Peterborough · East of England

Where to Buy Property Investments in Peterborough: Yields to 5.5%

PE1 and PE4 yield 5.5% on asking prices from £204,938, the strongest income returns in a fast-growing East of England city where rental demand outpaces sales supply.


Top gross yield
5.5%
Postcodes covered
7
Average asking price
£284k
Investing in Peterborough? See buy-to-let deals across the UK

Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England. Average sold prices across Peterborough sit at £240,475 on the HM Land Registry House Price Index, 17.1% below the England average of £289,946 and 28.7% below the East of England regional average of £337,182. That gap is the heart of the Peterborough case: a fast-growing cathedral city on the East Coast Main Line, priced like the Midlands rather than the high-cost East of England it belongs to. The local authority's population grew 17.45% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 183,631 to 215,671 residents, almost three times the England and Wales rate of 6.3%.

Peterborough is unusual within its region. The East of England average is pulled up by Cambridge and the commuter belt around it, where the same money buys roughly half the floor space. Direct trains reach London King's Cross in under an hour, yet the seven postcodes that carry investable price data run from £204,938 in PE1 up to £429,551 in PE8. For an investor working to a fixed budget, that spread puts genuine city-centre rental stock within reach in a place where jobs, population and transport are all moving the right way.

This guide covers the unitary authority of Peterborough (ONS code E06000031) across postcodes PE1, PE2, PE3, PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, and PE8. Peterborough sits in the East of England, 38 miles north of Cambridge and on the main line midway between London and the North. The wider region around it includes the market towns of the Fens and south Lincolnshire.

Article updated: June 2026

The Guildhall in Cathedral Square, Peterborough
The Guildhall in Cathedral Square, Peterborough

Why Invest in Peterborough?

Peterborough grew its population 17.45% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 183,631 to 215,671 residents, one of the fastest growth rates of any English city and almost three times the England and Wales average of 6.3%. That growth is the foundation of the rental case here. A city adding residents at that pace needs homes faster than it can build them, and the gap between new arrivals and new supply is what keeps tenant demand firm across the central postcodes.

The local employment rate of 79.0% sits above the Great Britain average of 75.6%. Peterborough's economy leans on the sectors that kept the city working through the New Town decades and still do: distribution and logistics along the A1 and rail freight corridor, food production, manufacturing, and a growing financial and digital cluster around the city centre. The arrival of ARU Peterborough, the city's first full university campus, is steadily adding a student population that did not exist a decade ago.

Median gross annual earnings in Peterborough are £35,196, which sits below the East of England regional median of £40,862 and the Great Britain median of £39,125. That is the other side of the affordability story. Peterborough wages are not high by the standards of its region, but they are not the point: house prices have fallen further below the regional benchmark than wages have, so the entry cost is low relative to the rent a working tenant can pay. The tenant base is broad rather than premium, weighted towards working families and commuters rather than the professional renters of Cambridge.

Peterborough Economic Summary

  • Population (Peterborough): 215,671 (2021 Census). Growth of 17.45% from 2011.
  • Median annual salary: £35,196 (local), £39,125 (Great Britain)
  • Median weekly salary: £676.80 (local), £785.80 (East of England), £752.40 (Great Britain)
  • Employment rate: 79.0% (local), 75.6% (Great Britain)
  • Unemployment rate: 4.7% (local)
  • Key employment sectors: Distribution and logistics, food production and manufacturing, wholesale and retail, financial and business services, education and health

Source: ONS Census 2021, Nomis Labour Market Profile (ASHE 2025)

Regeneration and Investment in Peterborough

Peterborough's £50 million Station Quarter scheme began enabling works in November 2025 and is set to unlock land for up to 700 new homes and 4,000 jobs around the railway station. The city is delivering on its growth ambitions with money in the ground rather than masterplans on paper, and the projects below are the ones that most directly shape tenant demand.

  • Station Quarter (Enabling works underway, £50 million): Backed by central government funding, the scheme rebuilds the railway station gateway with a new western entrance, multi-storey car park and improved public space, unlocking surrounding land the council expects to support up to 700 new homes and 4,000 jobs. Preliminary site clearance began in November 2025, with main construction scheduled to start in early 2026. The PE1 and PE2 postcodes nearest the station stand to benefit most from the improved connectivity. Updates at Peterborough City Council.
  • ARU Peterborough (Campus expanding, open and growing): The city's first full university campus opened University House in September 2022, followed by a research centre and a second teaching building, The Lab, which opened to students in September 2024 with specialist biomedical and engineering facilities and a publicly accessible Living Lab science space. A resident student population is new to Peterborough, and it is steadily adding shared-house and HMO demand in the central PE1 and PE2 postcodes that did not exist before the campus arrived. Details at ARU Peterborough.
  • Fletton Quays (Largely complete): The riverside district on the south bank of the Nene is now an established mixed-use quarter, anchored by a government office hub alongside apartments, a hotel and public realm. Its completion has pulled professional renters towards the PE2 side of the river and given the city centre a second residential focus beyond the historic core.
Peterborough population growth map

