United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Merton vs Sutton
Merton (London, England · ~206k people) · Sutton (London, England · ~208k people)
Of 7 strictly-comparable measures: Merton leads on 2, Sutton 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
Merton
£51,704/yr
Better than 98% of UK LAs
Sutton
£44,304/yr
Better than 78% of UK LAs
Merton: 17% higher median pay.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Merton
£545,000
Worse than 95% of UK LAs
Sutton
£455,000
Worse than 86% of UK LAs
Sutton: 20% lower median price.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Merton
£2,083/mo
Worse than 97% of UK LAs
Sutton
£1,545/mo
Worse than 84% of UK LAs
Sutton: 35% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
MHCLG · 2026-27
Merton
£2,147/yr
Better than 93% of UK LAs
Sutton
£2,379/yr
Better than 63% of UK LAs
Merton: £232 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Merton
60.5/1k
Better than 69% of UK LAs
Sutton
59.9/1k
Better than 72% of UK LAs
Effectively tied — under 2% apart.
Deprivation (IMD)
MHCLG Indices of Deprivation · 2019
Merton
14.7
Better than 68% of UK LAs
Sutton
14.0
Better than 73% of UK LAs
Sutton: lower average deprivation score (14.0 vs 14.7).
Schools (Ofsted)
Ofsted MI · Feb 2026 snapshot
Merton
100.0%
Better than 98% of UK LAs
Sutton
98.1%
Better than 91% 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.
Merton
Rent takes 48% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 10.5× median annual pay
Sutton
Rent takes 42% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 10.3× median annual pay
Full Merton profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Sutton profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.