Ahead of Valentine’s Day, research by leading online estate agent, eMoov.co.uk, looks at the most popular areas of England for loved up homebuyers looking to make a love nest, based on the number of births in each county and the affordability of property in the area.
eMoov looked at the total number of births across each county to find the areas with the highest number, before highlighting the top 10 with an average house price below the English average of £234,278.
The West Midlands came out on top, with 19,005 registered births in a calendar year, it is the second highest behind just London, but with an average house price nearly £258,000 cheaper than the capital (£163,162). With the birth of children often spurring a move to a larger property, the West Midlands lower average house price is no doubt what makes it a popular option for those starting or extending a family.
Greater Manchester would seem the next best option, with an average house price of just £152,747, there was 18,446 births recorded there, the third highest across the nation.
West Yorkshire (14,595), Merseyside (10,33) and South Yorkshire (9,394) are home to the next highest number of births across England and all offer an average house price between £131,000 and £146,828.
Lancashire (7,048), Tyne and Wear (6,995) and Cheshire (5,846) all saw more than 5,000 new additions to the county and in addition, buyers in Lancashire and Tyne and Wear can get on the ladder for less than £137,000, with the average house price in Cheshire also more affordable at £176,49.
Norfolk and Nottinghamshire complete the top 10 with an average house price of £212,509 and 161,508 respectively, with both seeing the number of births in a year fall just below 5,000.
On top of these 10, there are an additional 15 counties where the average house price is still lower than the national average, making them more realistic for potential buyers starting a family.
The City of London, where the average house price is 790,439, just 16 births were registered, proving that perhaps an expensive house price is the best deterrent to starting a family.
Founder and CEO of eMoov.co.uk, Russell Quirk, commented:
“The birth of a child is always a big event and often influences where we buy and with raising a child becoming increasingly expensive, saving on the price of a property can make all the difference.
So, it is no surprise that 70% of the top ten counties for the highest birth rates are home to a lower average house price, as expecting parents look to make their finances stretch as far as they can.
Of course, it isn’t always like for like as London proves with the highest birth rate in England, but it highlights where is the best places to consider for potential parents and buyers.”
| Rank of Affordability | County | Number of Births | Average House Price | |
| Greater London | 28,039 | £421,084 | ||
| 1st | West Midlands | 19,005 | £163,162 | |
| 2nd | Greater Manchester | 18,446 | £152,747 | |
| 3rd | West Yorkshire | 14,595 | £146,828 | |
| 4th | Merseyside | 10,333 | £133,280 | |
| 5th | South Yorkshire | 9,394 | £131,893 | |
| Kent | 8,895 | £274,504 | ||
| Essex | 7,927 | £295,225 | ||
| 6th | Lancashire | 7,048 | £136,399 | |
| 7th | Tyne and Wear | 6,995 | £136,961 | |
| Hampshire | 6,062 | £299,950 | ||
| 8th | Cheshire | 5,846 | £176,495 | |
| Hertfordshire | 5,672 | £395,445 | ||
| 9th | Norfolk | 4,913 | £212,509 | |
| 10th | Nottinghamshire | 4,836 | £161,508 | |
| Northamptonshire | 4,732 | £207,390 | ||
| Surrey | 4,549 | £441,144 | ||
| 11th | Staffordshire | 4,498 | £177,659 | |
| 12th | Lincolnshire | 4,391 | £168,942 | |
| 13th | Derbyshire | 4,390 | £163,583 | |
| Berkshire | 4,036 | £366,392 | ||
| 14th | Suffolk | 3,983 | £228,491 | |
| West Sussex | 3,924 | £317,039 | ||
| Devon | 3,405 | £245,563 | ||
| 15th | County Durham | 3,381 | £100,771 | |
| 16th | Leicestershire | 3,302 | £206,017 | |
| Cambridgeshire | 3,159 | £278,865 | ||
| Gloucestershire | 3,135 | £242,805 | ||
| 17th | Worcestershire | 3,050 | £221,199 | |
| Oxfordshire | 2,991 | £355,229 | ||
| 18th | Somerset | 2,981 | £217,755 | |
| Cornwall | 2,952 | £216,720 | ||
| Warwickshire | 2,859 | £234,759 | ||
| Bristol, City of | 2,857 | £260,026 | ||
| 19th | Cumbria | 2,714 | £150,076 | |
| East Sussex | 2,666 | £264,077 | ||
| 20th | North Yorkshire | 2,564 | £209,623 | |
| Buckinghamshire | 2,158 | £397,532 | ||
| Wiltshire | 2,066 | £263,613 | ||
| Dorset | 1,695 | £281,498 | ||
| 21st | East Riding of Yorkshire | 1,631 | £166,260 | |
| 22nd | Northumberland | 1,579 | £153,856 | |
| 23rd | Shropshire | 1,412 | £200,748 | |
| 24th | Herefordshire, County of | 831 | £219,721 | |
| 25th | Isle of Wight | 775 | £157,992 | |
| Rutland | 113 | £307,070 | ||
| City of London | 16 | £790,439 | ||
| N/A | England | 246,801 | £234,278 |