United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Cheshire West and Chester vs Manchester
Cheshire West and Chester (North West, England · ~344k people) · Manchester (North West, England · ~556k people)
Of 7 strictly-comparable measures: Cheshire West and Chester leads on 4, Manchester on 2, 1 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
Cheshire West and Chester
£41,517/yr
Better than 66% of UK LAs
Manchester
£37,211/yr
Worse than 73% of UK LAs
Cheshire West and Chester: 12% higher median pay.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Cheshire West and Chester
£257,750
Better than 58% of UK LAs
Manchester
£247,500
Better than 61% of UK LAs
Manchester: 4% lower median price.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Cheshire West and Chester
£959/mo
Around UK average
Manchester
£1,347/mo
Worse than 75% of UK LAs
Cheshire West and Chester: 40% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
MHCLG · 2026-27
Cheshire West and Chester
£2,517/yr
Worse than 73% of UK LAs
Manchester
£2,312/yr
Better than 77% of UK LAs
Manchester: £205 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Cheshire West and Chester
66.7/1k
Better than 59% of UK LAs
Manchester
143.2/1k
Worse than 98% of UK LAs
Cheshire West and Chester: 115% lower recorded-crime rate.
Deprivation (IMD)
MHCLG Indices of Deprivation · 2019
Cheshire West and Chester
18.1
Around UK average
Manchester
40.0
Worse than 98% of UK LAs
Cheshire West and Chester: lower average deprivation score (18.1 vs 40.0).
Schools (Ofsted)
Ofsted MI · Feb 2026 snapshot
Cheshire West and Chester
92.1%
Worse than 63% of UK LAs
Manchester
90.3%
Worse than 76% 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.
Cheshire West and Chester
Rent takes 28% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 6.2× median annual pay
Manchester
Rent takes 43% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 6.7× median annual pay
Full Cheshire West and Chester profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Manchester profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.