The most affordable cities for single home buyers in Britain

12 Feb 2026 • 9:12 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Single buyers are finding it increasingly possible to get onto the property ladder, attributed to rising incomes and recent reductions in mortgage rates.
  • Zoopla's analysis, focusing on smaller one or two-bedroom homes, indicates that single purchasers currently account for around two-fifths (39 per cent) of all first-time buyers.
  • In Scotland, Aberdeen was identified as the most affordable city for single buyers, with a typical first-time buyer home costing approximately 3.5 times average earnings.
  • Swansea was highlighted as the most affordable city in Wales, where a home costs around 4.5 times the earnings of a single first-time buyer.
  • For London, Havering was named the most affordable borough, with one or two-bedroom properties averaging £305,200, which is about 7.3 times the average single income of £41,600.

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