England’s Property Crisis Hotspots: The Cities With the Fewest Homes for Sale
By: Mike Curran
Housing Market Analyst
The findings below highlight how uneven housing supply is across England, with some cities offering far more choice for buyers than others.
- Bradford ranks as England’s tightest housing market, while Nottingham currently offers the greatest availability of homes relative to population.
- Bradford has nearly seven times lower housing availability than Nottingham, where there is one home for every 82 residents.
- England averages one home for every 141 residents, but in Bradford that drops to just one home for every 554 people.
- Sunderland (501) and Wolverhampton (468) also rank among the most competitive housing markets.
- Nottingham offers the greatest housing availability, with 82 residents per home listed for sale.
- Manchester and Liverpool offer around one home for every 100 residents, significantly more supply than many other cities.
A new analysis from Smart Mortgage Insurance has revealed the English cities where housing supply is most limited relative to population, highlighting where buyers may face the toughest competition when searching for a home.
The study compares official population estimates with the number of homes currently listed for sale, calculating how many residents per home listed. (see methodology at bottom)
Across England as a whole, there are around 141 residents per each home listed on the market, but several large cities are dramatically above this level, highlighting areas where housing competition is most intense.
Biggest Supply Gap
| City | Residents per Home |
|---|---|
| Bradford | 554 |
| Nottingham | 82 |
This means housing availability in Nottingham is nearly seven times higher than in Bradford.
Cities Where Buyers Face the Most Competition
These cities have the highest number of residents per home listed for sale, suggesting tighter housing supply.
| Rank | City | Residents per Home |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford | 554 |
| 2 | Sunderland | 501 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton | 468 |
| 4 | Derby | 354 |
| 5 | Portsmouth | 336 |
| 6 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 324 |
| 7 | Sheffield | 314 |
| 8 | Coventry | 287 |
| 9 | Stoke-on-Trent | 274 |
| 10 | Reading | 259 |
In these cities, the limited number of properties available relative to the population means buyers may face greater competition when searching for a home.
Cities With the Most Homes Available
Some cities currently have significantly more homes available relative to their population, giving buyers greater choice in the property market.
| Rank | City | Residents per Home |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nottingham | 82 |
| 2 | Manchester | 102 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 103 |
| 4 | Exeter | 112 |
| 5 | Norwich | 117 |
| 6 | Bournemouth | 163 |
| 7 | Brighton & Hove | 166 |
| 8 | Bath | 172 |
| 9 | Cambridge | 173 |
| 10 | Bristol | 186 |
These locations currently offer buyers comparatively more options when searching for a home.
Price Insight
Interestingly, several of the cities with the tightest housing supply remain among the more affordable housing markets. Bradford (£189,396) and Sunderland (£146,527) both sit well below the England average house price of £291,865, yet rank among the cities with the fewest homes available relative to population.
Why Housing Availability Matters
When the number of homes for sale is low compared with the population of a city, competition among buyers tends to increase.
Limited housing supply can contribute to:
faster property sales
increased competition between buyers
upward pressure on house prices
greater challenges for first-time buyers entering the market
Understanding where housing supply is most constrained can help highlight areas where housing demand may be placing the greatest pressure on the market.
Expert Insight
Darren Gowland
Founder of Mortgage Genius & Housing Market Analyst
“Housing availability varies significantly across England, but in some cities the level of supply relative to population is extremely tight.
In Bradford there is currently just one home listed for every 554 residents, compared with one for every 82 residents in Nottingham. When supply is that limited relative to population, buyers face far greater competition and properties can sell much faster.”
Methodology
Population estimates were taken from official population statistics for each city in England.
The number of properties for sale was collected from Zoopla UK property listings, counting active residential listings within each city.
The study then calculated the ratio of residents per home listed for sale on the market by dividing the population of each city by the number of active property listings.
A higher number indicates greater competition for available homes.
For Media
Journalists may reproduce data, tables and maps from this study with credit and a link to Smart Mortgage Insurance.
Data Sources
Population data was sourced from:
Office for National Statistics – Population Estimates for UK, England and Wales
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates
Property listing data was collected from:
Zoopla – UK property listings
https://www.zoopla.co.uk