United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Birmingham vs Leeds
Birmingham (West Midlands, England · ~1141k people) · Leeds (Yorkshire and The Humber, England · ~799k people)
Of 7 strictly-comparable measures: Birmingham leads on 2, Leeds on 3, 2 effectively tied. Which trade-offs matter is yours to weigh — the rows below show where each one wins.
Head to head
Median pay
ONS ASHE (residence) · 2025
Birmingham
£36,811/yr
Worse than 77% of UK LAs
Leeds
£37,596/yr
Worse than 70% of UK LAs
Leeds: 2% higher median pay.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Birmingham
£235,000
Better than 66% of UK LAs
Leeds
£245,000
Better than 62% of UK LAs
Birmingham: 4% lower median price.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Birmingham
£1,086/mo
Worse than 57% of UK LAs
Leeds
£1,130/mo
Worse than 60% of UK LAs
Birmingham: 4% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
MHCLG · 2026-27
Birmingham
£2,363/yr
Better than 66% of UK LAs
Leeds
£2,284/yr
Better than 83% of UK LAs
Leeds: £79 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Birmingham
114.1/1k
Worse than 93% of UK LAs
Leeds
116.1/1k
Worse than 94% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
Deprivation (IMD)
MHCLG Indices of Deprivation · 2019
Birmingham
38.1
Worse than 98% of UK LAs
Leeds
27.3
Worse than 82% of UK LAs
Leeds: lower average deprivation score (27.3 vs 38.1).
Schools (Ofsted)
Ofsted MI · Feb 2026 snapshot
Birmingham
94.5%
Better than 66% of UK LAs
Leeds
94.2%
Better than 65% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
What local pay actually covers
Same-place ratios — each area's own median rent and house price against its own median gross pay. A cheap-looking area stops looking cheap when local pay is lower still.
Birmingham
Rent takes 35% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 6.4× median annual pay
Leeds
Rent takes 36% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 6.5× median annual pay
Full Birmingham profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Leeds profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.