As affordability pressures continue to shape the housing market, some of Britain’s most affordable locations are recording the strongest growth in first-time buyer property prices, according to new analysis from Rightmove.
The property portal found that Bridlington in East Yorkshire and St Helens in Merseyside saw the largest annual increases in asking prices for typical first-time buyer homes, with both markets recording growth of 18% over the past year. Falkirk and Hartlepool also posted double-digit increases.
Despite the rises, all of the fastest-growing locations remain relatively affordable, with average asking prices below £170,000, highlighting continued demand for lower-priced homes.
Nationally, however, the average asking price for a typical first-time buyer property, defined as a home with up to two bedrooms, has fallen by 0.7% over the past year to £228,048.
The picture is more subdued in some higher-priced southern markets, where asking prices have declined as buyers become more price-sensitive and have a wider choice of properties available.
Rightmove’s analysis also found that St Albans remains the most expensive location for first-time buyers, with an average asking price of more than £400,000, while Middlesbrough remains the most affordable at just over £90,000.
Rightmove’s Colleen Babcock said: “Affordability continues to shape where first-time buyers are looking, and we’re seeing the strongest price growth in areas where homes remain within reach for more people. Lower-cost locations are still seeing strong interest, with competition for homes helping to hold prices up. In more expensive markets, tenants are taking a bit more time and thinking more carefully about what they can afford, which is keeping growth relatively flat.”
Top 10 first-time buyer hotspots (fastest price growth)
| Area | Region | Average Price | Average Price YOY |
| Bridlington, East Riding Of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £167,321 | 18% |
| St. Helens, Merseyside | North West | £133,106 | 18% |
| Falkirk, Stirlingshire | Scotland | £118,311 | 17% |
| Hartlepool | North East | £104,276 | 12% |
| Dewsbury, West Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £130,133 | 12% |
| Greenock, Inverclyde | Scotland | £93,998 | 11% |
| Inverness, Inverness-Shire | Scotland | £167,009 | 11% |
| Great Yarmouth, Norfolk | East of England | £149,315 | 9% |
| Blackburn, Lancashire | North West | £116,735 | 9% |
| Airdrie, Lanarkshire | Scotland | £106,472 | 8% |
Top 10 first-time buyer hotspots (lowest price growth)
| Area | Region | Average Price | Average Price YOY |
| Exeter, Devon | South West | £201,248 | -20.5% |
| Derby, Derbyshire | East Midlands | £143,043 | -10.2% |
| Goring-By-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex | South East | £263,906 | -9.2% |
| Doncaster, South Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £109,477 | -8.4% |
| Torquay, Devon | South West | £172,835 | -7.6% |
| Motherwell, Lanarkshire | Scotland | £108,458 | -7.3% |
| Southampton, Hampshire | South East | £187,443 | -7.1% |
| Parkstone, Poole, Dorset | South West | £248,963 | -6.7% |
| Hove, East Sussex | South East | £326,783 | -5.4% |
| Poole, Dorset | South West | £244,175 | -5.1% |
Most expensive first-time buyer hotspots (outside London)
| Area | Region | Average Price | Average Price YOY |
| St. Albans, Hertfordshire | East of England | £401,352 | 2% |
| Epsom, Surrey | South East | £374,376 | 0% |
| Oxford, Oxfordshire | South East | £367,503 | 5% |
| Clifton, Bristol | South West | £365,338 | -1% |
| Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | East of England | £351,126 | 1% |
| Brentwood, Essex | East of England | £347,844 | 7% |
| Hertford, Hertfordshire | East of England | £336,690 | 1% |
| Bath, Somerset | South West | £335,552 | -4% |
| Wokingham, Berkshire | South East | £332,806 | -1% |
| Hove, East Sussex | South East | £326,783 | -5% |
Cheapest first-time buyer hotspots (outside London)
| Area | Region | Average Price | Average Price YOY |
| Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | North East | £90,929 | -1% |
| Grimsby, Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £92,031 | 2% |
| Kilmarnock, Ayrshire | Scotland | £92,380 | 4% |
| Greenock, Inverclyde | Scotland | £93,998 | 11% |
| Paisley, Renfrewshire | Scotland | £95,430 | -2% |
| Irvine, Ayrshire | Scotland | £96,768 | 6% |
| Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire | Scotland | £97,002 | 2% |
| Stockton-On-Tees, Durham | North East | £97,680 | -2% |
| Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside | North West | £100,179 | 2% |
| Burnley, Lancashire | North West | £100,734 | 0% |
