First-Time Buyer Index: The Postcode Penalty
Britain's housing market has become a postcode lottery. In Tembo's Q2 First-Time Buyer Index, we've analysed thousands of mortgages to reveal where buying is becoming easier, where it's getting harder, and why your postcode now matters more than ever.
Q2 City Index Rankings
Our overall score combines affordability, availability, mortgage terms and lifestyle factors to show how attractive each city is for first-time buyers.
Swipe
| Rank | City | Overall score | Average Deposit | Buy vs Rent (1 year) | Buy vs Rent (5 years) | Rank vs Q1 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glasgow | 5.70 | £37,180 | + £12,777 | + £105,112 | - |
| 2 | Liverpool | 7.60 | £37,180 | + £7,253 | + £61,606 | - |
| 3 | Belfast | 7.70 | £39,820 | + £17,049 | + £97,365 | - |
| 4 | Stoke-on-Trent | 8.63 | £31,020 | + £6,577 | + £44,299 | ↑ 4 |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 9.08 | £40,260 | + £15,896 | + £89,172 | ↓ 1 |
| 6 | Hull | 9.78 | £27,940 | + £7,284 | + £39,591 | ↑ 7 |
| 7 | Bristol | 10.03 | £69,300 | + £8,010 | + £105,558 | - |
| 8 | Nottingham | 10.10 | £38,940 | + £3,428 | + £56,782 | ↓ 3 |
| 9 | Leeds | 10.30 | £47,300 | + £8,288 | + £70,026 | ↑ 5 |
| 10 | Sheffield | 10.88 | £43,120 | + £5,069 | + £49,443 | ↑ 6 |
| 11 | Manchester | 10.93 | £51,040 | + £7,383 | + £80,987 | ↓ 5 |
| 12 | Southampton | 10.95 | £45,980 | + £1,568 | + £63,426 | ↓ 3 |
| 13 | Edinburgh | 11.23 | £54,780 | + £9,042 | + £84,789 | ↓ 2 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 11.60 | £37,180 | - £308 | + £51,701 | ↑ 1 |
| 15 | Coventry | 11.73 | £43,560 | + £245 | + £43,388 | ↓ 5 |
| 16 | Derby | 11.78 | £40,260 | + £1,409 | + £38,880 | ↓ 4 |
| 17 | Cardiff | 12.10 | £51,260 | + £3,760 | + £61,896 | - |
| 18 | Bradford | 12.40 | £41,580 | + £5,801 | + £40,526 | - |
| 19 | Leicester | 13.80 | £47,960 | + £6,692 | + £48,274 | - |
| 20 | Brighton | 14.33 | £68,860 | + £2,882 | + £75,433 | - |
| 21 | London | 20.40 | £121,660 | - £23,491 | - £11,854 | - |
The latest for first-time buyers
Explore our previous First-Time Buyer Indexes alongside expert guides on mortgages, saving and the housing market, all designed to help you understand what's happening in the market.
