"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 Wirral.

Key indicators

The following analysis reflects the experience across the population of Wirral.

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, 29419% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1991, 23986% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2001, 44684% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2011, 21329% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2021, 22065% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1981, 961% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1991, 10326% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2001, 24316% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2011, 22275% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2021, 27091% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1981, 77588% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1991, 96142% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2001, 235646% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2011, 94843% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2021, 93114% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1981, 14397% of tenure was of another type.In 1991, 0% of tenure was of another type.In 2001, 5527% of tenure was of another type.In 2011, 2136% of tenure was of another type.In 2021, 982% 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: 15.05%Social rented 2013: 15.32%Social rented 2014: 15.35%Social rented 2015: 15.49%Social rented 2016: 15.52%Social rented 2017: 15.45%Social rented 2018: 15.41%Social rented 2019: 15.24%Social rented 2020: 15.26%Social rented 2021: 15.40%Private rented 2012: 18.00%Private rented 2013: 18.62%Private rented 2014: 19.14%Private rented 2015: 19.59%Private rented 2016: 19.67%Private rented 2017: 19.33%Private rented 2018: 19.00%Private rented 2019: 18.72%Private rented 2020: 18.64%Private rented 2021: 18.69%Owned outright 2012: 33.76%Owned outright 2013: 33.58%Owned outright 2014: 33.83%Owned outright 2015: 34.24%Owned outright 2016: 34.68%Owned outright 2017: 35.39%Owned outright 2018: 35.88%Owned outright 2019: 36.23%Owned outright 2020: 37.90%Owned outright 2021: 39.46%Owned with mortgage or loan 2012: 33.19%Owned with mortgage or loan 2013: 32.48%Owned with mortgage or loan 2014: 31.68%Owned with mortgage or loan 2015: 30.68%Owned with mortgage or loan 2016: 30.12%Owned with mortgage or loan 2017: 29.84%Owned with mortgage or loan 2018: 29.71%Owned with mortgage or loan 2019: 29.81%Owned with mortgage or loan 2020: 28.20%Owned with mortgage or loan 2021: 26.45%

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 (£)010015050Size of propertyThree bedroomTwo bedroomOne bedroomSingle room£109 for Single room rentals.£36 for One bedroom rentals.£83 for Two bedroom rentals.£117 for Three bedroom rentals.

Median house prices

What's on this chart?

This chart shows median house prices over time in Wirral.

Dataset

House Prices
Wirral
Year1017776000000121777600000014177760000001617776000000817776000000Median House Prices (£)0150k150k200k250k300k350k50kWirral 1995-12-01: 43950Wirral 1996-03-01: 44000Wirral 1996-06-01: 44250Wirral 1996-09-01: 45000Wirral 1996-12-01: 45000Wirral 1997-03-01: 45500Wirral 1997-06-01: 46000Wirral 1997-09-01: 46575Wirral 1997-12-01: 47500Wirral 1998-03-01: 47950Wirral 1998-06-01: 48000Wirral 1998-09-01: 48000Wirral 1998-12-01: 48750Wirral 1999-03-01: 48950Wirral 1999-06-01: 49500Wirral 1999-09-01: 50500Wirral 1999-12-01: 52000Wirral 2000-03-01: 53000Wirral 2000-06-01: 54000Wirral 2000-09-01: 55000Wirral 2000-12-01: 56000Wirral 2001-03-01: 57000Wirral 2001-06-01: 58500Wirral 2001-09-01: 59950Wirral 2001-12-01: 62000Wirral 2002-03-01: 64000Wirral 2002-06-01: 66000Wirral 2002-09-01: 69000Wirral 2002-12-01: 73000Wirral 2003-03-01: 75000Wirral 2003-06-01: 78000Wirral 2003-09-01: 82000Wirral 2003-12-01: 87000Wirral 2004-03-01: 90000Wirral 2004-06-01: 97000Wirral 2004-09-01: 108000Wirral 2004-12-01: 115000Wirral 2005-03-01: 119950Wirral 2005-06-01: 121850Wirral 2005-09-01: 120000Wirral 2005-12-01: 123000Wirral 2006-03-01: 125000Wirral 2006-06-01: 127500Wirral 2006-09-01: 130000Wirral 2006-12-01: 133000Wirral 2007-03-01: 135000Wirral 2007-06-01: 136000Wirral 2007-09-01: 138000Wirral 2007-12-01: 139950Wirral 2008-03-01: 140000Wirral 2008-06-01: 139950Wirral 2008-09-01: 137000Wirral 2008-12-01: 134950Wirral 2009-03-01: 133000Wirral 2009-06-01: 130000Wirral 2009-09-01: 130000Wirral 2009-12-01: 134000Wirral 2010-03-01: 134000Wirral 2010-06-01: 135000Wirral 2010-09-01: 135000Wirral 2010-12-01: 134000Wirral 2011-03-01: 135000Wirral 2011-06-01: 134975Wirral 2011-09-01: 135000Wirral 2011-12-01: 135950Wirral 2012-03-01: 135500Wirral 2012-06-01: 136500Wirral 2012-09-01: 136150Wirral 2012-12-01: 135000Wirral 2013-03-01: 135000Wirral 2013-06-01: 133500Wirral 2013-09-01: 135000Wirral 2013-12-01: 135000Wirral 2014-03-01: 137000Wirral 2014-06-01: 139000Wirral 2014-09-01: 139950Wirral 2014-12-01: 140000Wirral 2015-03-01: 140000Wirral 2015-06-01: 140000Wirral 2015-09-01: 142000Wirral 2015-12-01: 145000Wirral 2016-03-01: 145000Wirral 2016-06-01: 147500Wirral 2016-09-01: 149950Wirral 2016-12-01: 150000Wirral 2017-03-01: 152000Wirral 2017-06-01: 153000Wirral 2017-09-01: 155000Wirral 2017-12-01: 157000Wirral 2018-03-01: 157500Wirral 2018-06-01: 160000Wirral 2018-09-01: 160000Wirral 2018-12-01: 160000Wirral 2019-03-01: 165000Wirral 2019-06-01: 164950Wirral 2019-09-01: 165000Wirral 2019-12-01: 166000Wirral 2020-03-01: 165000Wirral 2020-06-01: 165000Wirral 2020-09-01: 165725Wirral 2020-12-01: 171777.5Wirral 2021-03-01: 182500Wirral 2021-06-01: 194500Wirral 2021-09-01: 195000Wirral 2021-12-01: 195000Wirral 2022-03-01: 193000Wirral 2022-06-01: 190000Wirral 2022-09-01: 195000Wirral 2022-12-01: 200000Wirral 2023-03-01: 200000

