Homes in Inverclyde near Glasgow are the most affordable in Britain at just 3.5 times wages, Lloyds finds
From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026.
Wages have outpaced house prices across the UK, pushing the national price-to-earnings ratio down to 7.3 — its lowest since 2015, according to Lloyds Bank analysis of April to June 2026 figures. Scotland dominates the affordability rankings, with six of the ten cheapest areas for buyers sitting north of the border. Inverclyde leads the pack with average homes costing £146,030, barely 3.5 times local annual earnings.
Elmbridge in Surrey is the least affordable area in Britain, with the average home costing £726,523 — a crushing 17.4 times average earnings.
London remains the least affordable region overall at 10.3 times wages, though that has improved from 10.9 a year ago; Kensington and Chelsea tops the capital's unaffordability table at 17.3 times earnings.
Northern Ireland bucked the national trend, with the price-to-earnings ratio worsening from 5.8 to 6.0 as house prices there grew faster than wages.