Leeds Wages, Employment and Property Affordability

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

Last updated 17 Jun 2026ONS market bundle 1 April 2026Sold prices 1 March 2026
Jan 2025-Dec 2025 / ASHE 2025

Leeds wages, employment and affordability

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

Resident population
845,189
ONS 2024
Median resident annual pay
£37,596
Leeds
Median resident weekly pay
£723
Full-time employees
Employment rate
74.2%
Aged 16-64
Unemployment rate
4.7%
Economically active
House price affordability6.6x earnings

Average house price compared with resident median annual pay.

Rent affordability36% 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.

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.