New house price growth data reveals a sharp north-south divide.

No locations in the south of England made a list of the top 10 cities with the fastest rates of growth over the past decade.

Manchester stood out as the top hotspot, with the average asking price for a home in Manchester rising by around £100,000 (or 63.3%) to £261,891.

“Affordability has been a central theme shaping these trends,” says Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove.

“Areas with lower starting price points have had more room for growth, which has contributed to a widening north-south divide.”

London, which carries an average asking price of £687,080, grew by just 7%.

Oxford and Brighton both grew by 13% to £554,387 and £416,440 respectively.

By contrast, asking prices in the Manchester areas of Levenshulme, Atherton, Droylsden and Failsworth have grown by around 80% on average.

“Some of the shifts behind this are continuing to play out, particularly changes in working patterns.

“Greater flexibility through hybrid and remote working is still influencing where people choose to live, supporting demand in cities that offer better value and a different lifestyle balance.”

Take a look at the slowest and fastest cities for growth and their average asking prices below…

Fastest growth

1. Manchester, £261,891
2. Wolverhampton, £229,094
3. Newport, £235,275
4. Nottingham, £210,238
5. Wakefield, £231,581
6. Salford, £226,559
7. Bradford, £171,282
8. Stoke-on-Trent, £174,850
9. Doncaster, £186,378
10. Swansea, £215,866

Slowest growth

1. London, £687,080 
2. Oxford, £554,387 
3. Brighton, £416,440 
4. Winchester, £543,972 
5. Cambridge, £512,872 
6. St Albans, £657,627 
7. Canterbury, £367,271
8. Chelmsford, £402,308 
9. Colchester, £300,714 
10. Dundee, £170,171