House prices in West Midlands out of reach of the average wage
Average house prices in the West Midlands are £137,493, which is five times the typical earnings for full-time workers in the region.
According to the GMB union 11 of the 14 areas of the West Midlands are above the affordability range, which is 4.5 times above average earnings.
Houses in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Solihull are the top areas in the region where house prices are deemed to be unaffordable for the average person.
Average house prices in Herefordshire are £185,829 which is 6.4 times the average earnings for full-time workers who live in the county.
However, the trend is reversed in Stoke-on-Trent, where the average cost of a house is £88,984, which is 3.8 times the average earnings of workers and within the house price affordability range.
House prices in Sandwell and Coventry are already at the affordability range of 4.5 times average earnings of people living in the areas.
GMB Regional Secretary Tim Roache said: "This new analysis shows that house prices in parts of the West Midlands have yet to fall towards the affordability range as they have done in parts of the region.
"In England and Wales as a whole average house prices need to adjust down by 11% to come into the affordability range although the figure is higher in some parts of the country."
For England and Wales house prices are 5.1 times average earnings.