Peterborough Property Market Analysis

Average property prices in Peterborough have risen 481.0% since January 1995, from £41,393 to £240,475. The sections below trace that journey cycle by cycle, then drill into current postcode-level data for sold prices, price per square foot, asking prices, growth trends, and monthly transaction volumes.

When was the last house price crash in Peterborough?

Peterborough's sold prices are recorded by HM Land Registry at unitary authority level, covering the whole city. The Land Registry House Price Index runs from January 1995 to March 2026, capturing 31 years of market cycles.

The 1995 to 2007 boom: Peterborough started at £41,393 in January 1995. By December 2000 the average had reached £61,414, and the early-2000s acceleration took it to £94,393 by December 2002 and £131,904 by December 2005. The market peaked at £152,290 in September 2007, more than triple where it began the cycle, as New Town housing supply met steadily rising mortgage availability.

2008 to 2009, the financial crisis: Prices fell from the September 2007 peak of £152,290 to a trough of £120,604 in April 2009, a decline of 20.8% over 19 months. The worst year-on-year reading was -17.8% in February 2009. Peterborough's fall was steeper than England's national correction, reflecting an affordable market exposed to the manufacturing and logistics jobs that the recession hit hardest.

The 2010 to 2013 stagnation: The recovery off the 2009 trough stalled. The average stood at £129,439 in December 2010, drifted to £127,703 by December 2012, and only reached £136,897 by December 2013. Peterborough spent roughly four years stuck below its pre-crash level, unable to push back to 2007 prices.

Recovery, 2014 to 2016: Growth returned. Prices climbed to £157,637 by December 2015 and the average first passed the September 2007 pre-crash peak of £152,290 in September 2015, at £153,738. That recovery took eight years. By April 2016 the average reached £160,513.

The 2017 to 2019 pre-pandemic growth: Steady single-digit gains continued, supported by buyers priced out of Cambridge and the home counties using the sub-hour commute to London. The average reached £190,074 by December 2019.

2020 to 2022, the pandemic surge: The stamp duty holiday and a shift towards affordable family housing with fast transport links lifted Peterborough sharply. Prices rose from £192,256 in December 2020 to £205,783 by December 2021 (7.0% annual growth) and £239,869 by December 2022, a 16.6% annual jump that set what was then a record high.

The 2023 rate shock: Higher mortgage rates cooled the market. The average eased to £227,173 by December 2023 (-5.3% annual) and £224,668 by December 2024, a gentle two-year give-back rather than a crash.

2024 to present: Prices recovered to £235,220 by December 2025 and reached £240,475 by the latest reading in March 2026, a fresh all-time high that edged just past the December 2022 peak. The current price is 57.9% above the September 2007 pre-crash peak.

Long-term growth summary:

  • 5 years (March 2021 to March 2026): 21.8% growth (£197,354 to £240,475)
  • 10 years (March 2016 to March 2026): 51.1% growth (£159,190 to £240,475)
  • 15 years (March 2011 to March 2026): 91.6% growth (£125,492 to £240,475)
  • 20 years (March 2006 to March 2026): 76.7% growth (£136,089 to £240,475)
  • 30 years (January 1995 to March 2026): 481.0% growth (£41,393 to £240,475)

Peterborough's 20.8% crash was deeper than the national average, but the 30-year return of 481.0% is among the stronger long-run records of any English city, helped by the low 1995 starting base. The eight-year recovery to the pre-crash peak reflected the long 2010 to 2013 stagnation that held the market down. An investor who bought at the exact September 2007 peak would now be sitting on a 57.9% gain on the Land Registry average, and on a fresh record high.

