Home ownership less affordable once again in West Midlands, figures show

The average cost of houses across the West Midlands have been revealed in a new report.

The West Midlands State of the Region 2026 report sets out the cost of buying and renting properties in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

And the findings show home ownership continues to be less affordable than previous years.

The report will be presented to members of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Local Scrutiny Committee when it meets on Monday, September 7.

It said the average cost of buying houses varies across the WMCA area with the most expensive being in Solihull at £329,000 and the lowest being Sandwell at £200,000.

The average house price in Birmingham is £233,000, £227,000 in Dudley, £226,000 in Coventry, £216,000 in Walsall and £213,000 in Wolverhampton.

Affordability also varies across the region with the median house price being between 8.62 and 5.86 times the average wage in 2024 compared with 7.16 and 4.83 in 2014.

The highest house price to wage ratio is 8.62 in Solihull while Coventry is the lowest with 5.86.

The ratio in Birmingham is 6.01, in Dudley it is 6.53, in Sandwell is 6.39, in Walsall it’s 6.16 and in Wolverhampton is 5.90.

Average monthly rent prices are also highest in Solihull at £1,252 with the lowest being £846 in Dudley.

In Birmingham, the average rent price is at £1,087, in Coventry it’s £1,016, in Sandwell it’s £936, in Wolverhampton it’s £921 and in Walsall it’s £898.

The average proportion of household income spent on rent across local authorities of the WMCA area was estimated at 29.6 per cent in 2023/24.

This varies from 36.1 per cent in Solihull to 26.6 per cent in Wolverhampton.

Weekly incomes after housing costs vary from £180.68 in Sandwell to £294.12 in Solihull, in the financial year ending 2023.

In Walsall income after housing costs is at £211.78, in Birmingham it’s £209.05, in Dudley it’s £208.89, in Coventry it’s £206.70 and in Wolverhampton it’s £181.95.

The report said: “Housing is central to improving quality of life, supporting regeneration, and delivering inclusive growth across the West Midlands.

“Outcomes for the region and its communities can be improved by making it easier for people to access safe, affordable, and well‑located homes that support healthier, more secure lives.”