Rent and house prices are higher now than they were in 2015 across the entire North East, with the average Darlington resident paying over a quarter of their wages on rent according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

In County Durham, residents endured a £90 increase in average rental costs, from £461 in 2015 to £551 in 2024, while the average house price for first-time buyers surged by just over 33 per cent from £87,079.98 in 2012 to £116,199 in 2024.

Similarly, in Darlington, average rents experienced a £105 hike, moving from £468 in 2015 to £573 in 2024.

Average prices for first-time buyers escalated by 38.5 per cent from £101,722.70 in 2012 to £140,882 in 2024.

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In 2024, an average Darlington resident had to spend just over 25 per cent of their median monthly earnings on rent alone.

Hartlepool saw a £70 rise in average rents, from £465 in 2015 to £535 in 2024.

First-time buyers have to grapple with a 24.61 per cent increase in house prices from £86,861.19 in 2012 to £108,238 in 2024.

Middlesbrough residents experienced a £98 growth in average rents, from £502 in 2015 to £600 in 2024, while the average house price for first-time buyers grew by 28 per cent, from £93,539.82 in 2012 to £119,837 in 2024.

In Redcar and Cleveland, rents rose from £488 in 2015 to £569 in 2024, a £81 increase while first-time buyers encountered a nearly 40 per cent surge in house costs from £100,702.16 in 2012 to £140,727 in 2024.

Stockton-on-Tees saw the average rent up by £115, from £523 in 2015 to £638 in 2024, while the average house price for first-time buyers shot up 29.47 per cent from £103,244.77 in 2012 to £133,669 in 2024.