The richest and poorest places in Britain
Households in the wealthiest corner of the UK have 5.0 times more money to spend than those in the poorest — and the gap is not where most people assume. Here is the full ranking, straight from the official figures.
Source: ONS regional gross disposable household income, released 19 August 2026
Richest area
£84,292
Westminster and City of London
Poorest area
£16,786
Leicester
UK average
£25,965
Per person, per year
Wealth gap
5.0×
Top vs bottom area
Top five vs bottom five
The 10 richest places in the UK
Eight of the ten wealthiest local areas are in London, and the top three are not close. Westminster and the City sit more than three times above the UK average.
| # | Area | Income per head |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westminster and City of London | £84,292 |
| 2 | Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham | £80,152 |
| 3 | Camden | £72,346 |
| 4 | Wandsworth | £49,715 |
| 5 | Haringey and Islington | £41,415 |
| 6 | Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames | £38,351 |
| 7 | Barnet | £38,184 |
| 8 | West Surrey (Woking, Guildford) | £37,989 |
| 9 | Lambeth | £36,951 |
| 10 | East Surrey (Reigate, Epsom) | £35,496 |
The 10 poorest places in the UK
Every one of the ten lowest-income areas is in the Midlands or the north of England. Cities dominate the list: student populations, younger residents and lower average pay all drag the per-head figure down.
| # | Area | Income per head |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester | £16,786 |
| 2 | Sandwell | £17,273 |
| 3 | Nottingham | £17,696 |
| 4 | Blackburn with Darwen | £17,707 |
| 5 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | £17,731 |
| 6 | Stoke-on-Trent | £17,925 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton | £18,493 |
| 8 | Bradford | £18,641 |
| 9 | Walsall | £18,993 |
| 10 | East Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle) | £19,096 |
The richest places outside London
Strip London out and the picture shifts to the commuter belt — Surrey, Hertfordshire, Kent and Buckinghamshire — with Edinburgh the only entry from outside England.
| # | Area | Income per head |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Surrey | £37,989 |
| 2 | East Surrey | £35,496 |
| 3 | South West Hertfordshire | £34,909 |
| 4 | West Kent | £34,804 |
| 5 | Buckinghamshire | £34,111 |
| 6 | Central Hampshire | £31,704 |
| 7 | West Essex | £31,401 |
| 8 | City of Edinburgh | £31,043 |
| 9 | Heart of Essex | £30,747 |
| 10 | Oxfordshire | £30,378 |
Region by region
- London£36,487 (+41%)
- South East£29,577 (+14%)
- East of England£26,795 (+3%)
- North East£20,562 (-21%)
Compared with the UK average of £25,965.
Five things the data shows
- UK total household disposable income reached nearly £1.8 trillion in 2024, up 7.4% on 2023.
- Adjusted for inflation, real household disposable income per head rose 3.1% across the UK.
- Northern Ireland recorded the strongest real growth at 4.1%; the North East the weakest at 2.2%.
- Of 15 English mayoral combined authorities, York and North Yorkshire led on £26,911 per head; the West Midlands trailed on £19,688.
- Wales has the narrowest internal spread of any nation: from £23,081 in Monmouthshire and Newport down to £19,910 in Neath Port Talbot.
Whatever your postcode, the maths is the same
Income sets your starting point; what you do with the surplus decides the outcome. Use a tax-free wrapper first, then let time do the heavy lifting.
Frequently asked questions
How is the richest place in the UK measured?+
These rankings use ONS gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head for 2024 — the money households actually have left to spend or save after tax, National Insurance and other deductions. It is the most reliable official income measure published at local level.
Why is Leicester ranked the poorest?+
Leicester recorded the lowest GDHI per head of any UK local area at £16,786, around 35% below the UK average of £25,965. Younger populations, lower average wages and a large student presence all pull the per-head figure down.
Does a high income mean people are better off?+
Not necessarily. GDHI does not adjust for housing costs, so London's very high figures are partly offset by rents and mortgages that are far above the national average. Disposable income after housing tells a different story.
How often is this data updated?+
The ONS publishes regional GDHI annually. The current release covers 2024 and came out on 19 August 2026. We refresh this page each time a new release lands.