities for Asking Price Growth
- London, £687,080, 7%
- Oxford, £554,387, 13%
- Brighton, £416,440, 13%
- Winchester, £543,972, 14%
- Cambridge, £512,872, 15%
- St Albans, £657,627, 19%
- Canterbury, £367,271, 22%
- Chelmsford, £402,308, 22%
- Colchester, £300,714, 26%
- Dundee, £170,171, 27%


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