ONS House Affordability Calculator: How to Use It
The ONS House Affordability Calculator helps you explore how local house prices compare with average earnings in neighbourhoods across England and Wales. It is provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using official house-price and earnings data.
How to Use the Calculator
- Enter a postcode for the area where you are considering buying a home.
- Review the local results showing house prices, average earnings and the affordability ratio.
- Add your personal circumstances where the calculator provides this option, including your deposit, first-time buyer status, property type and expected borrowing multiple.
- Adjust the assumptions to compare different deposits, property prices and estimated buying-cost scenarios.
What Your Results Show
- Local house price: The median price paid for homes sold in the selected neighbourhood.
- Local average earnings: Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees working in the relevant local authority.
- Affordability ratio: The local house price divided by local annual earnings. A higher ratio generally means homes are less affordable relative to earnings.
- Affordability comparison: ONS uses five times annual earnings as a broad affordability threshold.
- Personalised estimates: Depending on the information entered, the tool may also show estimated mortgage requirements, savings and upfront buying costs.
Benefits for Home Buyers
The calculator can help buyers understand whether local property prices are high or low compared with local earnings. It is useful for comparing neighbourhoods, setting a realistic property-search area and understanding how changing the deposit or property price could affect the amount of savings and borrowing required.
What You Should Consider
The local house price is based on properties that were sold, so it may not match the asking price or condition of a particular home. The earnings figure represents full-time employees working in the wider local authority and may differ from your household income, especially if you are self-employed, buying jointly or commuting to another area.
ONS data may also be revised when additional property transactions are registered. Use the result to understand local market affordability, then check your personal borrowing position, monthly repayments and complete buying costs separately.
Important: The ONS affordability ratio is a statistical comparison, not a lender affordability assessment or mortgage offer. Mortgage lenders also consider income, expenditure, debts, deposit, credit history and their own lending criteria.
Official source: Office for National Statistics: How affordable are homes in your neighbourhood?
