House prices in the UK have jumped by 74 per cent in the last 20 years, adding over £150,000 to the average property value, according to Zoopla.
The property website found that the typical house price has risen from £113,900 to £268,200 in the past two decades. However, sharp rises in some locations could mean that some people are priced out of the areas they grew up in.
London has seen the biggest increase, with average house prices more than doubling (119 per cent) in the last 20 years. The South East and eastern England have also seen large jumps, with average property values rising by 87 per cent in both regions.
In contrast, house prices in the north-east of England have risen by 39 per cent during the same period. In Blackpool, Lancashire, average house prices have increased by 26 per cent, while in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, they have risen by 22 per cent.
Meanwhile, in Kensington and Chelsea (124 per cent) in London, Elmbridge (110 per cent) in Surrey, and St Albans (108 per cent) in Hertfordshire, average property values have more than doubled over the past two decades.
Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, said: “If you grew up in north-east England, bought in London and are now returning to your roots, you’re in luck.
“You will get significantly more bang for your buck and the equity accumulated means your mortgage could be wiped out altogether.
“The gap between the capital and the rest of the country has narrowed in recent years as more affordable parts of the UK have seen stronger house price growth. The squeeze in London means more buyers are looking beyond the M25, and that often includes locations where they have roots, a trend that was accelerated by the pandemic and shifting work patterns.”
Daniel Copley, a consumer expert at Zoopla, which has affordability tools on its website, said: “Our latest analysis certainly brings to light the profound impact that two decades of house price growth has had on the dream of ‘returning home’.
“UK house prices have soared by 74 per cent since 2005, making that nostalgic return financially unattainable for many, especially in hotspots in the South East and eastern England.
“However, the picture is far from uniform across the UK. Our data shows that while some areas have seen dramatic increases, house prices have risen slowly, in line with incomes in northern regions. This means that for some, the dream of returning to their roots might be much more attainable than they think.”
Zoopla used its house price index, comparing the difference between average house prices in April 2025 and April 2024, as part of its research.
It also commissioned an Opinium survey among 2,000 people across the UK in June, which indicated that more than half (52 per cent) would consider moving back to the location where they grew up.
Toby Leek, president of NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark, said: “Rural and picturesque areas across the county are popular destinations that many people choose to move to, especially those that are looking for a quiet escape, such as certain coastal locations. However, this sometimes comes with a bigger price tag.
“As places increase in popularity, this raises house prices to levels that mean many current or ex-locals who may wish to move back to their home towns where they grew up could find it hard to afford to purchase a home. It also has the potential to be extremely challenging for people to migrate around the locality as well, due to higher prices.”
Here are the increases in average house prices over the past 20 years, according to Zoopla. Figures show the average house price in 2025 followed by the average house price in 2005 and the percentage increase over the past 20 years:
- London, £534,400, £244,200, 119%
- South East, £385,400, £206,100, 87%
- Eastern England, £337,500, £180,600, 87%
- South West, £312,000, £179,300, 74%
- East Midlands, £231,000, £136,100, 70%
- West Midlands, £233,700, £139,800, 67%
- Wales, £206,500, £125,600, 64%
- Scotland, £168,000, £103,100, 63%
- Northern Ireland, £184,200, £113,400, 62%
- North West, £200,800, £126,300, 59%
- Yorkshire and the Humber, £190,400, £121,200, 57%
- North East, £146,400, £115,800, 26%
Here are the local authority areas with the biggest house price increases over the past 20 years in each region or nation, according to Zoopla. Figures show average house prices in 2025 followed by average house prices in 2005 and the percentage increase (figures for Northern Ireland were not included):
- London, Kensington and Chelsea, £1,130,400, £504,000, 124%
- South East, Elmbridge, £712,700, £338,800, 110%
- Eastern England, St Albans, £622,100, £298,600, 108%
- South West, Cotswold, £458,800, £255,700, 79%
- North West, Trafford, £349,300, £196,100, 78%
- East Midlands, South Northamptonshire, £381,600, £214,300, 78%
- Scotland, Edinburgh, £276,800, £160,100, 73%
- Wales, Monmouthshire, £335,800, £197,500, 70%
- West Midlands, Stratford-on-Avon, £382,000, £225,800, 69%
- Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate, £349,300, £216,000, 62%
- North East, Northumberland, £189,800, £136,900, 39%
Here are the local authority areas with the lowest house price increases over the past 20 years in each region or nation, according to Zoopla. Figures show average house prices in 2025 followed by average house prices in 2005 and the percentage increase (figures for Northern Ireland were not included):
- London, Barking and Dagenham, £338,000, £165,000, 105%
- Eastern England, Great Yarmouth, £187,700, £105,900, 77%
- Wales, Blaenau Gwent, £133,700, £80,100, 67%
- South East, Southampton, £225,500, £138,500, 63%
- West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent, £136,400, £86,800, 57%
- South West, Plymouth, £207,200, £133,000, 56%
- East Midlands, Lincoln, £175,200, £113,000, 55%
- Yorkshire and the Humber, Hull, £115,100, £77,000, 49%
- Scotland, East Ayrshire, £109,500, £79,500, 38%
- North West, Blackpool, £124,300, £98,400, 26%
- North East, Sunderland, £124,000, £101,600, 22%
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