Cornwall Wages, Employment and Property Affordability

Resident earnings, employment, unemployment and affordability context for reading Cornwall prices and rents.

Last updated 5 Jul 2026HPI April 2026Rents May 2026Sold prices April 2026
Jan 2025-Dec 2025 / ASHE 2025

Cornwall wages, employment and affordability

Resident earnings and labour-market context help explain local affordability, rental pressure and housing demand.

Resident population
583,289
ONS 2024
Median resident annual pay
£35,298
Cornwall
Median resident weekly pay
£679
Full-time employees
Employment rate
78.6%
Aged 16-64
Unemployment rate
3.0%
Economically active
House price affordability7.8x earnings

Average house price compared with resident median annual pay.

Rent affordability34% of monthly earnings

Average monthly rent compared with estimated monthly earnings.

Labour market rates are from the ONS Annual Population Survey profile shown by Nomis. Where the local APS unemployment value is suppressed, the ONS model-based unemployment estimate is used. Earnings are ONS ASHE resident-analysis median full-time employee earnings. Annual pay is annualised from weekly pay for display context.

Wages and employment commentary · Last updated July 2026

Cornwall’s labour market profile from the ONS Annual Population Survey, as shown by Nomis, points to a relatively strong employment position and a lower pay level than the Great Britain average.

Incomes Explain Affordability Pressure

Wage and employment data does not predict house prices by itself. It gives demand-side context: how average prices and rents compare with resident earnings, whether employment conditions support demand, and where affordability pressure may limit the buyer or renter pool.