Happily single or just not ready to tie your credit score to your plus-one?

Our latest analysis is for you: pinpointing the regional hotspots where a single salary actually goes the distance.

And it’s something the savviest of solo buyers are cottoning on to, as the dream of buying alone becomes more of a reality in 2026.

Thanks to relaxed affordability rules that came in last year and average mortgage rates cooling to around 4%, buying a home on a single income is much more achievable this year. In fact, single buyers now make up 39% of all first-time purchases.

From Aberdeen to Plymouth, your perfect match might be closer (and more affordable) than you think.

The most affordable city to buy a house in each UK region

Region

City

Average value of 1- and 2-bed homes

Average income – single earner

House value to earnings ratio

Monthly mortgage repayments

20% deposit

Scotland

Aberdeen

£114,700

£33,100

3.5

£438

£22,900

North East

Sunderland

£106,700

£28,600

3.7

£408

£21,300

Yorkshire and The Humber

Hull

£115,300

£27,900

4.1

£440

£23,100

North West

Liverpool

£137,100

£31,600

4.3

£524

£27,400

West Midlands

Stoke-on-Trent

£134,400

£29,700

4.5

£513

£26,900

Wales

Swansea

£149,000

£32,800

4.5

£569

£29,800

East Midlands

Derby

£169,100

£31,200

5.4

£646

£33,800

East of England

Peterborough

£183,200

£30,500

6.0

£700

£36,600

South West

Plymouth

£184,000

£29,600

6.2

£703

£36,800

South East

Milton Keynes

£230,400

£36,900

6.3

£880

£46,100

 

Key takeaways

  • Lower mortgage rates and relaxed affordability rules mean buying alone is easier in 2026
  • We’ve looked at local wages and house prices to find the most affordable cities to buy on a single income across the UK
  • Aberdeen is the most affordable city for singles while Sunderland offers England’s lowest solo mortgage
  • Buyers are beating the ‘single tax’ by choosing affordable regional alternatives like Peterborough over Cambridge and Swansea over Cardiff