New data analysis from Pepper Money reveals that not all house buyers across the UK have an equal footing when it comes to getting on the housing ladder. Using new data on average house prices, median salaries, and realistic saving rates, we analyse 100 locations from across the UK to reveal which towns and cities take the longest (and shortest) to save for a home.

According to data from the UK Land Registry and ONS media salary figures, if the average property value in 2025 is £269,735 and the median salary is £35,464, a first-time buyer saving 10% of their annual income would need more than 11 years to save a 15% deposit.

This widening gap between wages and house prices highlights just how challenging it has become for many to step onto the property ladder, even for disciplined savers.

Some areas are especially difficult, where it could take decades to save for a deposit. Windsor tops the list: with a median salary of £39,832 and an average house price of £586,184, buyers face 22 years of saving.

Close behind are two affluent North West hotspots, Altrincham (21 years) and Wilmslow (20 years), both popular with Cheshire’s elite. The remainder of the top ten is dominated by locations in the South of England, where high property prices continue to outpace salaries.

At the other end of the spectrum, some towns are far more affordable. Paisley, North Lanarkshire, and Cumbernauld top the list of easiest places to save, each requiring only six years on average. The only English town to make this group is Blackpool, where lower property prices (average £130,280) and a median salary of £31,089 mean buyers could save a deposit in just six years.

Many popular towns fall into the middle ground, where deposits take 12–15 years to save. These include commuter-friendly areas such as Reading, Luton, and Basingstoke, which allow London workers to save almost twice as quickly as they would in the capital.