Average property price by type in Peterborough, 1995 to 2026
£0£100k£200k£300k£400kDetached 1995-01: £69,481Detached 1996-02: £72,085Detached 1997-03: £75,285Detached 1998-04: £81,803Detached 1999-05: £84,993Detached 2000-06: £97,902Detached 2001-07: £114,893Detached 2002-08: £148,731Detached 2003-09: £181,416Detached 2004-10: £204,204Detached 2005-11: £206,335Detached 2006-12: £223,646Detached 2008-01: £236,957Detached 2009-02: £195,126Detached 2010-03: £208,231Detached 2011-04: £206,163Detached 2012-05: £205,014Detached 2013-06: £211,542Detached 2014-07: £228,479Detached 2015-08: £244,266Detached 2016-09: £266,388Detached 2017-10: £289,446Detached 2018-11: £310,548Detached 2019-12: £309,519Detached 2021-01: £313,698Detached 2022-02: £351,930Detached 2023-03: £382,000Detached 2024-04: £366,529Detached 2025-05: £377,829Detached 2026-03: £388,038Semi-detached 1995-01: £41,093Semi-detached 1996-02: £43,381Semi-detached 1997-03: £44,672Semi-detached 1998-04: £48,590Semi-detached 1999-05: £50,479Semi-detached 2000-06: £57,650Semi-detached 2001-07: £66,678Semi-detached 2002-08: £86,423Semi-detached 2003-09: £108,892Semi-detached 2004-10: £127,797Semi-detached 2005-11: £130,859Semi-detached 2006-12: £143,404Semi-detached 2008-01: £150,450Semi-detached 2009-02: £122,827Semi-detached 2010-03: £130,615Semi-detached 2011-04: £126,162Semi-detached 2012-05: £127,801Semi-detached 2013-06: £132,182Semi-detached 2014-07: £143,217Semi-detached 2015-08: £152,521Semi-detached 2016-09: £165,885Semi-detached 2017-10: £179,820Semi-detached 2018-11: £192,806Semi-detached 2019-12: £193,368Semi-detached 2021-01: £194,804Semi-detached 2022-02: £219,627Semi-detached 2023-03: £238,514Semi-detached 2024-04: £232,421Semi-detached 2025-05: £239,462Semi-detached 2026-03: £248,940Terraced 1995-01: £31,722Terraced 1996-02: £32,926Terraced 1997-03: £34,013Terraced 1998-04: £36,695Terraced 1999-05: £38,105Terraced 2000-06: £43,331Terraced 2001-07: £49,844Terraced 2002-08: £64,538Terraced 2003-09: £81,159Terraced 2004-10: £98,071Terraced 2005-11: £102,996Terraced 2006-12: £114,346Terraced 2008-01: £121,095Terraced 2009-02: £98,355Terraced 2010-03: £104,405Terraced 2011-04: £100,676Terraced 2012-05: £101,772Terraced 2013-06: £105,407Terraced 2014-07: £114,151Terraced 2015-08: £121,057Terraced 2016-09: £130,992Terraced 2017-10: £141,148Terraced 2018-11: £150,146Terraced 2019-12: £150,365Terraced 2021-01: £153,896Terraced 2022-02: £173,356Terraced 2023-03: £186,200Terraced 2024-04: £182,551Terraced 2025-05: £188,358Terraced 2026-03: £195,843Flats 1995-01: £25,513Flats 1996-02: £26,388Flats 1997-03: £26,715Flats 1998-04: £28,153Flats 1999-05: £29,323Flats 2000-06: £33,738Flats 2001-07: £39,339Flats 2002-08: £51,936Flats 2003-09: £65,756Flats 2004-10: £79,198Flats 2005-11: £81,562Flats 2006-12: £88,274Flats 2008-01: £93,078Flats 2009-02: £75,469Flats 2010-03: £75,325Flats 2011-04: £72,730Flats 2012-05: £72,923Flats 2013-06: £73,418Flats 2014-07: £78,813Flats 2015-08: £83,168Flats 2016-09: £90,319Flats 2017-10: £98,532Flats 2018-11: £102,236Flats 2019-12: £101,058Flats 2021-01: £100,121Flats 2022-02: £112,354Flats 2023-03: £118,444Flats 2024-04: £115,932Flats 2025-05: £115,940Flats 2026-03: £115,075All property types 1995-01: £41,393All property types 1996-02: £43,165All property types 1997-03: £44,630All property types 1998-04: £48,296All property types 1999-05: £50,174All property types 2000-06: £57,442All property types 2001-07: £66,613All property types 2002-08: £86,391All property types 2003-09: £107,962All property types 2004-10: £127,025All property types 2005-11: £131,025All property types 2006-12: £143,651All property types 2008-01: £151,632All property types 2009-02: £123,732All property types 2010-03: £130,782All property types 2011-04: £127,209All property types 2012-05: £127,897All property types 2013-06: £131,963All property types 2014-07: £142,738All property types 2015-08: £151,858All property types 2016-09: £164,980All property types 2017-10: £178,690All property types 2018-11: £190,343All property types 2019-12: £190,074All property types 2021-01: £192,219All property types 2022-02: £216,344All property types 2023-03: £233,607All property types 2024-04: £227,174All property types 2025-05: £233,271All property types 2026-03: £240,4751995200020052010201520202026
  • All property types
  • Detached
  • Semi-detached
  • Terraced
  • Flats

