Research shows women must pay almost seven times their wages for a house in Sheffield, while men face a rate of five-and-a-half times their pay.

It means the city has the second highest rate of inequality in Yorkshire, topped only by York, where women are paying nine times their salary for a home.

The figures are revealed by Online Mortgage Advisor, which has analyzed 10 years of average house prices from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.

Experts compared the prices to each area's average gross salary to find out where the balance of affordability became worse for the average buyer in 2020 compared to 2011.

Figures show Sheffield women are paying 6.7 times their salary for a property now compared to 5.7 a decade ago. It is the second highest price hike in Yorkshire and means city women are now paying only fractionally less for a property than women in Leeds.

So why are property prices outgrowing many female wages in Sheffield?

Pete Mugleston, MD of Online Mortgage Advisor, said: “Like many parts of Britain, Sheffield has also seen property prices outgrow wages in the past decade. Wage stagnation has been one factor in this for many parts of the country.

"By comparing property prices to the latest available salary data in Britain’s local authorities, we can see just how wide the gulf between the two measures grew in 2020.”

That gulf meant Sheffield suffered an increase in the gap between salary and property prices in the past decade, which was particularly noticeable when it comes to female wages and property affordability in Sheffield.

Pete added property prices in the city have increased by 26% since 2011, while the average salary has only increased by 19% in that period.

"For women, the gap between the median house prices in Sheffield and the median annual salary has increased by 36.6% since 2011, the second highest gap in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber,” he said.

“This equates to a ratio change of 1.09 and an increase of £66,667. Women in Sheffield have also seen a lower salary increase than men since 2011, with the median salary for women in the area increasing by 10.7% between 2011 and 2020. Meanwhile the median salary for men in Sheffield has increased by 13.% since 2011.

“While the gender pay gap means it remains harder for women to save for a property than it is for men, and this is shown through the disparity in Sheffield, our analysis of the past decade shows that women’s earnings were priced out of property in fewer local authorities than men's throughout England, Scotland and Wales based on the change in ratio between earnings and property prices.”

The research also shows how the change in affordability has impacted women compared to men and which local authorities have priced out each gender the most.

South Yorkshire is one of the worst hit areas in the country, with men able to afford 20% more on a property than women.

North East Lincolnshire saw the largest gap in England between properties affordable for men and women, with men able to afford 31% more properties currently for sale than women in the same area.

Overall in England, there is a 10% gap between men and women when it comes to the number of properties that can be afforded in the country, with women being able to afford around 45,000 properties and men being able to afford around 69,000.

It all makes getting on the property ladder much harder, but Pete says there is hope and buyers need to do their research and be prepared when they consider applying for a mortgage.

They should understand their credit reports and check the data held as issues such as missed payments can cause problems, he adds.

A key change means you can now get rent payments added to your credit report, which can improve your credit score before applying.

“Bank transactions are important but don’t get too caught up in it,” says Pete. “Avoid going near your overdraft if you can - this shows a mismanagement of money. Especially don’t go over any pre-approved limits for cards or overdrafts. Try to keep things clean all the time, but especially for the 3 months before you apply.”He also suggested using a broker and get advice from the whole market, to get you the best deal.

As for deposits, Pete says more low deposit deals are returning to the market now and 90% deals are more readily available.

Most buyers with a less than straightforward case would be advised to get a 15% deposit together, especially if you have had credit issues.

Shared ownership is also brilliant for those in areas where prices are too high to buy outright.

For more details on the research visit www.onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk/content/priced-out-property

To see homes on the market in Sheffield right now join our Facebook group all about property – click https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestarproperty to become a member. And to read more great articles on homes and gardens, please visit the dedicated section of The Star’s website.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.