United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Luton vs Peterborough
Luton (East of England, England · ~214k people) · Peterborough (East of England, England · ~203k people)
Of 7 strictly-comparable measures: Luton leads on 3, Peterborough on 3, 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
Luton
£36,868/yr
Worse than 76% of UK LAs
Peterborough
£36,951/yr
Worse than 75% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Luton
£315,000
Worse than 59% of UK LAs
Peterborough
£242,000
Better than 63% of UK LAs
Peterborough: 30% lower median price.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Luton
£1,211/mo
Worse than 65% of UK LAs
Peterborough
£976/mo
Around UK average
Peterborough: 24% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
MHCLG · 2026-27
Luton
£2,440/yr
Around UK average
Peterborough
£2,293/yr
Better than 81% of UK LAs
Peterborough: £147 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Luton
82.9/1k
Worse than 65% of UK LAs
Peterborough
104.7/1k
Worse than 87% of UK LAs
Luton: 26% lower recorded-crime rate.
Deprivation (IMD)
MHCLG Indices of Deprivation · 2019
Luton
25.9
Worse than 77% of UK LAs
Peterborough
27.8
Worse than 83% of UK LAs
Luton: lower average deprivation score (25.9 vs 27.8).
Schools (Ofsted)
Ofsted MI · Feb 2026 snapshot
Luton
95.0%
Better than 71% of UK LAs
Peterborough
91.9%
Worse than 71% of UK LAs
Luton: 3.1 percentage points more pupils in Good/Outstanding schools.
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.
Luton
Rent takes 39% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 8.5× median annual pay
Peterborough
Rent takes 32% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 6.5× median annual pay
Full Luton profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Peterborough profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.