Manchester tops list of Britain’s first time buyer hotspots – with Worcester rising fastest
26 February 2026
- Manchester is the most popular location for first time buyers outside London
- First time buyers now account for around half of all mortgaged home purchases across Britain
- In the most popular areas, that rises to more than 70%
- Worcester is home to the fastest growing first time buyer market
New research from Lloyds reveals Britain’s hottest locations for first-time buyers, highlighting the towns and cities where people getting onto the ladder now make up the biggest share of home purchases.
The analysis identifies the locations outside London where first-time buyers make up the highest proportion of all mortgaged home purchases1.
After a tough few years of both higher prices and rising borrowing costs, the affordability picture is improving and many first time buyer hotspots are thriving. Leading the way is Manchester, where first time buyers made up 70.2% of all mortgaged home purchases last year – up from 67.2% in 2024. That’s the highest share anywhere in Britain outside of London.
Manchester’s mix of relatively affordable homes, strong job opportunities, major regeneration projects and a well connected transport network continues to draw in younger buyers. The city also saw more people take their first step onto the ladder in 2025 than in any year since 2019.
Next on the list comes Sandwell in the West Midlands, where first-time buyers made up 69.7% of the market...
Full press release is on the attached pdf
