"Housing provides the base from which people live their lives, connecting them to work, education, services and their communities. The affordability of housing, alongside the stability, quality and size of homes, is crucial in itself, but also, if unaffordable, can drag occupants into poverty... At worst, households facing unaffordable housing costs can experience destitution, homelessness or rough sleeping." — JRF poverty report 2023.

This is the Housing spotlight page for St. Helens.

Key indicators

The following analysis reflects the experience across the population of St. Helens.

Housing tenure mix

Long term trends

The long term trends looks at data from the previous censuses, to show the change in tenure mix.

Social rented
Private rented
Owner occupied
Other
Tenure mix (%)010020406080Census year20212011200119911981In 1981, 22888% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1991, 19386% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2001, 39199% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2011, 15597% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2021, 15993% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1981, 604% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1991, 2846% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2001, 6876% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2011, 7736% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2021, 12264% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1981, 38203% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1991, 46406% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2001, 125630% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2011, 50952% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2021, 52049% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1981, 4267% of tenure was of another type.In 1991, 0% of tenure was of another type.In 2001, 4693% of tenure was of another type.In 2011, 1451% of tenure was of another type.In 2021, 707% of tenure was of another type.

Shorter term estimates

This data is based on subnational estimates of dwellings by tenure. The data for owner occupation is broken down further by owned outright and owned with a morgage or loan.

Social rented
Private rented
Owned outright
Owned with mortgage or loan
Tenure mix (%)010020406080Year2021202020192018201720162015201420132012Social rented 2012: 21.69%Social rented 2013: 21.80%Social rented 2014: 21.57%Social rented 2015: 21.44%Social rented 2016: 21.31%Social rented 2017: 21.06%Social rented 2018: 20.80%Social rented 2019: 14.79%Social rented 2020: 20.44%Social rented 2021: 20.56%Private rented 2012: 12.11%Private rented 2013: 12.61%Private rented 2014: 13.03%Private rented 2015: 13.46%Private rented 2016: 13.64%Private rented 2017: 13.48%Private rented 2018: 13.33%Private rented 2019: 13.97%Private rented 2020: 12.92%Private rented 2021: 13.08%Owned outright 2012: 33.46%Owned outright 2013: 33.42%Owned outright 2014: 33.85%Owned outright 2015: 34.41%Owned outright 2016: 34.89%Owned outright 2017: 35.59%Owned outright 2018: 36.11%Owned outright 2019: 39.17%Owned outright 2020: 38.28%Owned outright 2021: 39.80%Owned with mortgage or loan 2012: 32.74%Owned with mortgage or loan 2013: 32.17%Owned with mortgage or loan 2014: 31.55%Owned with mortgage or loan 2015: 30.69%Owned with mortgage or loan 2016: 30.16%Owned with mortgage or loan 2017: 29.87%Owned with mortgage or loan 2018: 29.76%Owned with mortgage or loan 2019: 32.07%Owned with mortgage or loan 2020: 28.36%Owned with mortgage or loan 2021: 26.56%

Local Housing Allowance shortfall

What's on this chart?

LHA used to be benchmarked to the the 30th percentile of rental prices but has been frozen in cash terms since April 2020. As a result LHA now lags the rental prices in some areas.

Difference between 30th percentile rental and LHA (£)010050Size of propertyThree bedroomTwo bedroomOne bedroomSingle room£69 for Single room rentals.£17 for One bedroom rentals.£37 for Two bedroom rentals.£44 for Three bedroom rentals.

Median house prices

What's on this chart?

This chart shows median house prices over time in St. Helens.

