Stoke-on-Trent, a West Midlands city often described by locals as having “no redeeming features,” has been crowned the best place in the UK for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, according to a new index by Savills and Guardian Money.
Affordability drives ranking
The “starter cities” index scored cities on property affordability, the ratio between rent and income, population growth, and workplace earnings. Stoke-on-Trent topped the list with an average flat price of £88,448 and average annual earnings of £35,079, giving a flat price-to-income ratio of just 2.5. A three-bedroom semi-detached house costs around £250,000, below the UK average of £270,000.
The city is well connected: the fastest train to London takes under 90 minutes, and Manchester is 35 minutes away. The Peak District is also nearby.
A reputation for being 'bleak'
Despite these positives, Stoke-on-Trent has a poor reputation. One Redditor wrote: “I honestly find it to be a place of almost no redeeming features. The place is sad and run down.” Another summed it up as “Bleak, terrible and pointless,” while a third called it “Smoke on Stench.” TikToker Luke Hamnett admitted his hometown was a “sh*t hole.”
Stoke beat runners-up Hull, Derby, and Milton Keynes – the latter dubbed “Satan’s layby.” Time Out’s 2025 list of best UK places to visit ranked Stoke third, calling it “unfairly dismissed” and a “trove of odes to pottery-making.”
What Stoke-on-Trent offers
Stoke has a rich pottery history dating back to the 17th century. Gladstone Pottery Museum, the only complete Victorian pottery factory, offers demonstrations. Emma Bridgewater’s factory, moved to Stoke in the mid-1990s, has a Decorating Studio and café. The city centre, Hanley, has seen improvements since 2018, including festivals like The Big Feast and Beats & Eats, plus art projects and murals.
The new Goods Yard neighbourhood near the railway station offers 174 rental homes, independent bars, eateries, and a public square. Further out, Trentham Estate provides 725 acres of parkland and an outdoor shopping village. Alton Towers is nearby.
The Sunday Times named Stoke-on-Trent one of the best up-and-coming areas to invest in back in 2022.
Top 10 cities for first-time buyers
Guardian Money’s top 10 list: Stoke-on-Trent, Hull, Derby, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Plymouth, Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Norwich.
