The average UK house price reached £271,000 in May 2026, up 2.7% in a year and 0.3% on the month, HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index shows. That is roughly £7,000 more than a year earlier, with the North East growing fastest at 5.9% and London falling 3.7%.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 22 July 2026
- The average UK house price was £271,000 in May 2026, up 2.7% annually and 0.3% on the month, according to the UK House Price Index published on 22 July 2026.
- Annual growth slowed from a revised 3.9% in April to 2.7% in May, meaning prices are still rising but at a slower pace.
- The North East (5.9%) and North West (5.8%) recorded the fastest annual growth, while London was the only English region where prices fell, down 3.7% to £545,000.
- The gap between the most and least expensive English regions is now 3.3 times: £545,000 in London against £164,000 in the North East.
- Flats are losing value while houses gain: flat prices fell 2.2% across England and 6.6% in London over the year, against a 4.1% rise for semi-detached houses in England.
- Property transactions rose 16.6% year on year to an estimated 98,000 in May, and the next UK HPI, covering June 2026, is due at 9:30am on 19 August 2026.
Average house price by UK nation and English region, May 2026, with annual and monthly change
| UK | £271,000 | +2.7% | +0.3% |
| England | £292,000 | +2.3% | +0.1% |
| Wales | £215,000 | +4.2% | +1.3% |
| North East | £164,000 | +5.9% | +0.6% |
| North West | £220,000 | +5.8% | +1.4% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £209,000 | +4.3% | +4.3% |
| East Midlands | £241,000 | +3.2% | -0.4% |
| West Midlands | £248,000 | +2.7% | -0.9% |
| East of England | £338,000 | +2.3% | +0.3% |
| South West | £303,000 | +1.7% | -0.3% |
| South East | £381,000 | +1.2% | +0.8% |
| London | £545,000 | -3.7% | -1.2% |
Source: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, published 22 July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Average prices, May 2026: UK £271,000 (+2.7%), England £292,000 (+2.3%), Wales £215,000 (+4.2%), London £545,000 (-3.7%)
- Fastest annual growth: North East +5.9% (£164,000), North West +5.8% (£220,000), Yorkshire and the Humber +4.3% (£209,000)
- First-time buyer averages: England £244,000, London £465,000, Wales £185,000
- New build vs existing (England, March 2026 data): £392,000 vs £287,000, a premium of roughly 37%, with new builds up 4.8% and resold property down 0.7%
- Transactions: an estimated 98,000 residential sales in May 2026, up 16.6% on May 2025 (HMRC, seasonally adjusted)
What is the average UK house price now
The average UK house price was £271,000 in May 2026, up 2.7% over the year and 0.3% on the month, which works out at roughly £7,000 added to the typical property in twelve months.
The figures come from the UK House Price Index, published on 22 July 2026 by HM Land Registry with the Office for National Statistics, and are based on completed transactions rather than asking prices or mortgage approvals, which makes the index the most reliable official measure of what buyers actually paid. Beneath the UK average, the national picture varies considerably: the average in England was £292,000, up 2.3% over the year, while Wales grew faster at 4.2% to reach £215,000, its strongest showing helped by a 1.3% monthly rise. The pace of growth is also cooling at the UK level: the 2.7% annual figure for May is down from a revised 3.9% in the twelve months to April 2026, so prices are still rising but more slowly than earlier in the year. Because the index measures completions, and a purchase typically takes six to eight weeks to complete, May's data broadly reflects deals agreed in early spring, and the index compilers themselves caution against reading too much into any single month.
Which regions have the fastest and slowest house price growth
The North East leads annual growth at 5.9%, followed by the North West at 5.8%, while London is the only English region where prices fell, down 3.7%, leaving a 3.3 times gap between the most and least expensive regions.
The regional table shows a clear north-south split in momentum. The three cheapest English regions are growing fastest: the North East, up 5.9% to an average of £164,000, the North West, up 5.8% to £220,000 (also the strongest monthly rise at 1.4%), and Yorkshire and the Humber, up 4.3% to £209,000. At the other end, the most expensive regions are broadly flat or falling: the South East grew just 1.2% to £381,000, the South West 1.7% to £303,000, and London fell 3.7% to £545,000, with a further 1.2% monthly decline, the largest monthly fall of any region. The result is a narrowing but still enormous price gap: an average London home costs 3.3 times the average home in the North East, and the £381,000 gap between the two regions is itself larger than the average price of a home in every region outside London and the South East. For movers, the same £545,000 that buys an average London property would cover an average-priced home in the North East more than three times over.