Dataset

House Prices
St. Helens
Year1017776000000121777600000014177760000001617776000000817776000000Median House Prices (£)0150k150k200k250k300k350k50kSt. Helens 1995-12-01: 43750St. Helens 1996-03-01: 43950St. Helens 1996-06-01: 44000St. Helens 1996-09-01: 45000St. Helens 1996-12-01: 45000St. Helens 1997-03-01: 45000St. Helens 1997-06-01: 45000St. Helens 1997-09-01: 44997.5St. Helens 1997-12-01: 45000St. Helens 1998-03-01: 45000St. Helens 1998-06-01: 45000St. Helens 1998-09-01: 45000St. Helens 1998-12-01: 45200St. Helens 1999-03-01: 45000St. Helens 1999-06-01: 46000St. Helens 1999-09-01: 47000St. Helens 1999-12-01: 48500St. Helens 2000-03-01: 49000St. Helens 2000-06-01: 49000St. Helens 2000-09-01: 49500St. Helens 2000-12-01: 49995St. Helens 2001-03-01: 51150St. Helens 2001-06-01: 52000St. Helens 2001-09-01: 54600St. Helens 2001-12-01: 55000St. Helens 2002-03-01: 56000St. Helens 2002-06-01: 58000St. Helens 2002-09-01: 59950St. Helens 2002-12-01: 62000St. Helens 2003-03-01: 64000St. Helens 2003-06-01: 66000St. Helens 2003-09-01: 69950St. Helens 2003-12-01: 75000St. Helens 2004-03-01: 80000St. Helens 2004-06-01: 87500St. Helens 2004-09-01: 93500St. Helens 2004-12-01: 98000St. Helens 2005-03-01: 104950St. Helens 2005-06-01: 108000St. Helens 2005-09-01: 109975St. Helens 2005-12-01: 112000St. Helens 2006-03-01: 113000St. Helens 2006-06-01: 115000St. Helens 2006-09-01: 117000St. Helens 2006-12-01: 118304St. Helens 2007-03-01: 120000St. Helens 2007-06-01: 121950St. Helens 2007-09-01: 123000St. Helens 2007-12-01: 124950St. Helens 2008-03-01: 124500St. Helens 2008-06-01: 122950St. Helens 2008-09-01: 122000St. Helens 2008-12-01: 120000St. Helens 2009-03-01: 117950St. Helens 2009-06-01: 115000St. Helens 2009-09-01: 110000St. Helens 2009-12-01: 112000St. Helens 2010-03-01: 115000St. Helens 2010-06-01: 116000St. Helens 2010-09-01: 117500St. Helens 2010-12-01: 118000St. Helens 2011-03-01: 115000St. Helens 2011-06-01: 110000St. Helens 2011-09-01: 110000St. Helens 2011-12-01: 107000St. Helens 2012-03-01: 108000St. Helens 2012-06-01: 109000St. Helens 2012-09-01: 109000St. Helens 2012-12-01: 110000St. Helens 2013-03-01: 110000St. Helens 2013-06-01: 112000St. Helens 2013-09-01: 110000St. Helens 2013-12-01: 114000St. Helens 2014-03-01: 115000St. Helens 2014-06-01: 119950St. Helens 2014-09-01: 122000St. Helens 2014-12-01: 122500St. Helens 2015-03-01: 122000St. Helens 2015-06-01: 123000St. Helens 2015-09-01: 120000St. Helens 2015-12-01: 123750St. Helens 2016-03-01: 125000St. Helens 2016-06-01: 125000St. Helens 2016-09-01: 128000St. Helens 2016-12-01: 130000St. Helens 2017-03-01: 132500St. Helens 2017-06-01: 135000St. Helens 2017-09-01: 132750St. Helens 2017-12-01: 132000St. Helens 2018-03-01: 132000St. Helens 2018-06-01: 132250St. Helens 2018-09-01: 132000St. Helens 2018-12-01: 133416.5St. Helens 2019-03-01: 134950St. Helens 2019-06-01: 133500St. Helens 2019-09-01: 135000St. Helens 2019-12-01: 138000St. Helens 2020-03-01: 139995St. Helens 2020-06-01: 140000St. Helens 2020-09-01: 144000St. Helens 2020-12-01: 147625St. Helens 2021-03-01: 152000St. Helens 2021-06-01: 155000St. Helens 2021-09-01: 159972.5St. Helens 2021-12-01: 157411St. Helens 2022-03-01: 158000St. Helens 2022-06-01: 160000St. Helens 2022-09-01: 160000St. Helens 2022-12-01: 165000St. Helens 2023-03-01: 167500

Current median rental prices by type of property

What's on this chart?

