Aberdeen is the easiest place in the UK to buy a home according to new research that shows buyers in the Scottish city can pay off a mortgage faster than anywhere else in the country.
A March 2026 affordability study by Housebuyers4u compared house prices, salaries, deposits, disposable income and mortgage costs across major UK towns and cities, ranking locations based on how quickly residents could realistically achieve full homeownership.
Aberdeen came out on top, with an average house price of £133,000 and median annual earnings of £43,472, giving the city the strongest price-to-income ratio among the top ten locations analysed.
The study found buyers in Aberdeen could clear a mortgage in just four years and four months on average, the fastest timeline recorded in the research.
ROOM TO SAVE
Monthly mortgage payments account for only 18.24% of disposable income, leaving homeowners with more room to save than in most other parts of the UK.
Dundee ranked second, followed by Blackpool, Middlesbrough and Burnley, with all five locations offering significantly lower house prices than the national average.
Burnley recorded the smallest typical deposit at £26,200, while Preston was found to have the lowest cost of living at £703 per month excluding rent, helping buyers build savings more quickly.
Across the top ten most affordable locations, average house prices ranged from £131,000 to £206,000, far below levels seen in southern England, where affordability remains stretched despite slower price growth.
SMALL TOWN OPPORTUNITY
Paul Gibbens, Property Expert at Housebuyers4u, says the findings show that homeownership is still achievable – but often not in the places many buyers expect.
He adds: “Many Millennials and Gen Z are scared that they will never be able to buy a house, but there are still enough roads to homeownership.
“Right now, around 38% of these generations already own a house, but the peaking prices in the biggest cities are scaring them away as customers.
“Affording a house isn’t easy, but smaller cities and quieter towns offer many opportunities for people with smaller budgets.”
