Housing prices: How does Sheffield's housing market compare to the rest of the country, and is it worth it

Recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed how much on average it costs to live in the Steel City.

As is probably expected, costs continue to rise for buyers and renters alike, who are seeing a steady increase in basic housing prices.

On average, someone looking to buy a house in Sheffield will be expected to pay £221,000 - a 6.7 per cent rise from figures last year and 5.9 per cent higher than the average in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Across Yorkshire, people are paying an average of £203,000, which stands significantly lower than the average of £271,000 across Great Britain.

The picture is similar for renters, who are paying around £877 a month in Sheffield, 6.4 per cent more than the £824 they were last year.

Again, this remains lower than the national average of £1,338, but higher than the regional, which stands at £813.

Of course this may look steep, but it’s important to note the context.

While houses in Sheffield remain cheaper than some of the most expensive spots like York (£308,000) and Leeds (£247,000), the regional average is brought down by cheaper areas like neighbouring Rotherham (£189,000) and Doncaster (£171,000).

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In fact South Yorkshire remains the cheapest county in Yorkshire, with prices at an average of £187,500 - compared to East Riding’s £221,000 and North Yorkshire’s £273,000 - though Sheffield remains high when compared to similarly sized cities in the area.

Wakefield and Bradford remain lower in both rent and house price, with buyers expecting to pay around £194,000 and £183,000 respectively.

However, the situation in Sheffield - especially considering its continued development - does go some way to explaining this gap.

Rebecca Siddall, who moved to the city from Middlesbrough, explained that while prices are higher than she’s used to, life in the city makes it worthwhile.

The 26-year-old renter told The Star: “When I first looked at the price of housing I thought it was a bit crazy.

“I was fortunate because back home because I had a cheap house, especially considering I live in the countryside.

“When I moved to Sheffield I noticed there were definitely higher prices, but I guess you expect it in the city centre and it’s steadily increased over time.

“But it’s worth it here - when I was back home houses are relatively cheap but I needed a car, here I don’t need one.

“Everything’s in walking distance which really helps.”

Beyond Rebecca’s compliments, Sheffield has two universities, one of which claims Russel Group status, meanwhile the cheaper Wakefield has none and Bradford’s has failed to achieve the same praise.

Similarly crime rates remain significantly lower in Sheffield.

The latest data indicates West Yorkshire Police recorded 276,802 crimes in 2024, compared to South Yorkshire’s 151,929.

Public transport networks like Supertram continue to expand and new developments such as Fargate have received £33.6m in funding from the council.

Nevertheless, while Rebecca argues that housing costs are worth the price, the do cause problems, with people like Elliot Jones choosing to commute to work in the city.

He added: “The reason I didn’t move to Sheffield is because it’s cheaper to live in Lincoln and commute three days a week.

“I do like the city centre, I’d like some galleries and museums but they might be around and I just haven’t had the time to see them in my short travels.”