UK's most and least affordable areas to live and work in 2025 revealed

The most and least affordable areas to live and work in the UK in 2025 have now been revealed.

A new analysis by The Telegraph has compared average house prices, average earnings, food and energy bills and commuting costs across England and Wales to uncover the house price-to-earnings sweet spots.

With 'above-average' salaries and a cheap cost of living, Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria ranks as the most affordable place to live, with the highest value-for-money rating.

The Telegraph's analysis revealed that the affordability of properties and high average earnings push it to the top of the list, where your money will stretch the furthest.

Barrow’s median salary of £37,962 is slightly higher than the national average of £37,430, whilst house prices are much cheaper than the UK average of £293,000 at £185,073.

"Home to the great Romantic poets and England’s largest lakes and tallest peaks, Cumbria is a dream place to live for millions of people," says The Telegraph.

"You would assume the area’s natural beauty would put it out of reach for those of more modest means – but analysis reveals that the area around Barrow-in-Furness offers the best value in the UK."

Alongside Barrow, Whitehaven, Stafford and Darlington also make the top 10 areas for value for money in the UK, with the list dominated by towns in the north of England.

This is down to daily expenses being considerably cheaper in the north, compared with London and the South East, offsetting wages that are often lower.

"Even Durham, known for its beautiful setting, historic cathedral and top university, offers good value for money. Salaries are lower than the national average at £28,684 but so are house prices – £134,670," says The Telegraph.

"The travel-to-work