This chart shows current median rental prices by type of property in St. Helens.

Dataset

St. Helens
01200400800totalstudioroombed4plusbed3bed2bed1St. Helens bed1: 485St. Helens bed2: 565St. Helens bed3: 721St. Helens bed4plus: 1119St. Helens room: 394St. Helens studio: 439St. Helens total: 614

Tenure type and poverty rates

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by type of tenure in St. Helens, both before and after housing costs. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by type of tenure

No data available at this level.

Poverty rates by tenure type (AHC)

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by type of tenure in St. Helens. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by type of tenure

Things to add: Current and historic tenure mix - drawing on census data - Social housing sales - RTB - completions of new homes relative to existing stock

No data available at this level.

Lower quartile rent to lower quartile earnings ratio

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the ratio of lower quartile rent for a 2 bedroom property to lower quartile earnings across different areas in St. Helens. A higher value means the average person spends a larger proportion of their earnings on rent.

Dataset

No data available at this level.

Demographic breakdown

People living in households below average income by age category

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the the poverty rates by by age category in St. Helens. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by age category

No data available at this level.

Council tax support

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the number of people claiming council tax support in St. Helens.

Dataset

Council Tax Support
Working-age
Pensioners
Year14593824000001509382400000155938240000016093824000001659382400000Number of people010000250050007500Working-age 2023-06-30: 8671Working-age 2023-03-31: 8641Working-age 2022-12-31: 8650Working-age 2022-09-30: 8861Working-age 2022-06-30: 8818Working-age 2022-03-31: 8982Working-age 2021-12-31: 9059Working-age 2021-09-30: 9283Working-age 2021-06-30: 9403Working-age 2021-03-31: 9390Working-age 2020-12-31: 9214Working-age 2020-09-30: 9309Working-age 2020-06-30: 9268Working-age 2020-03-31: 9216Working-age 2019-12-31: 8823Working-age 2019-09-30: 8920Working-age 2019-06-30: 8939Working-age 2019-03-31: 9120Working-age 2018-12-31: 9045Working-age 2018-09-30: 9228Working-age 2018-06-30: 9404Working-age 2018-03-31: 9406Working-age 2017-12-31: 9301Working-age 2017-09-30: 9417Working-age 2017-06-30: 9496Working-age 2017-03-31: 9670Working-age 2016-12-31: 9731Working-age 2016-09-30: 9938Working-age 2016-06-30: 9902Working-age 2016-03-31: 9953Pensioners 2023-06-30: 5789Pensioners 2023-03-31: 5809Pensioners 2022-12-31: 5836Pensioners 2022-09-30: 5866Pensioners 2022-06-30: 5905Pensioners 2022-03-31: 5946Pensioners 2021-12-31: 5961Pensioners 2021-09-30: 6029Pensioners 2021-06-30: 6114Pensioners 2021-03-31: 6136Pensioners 2020-12-31: 6215Pensioners 2020-09-30: 6301Pensioners 2020-06-30: 6348Pensioners 2020-03-31: 6415Pensioners 2019-12-31: 6475Pensioners 2019-09-30: 6597Pensioners 2019-06-30: 6658Pensioners 2019-03-31: 6736Pensioners 2018-12-31: 6884Pensioners 2018-09-30: 6941Pensioners 2018-06-30: 7047Pensioners 2018-03-31: 7146Pensioners 2017-12-31: 7281Pensioners 2017-09-30: 7357Pensioners 2017-06-30: 7462Pensioners 2017-03-31: 7606Pensioners 2016-12-31: 7744Pensioners 2016-09-30: 7920Pensioners 2016-06-30: 7969Pensioners 2016-03-31: 8140