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 Wirral.

Dataset

Wirral
01200400800totalroombed4plusbed3bed2bed1Wirral bed1: 472Wirral bed2: 619Wirral bed3: 752Wirral bed4plus: 1064Wirral room: 355Wirral total: 683

Tenure type and poverty rates

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by type of tenure in Wirral, 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 Wirral. 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 Wirral. 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 Wirral. 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 Wirral.

Dataset

Council Tax Support
Working-age
Pensioners
Year14593824000001509382400000155938240000016093824000001659382400000Number of people015000225007500Working-age 2023-06-30: 18412Working-age 2023-03-31: 18319Working-age 2022-12-31: 18145Working-age 2022-09-30: 18470Working-age 2022-06-30: 18607Working-age 2022-03-31: 18758Working-age 2021-12-31: 19114Working-age 2021-09-30: 19180Working-age 2021-06-30: 19377Working-age 2021-03-31: 19590Working-age 2020-12-31: 19500Working-age 2020-09-30: 19298Working-age 2020-06-30: 19366Working-age 2020-03-31: 18164Working-age 2019-12-31: 18106Working-age 2019-09-30: 18220Working-age 2019-06-30: 18425Working-age 2019-03-31: 18613Working-age 2018-12-31: 18716Working-age 2018-09-30: 18909Working-age 2018-06-30: 19121Working-age 2018-03-31: 19341Working-age 2017-12-31: 19418Working-age 2017-09-30: 19588Working-age 2017-06-30: 19710Working-age 2017-03-31: 19230Working-age 2016-12-31: 19841Working-age 2016-09-30: 20007Working-age 2016-06-30: 20176Working-age 2016-03-31: 20240Pensioners 2023-06-30: 11275Pensioners 2023-03-31: 11319Pensioners 2022-12-31: 11448Pensioners 2022-09-30: 11486Pensioners 2022-06-30: 11488Pensioners 2022-03-31: 11511Pensioners 2021-12-31: 11540Pensioners 2021-09-30: 11558Pensioners 2021-06-30: 11645Pensioners 2021-03-31: 11737Pensioners 2020-12-31: 11870Pensioners 2020-09-30: 11967Pensioners 2020-06-30: 12042Pensioners 2020-03-31: 12154Pensioners 2019-12-31: 12305Pensioners 2019-09-30: 12434Pensioners 2019-06-30: 12539Pensioners 2019-03-31: 12664Pensioners 2018-12-31: 12832Pensioners 2018-09-30: 12968Pensioners 2018-06-30: 13106Pensioners 2018-03-31: 13253Pensioners 2017-12-31: 13481Pensioners 2017-09-30: 13676Pensioners 2017-06-30: 13779Pensioners 2017-03-31: 13844Pensioners 2016-12-31: 14024Pensioners 2016-09-30: 14198Pensioners 2016-06-30: 14291Pensioners 2016-03-31: 14549