Why are London house prices falling
London prices fell 3.7% in the year to May 2026, taking roughly £21,000 off the average home, with flats down 6.6% and cash purchases down 6.4%, the weakest segments of the capital's market.
London's average of £545,000 in May 2026 compares with £566,000 a year earlier, a fall of about £21,000 on the average property. The detail in the index shows the decline is not evenly spread. Flats and maisonettes, which make up a larger share of the capital's housing stock than anywhere else in the country, fell 6.6% over the year to an average of £423,000, while semi-detached houses actually edged up 0.4%. By funding type, cash purchases fell hardest, down 6.4% over the year to April 2026, against a 2.9% fall for mortgaged purchases, and every buyer category from first-time buyers (down 3.7% to £465,000) to former owner occupiers (down 3.5% to £683,000) recorded annual falls. London remains by far the most expensive part of the UK, with an average detached home at £1,139,000, but the direction of travel has diverged sharply from the rest of the country, where every English region and Wales recorded annual growth.
Are flats losing value compared with houses
Yes. Flat and maisonette prices fell 2.2% across England in the year to May 2026 while semi-detached houses rose 4.1%, and in London flats fell 6.6%, the widest gap between property types in the index.
The property-type breakdown shows a consistent pattern: buyers are paying more for houses and less for flats. In England, detached homes averaged £474,000 (up 2.5%), semi-detached £291,000 (up 4.1%) and terraced £244,000 (up 3.2%), while flats and maisonettes fell 2.2% to £217,000. Wales shows the same ordering, with terraced homes up 5.3% and flats up just 1%. The other notable divergence is between new and existing homes. On the most recent comparable data, for March 2026, the average new build in England sold for £392,000 against £287,000 for existing resold property, a premium of roughly 37%, and new build prices rose 4.8% over the year while resold property fell 0.7%. HM Land Registry notes that new build figures for the two most recent months are not published because transaction volumes are currently too low to give a reliable result, so the new build series runs two months behind the headline index.
What do the May 2026 figures mean for first-time buyers
The average first-time buyer paid £244,000 in England, £185,000 in Wales and £465,000 in London, meaning a 10% deposit ranges from about £18,500 in Wales to £46,500 in the capital.
For anyone saving to buy, the index's first-time buyer series is the most relevant number, and it shows how sharply the entry cost varies by geography. A 10% deposit on the average first-time buyer purchase works out at roughly £24,400 in England as a whole, £18,500 in Wales and £46,500 in London, before legal fees, survey costs and any stamp duty. First-time buyer prices rose 2.3% over the year in England and 4.7% in Wales, but fell 3.7% in London, one of the few parts of the market moving in a buyer's favour. Activity is also recovering: HMRC's property transaction statistics, published alongside the index, estimate 98,000 residential sales in May 2026, 16.6% more than in May 2025, although transactions dipped 2% between April and May. The next UK House Price Index, covering June 2026, is due at 9:30am on Wednesday 19 August 2026, and Northern Ireland figures are updated quarterly rather than monthly.
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DISCLAIMER
This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. House price index figures are averages based on completed transactions and are revised over time. Anyone buying or selling should take advice specific to their circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in the UK
The average UK house price was £271,000 in May 2026, according to HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index published on 22 July 2026. That is 2.7% higher than a year earlier and 0.3% up on April 2026.
Which UK region has the fastest house price growth
The North East recorded the fastest annual growth in the year to May 2026, up 5.9% to an average of £164,000, followed by the North West at 5.8%. The North West also had the strongest monthly rise, at 1.4%.
Why are house prices falling in London
London prices fell 3.7% in the year to May 2026, driven by flats and maisonettes, down 6.6%, and weaker cash purchases, down 6.4% in the year to April. London was the only English region to record an annual fall.
How is the UK House Price Index calculated
The index is calculated by the Office for National Statistics using completed transaction data from HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland and Land and Property Services Northern Ireland, applying a hedonic regression model to actual sale prices rather than asking prices.
When is the next UK House Price Index published
The June 2026 UK House Price Index is due at 9:30am on Wednesday 19 August 2026. The index is published on the second or third Wednesday of each month, with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly.
SOURCES
- HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index for May 2026 – accessed 22 July 2026
- UK House Price Index summary: May 2026 – accessed 22 July 2026
- HMRC UK property transactions statistics – accessed 22 July 2026
