Over half of the country is now more affordable to live in that before the credit crunch, but the divide between the North and the South of England continues to grow.
The new research from the Yorkshire Building Society found that whilst 54 per cent of the country has become more affordable, the South East and East of England has become 15 percent more expensive.
Much of the population is still struggling to buy property in the South of England, with London boroughs unsurprisingly contributing six of the 10 most unaffordable places to live in.
Places with the greatest improvement in affordability included Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, all of which are in Scotland. Those with the least included Three Rivers, Haringey and Westminster. In Westminster, the average house price is £1,034,073 – or just over 24 times the average wage.
Andrew McPhillips, from the Yorkshire Building Society, said:
“It has become increasingly difficult for first-time buyers and those wanting to move up the housing ladder to be able to buy their first or next home.
“However, the north of England, Wales and Scotland present a different picture entirely, with many places, such as Edinburgh, Peterborough and Birmingham, becoming more affordable than they were before the credit crunch.”