Source: HM Land Registry House Price Index

Year-on-year price change by type in Peterborough, 1995 to 2026
-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%+30%+35%Detached 1996-01: +4.8%Detached 1997-02: +5.5%Detached 1998-03: +7.6%Detached 1999-04: +2.3%Detached 2000-05: +13.0%Detached 2001-06: +17.3%Detached 2002-07: +26.6%Detached 2003-08: +20.4%Detached 2004-09: +11.1%Detached 2005-10: +1.5%Detached 2006-11: +6.9%Detached 2007-12: +5.3%Detached 2009-01: -15.2%Detached 2010-02: +5.2%Detached 2011-03: -2.3%Detached 2012-04: -1.8%Detached 2013-05: +2.4%Detached 2014-06: +7.3%Detached 2015-07: +5.9%Detached 2016-08: +7.9%Detached 2017-09: +9.5%Detached 2018-10: +6.4%Detached 2019-11: +0.6%Detached 2020-12: +2.0%Detached 2022-01: +8.5%Detached 2023-02: +9.6%Detached 2024-03: -3.0%Detached 2025-04: +2.1%Detached 2026-03: +5.3%Semi-detached 1996-01: +6.2%Semi-detached 1997-02: +4.4%Semi-detached 1998-03: +7.1%Semi-detached 1999-04: +2.1%Semi-detached 2000-05: +12.0%Semi-detached 2001-06: +15.7%Semi-detached 2002-07: +27.1%Semi-detached 2003-08: +24.1%Semi-detached 2004-09: +16.2%Semi-detached 2005-10: +2.6%Semi-detached 2006-11: +7.6%Semi-detached 2007-12: +4.4%Semi-detached 2009-01: -15.8%Semi-detached 2010-02: +5.9%Semi-detached 2011-03: -4.7%Semi-detached 2012-04: 0.0%Semi-detached 2013-05: +2.3%Semi-detached 2014-06: +7.7%Semi-detached 2015-07: +5.6%Semi-detached 2016-08: +7.6%Semi-detached 2017-09: +9.4%Semi-detached 2018-10: +6.5%Semi-detached 2019-11: +1.2%Semi-detached 2020-12: +0.8%Semi-detached 2022-01: +8.8%Semi-detached 2023-02: +10.0%Semi-detached 2024-03: -1.9%Semi-detached 2025-04: +2.2%Semi-detached 2026-03: +6.1%Terraced 1996-01: +4.5%Terraced 1997-02: +4.4%Terraced 1998-03: +6.4%Terraced 1999-04: +1.8%Terraced 2000-05: +11.6%Terraced 2001-06: +15.3%Terraced 2002-07: +26.7%Terraced 2003-08: +23.7%Terraced 2004-09: +19.4%Terraced 2005-10: +5.1%Terraced 2006-11: +8.7%Terraced 2007-12: +5.5%Terraced 2009-01: -16.1%Terraced 2010-02: +5.9%Terraced 2011-03: -4.9%Terraced 2012-04: -0.2%Terraced 2013-05: +2.2%Terraced 2014-06: +7.7%Terraced 2015-07: +5.0%Terraced 2016-08: +7.3%Terraced 2017-09: +8.9%Terraced 2018-10: +5.8%Terraced 2019-11: +1.3%Terraced 2020-12: +2.1%Terraced 2022-01: +8.7%Terraced 2023-02: +9.7%Terraced 2024-03: -1.4%Terraced 2025-04: +2.5%Terraced 2026-03: +5.4%Flats 1996-01: +4.4%Flats 1997-02: +2.1%Flats 1998-03: +4.3%Flats 1999-04: +2.4%Flats 2000-05: +12.2%Flats 2001-06: +16.7%Flats 2002-07: +29.1%Flats 2003-08: +25.3%Flats 2004-09: +18.3%Flats 2005-10: +2.9%Flats 2006-11: +5.8%Flats 2007-12: +4.9%Flats 2009-01: -16.7%Flats 2010-02: -0.6%Flats 2011-03: -4.9%Flats 2012-04: -1.3%Flats 2013-05: -0.4%Flats 2014-06: +6.9%Flats 2015-07: +5.1%Flats 2016-08: +7.7%Flats 2017-09: +10.8%Flats 2018-10: +3.5%Flats 2019-11: +0.2%Flats 2020-12: -1.7%Flats 2022-01: +8.0%Flats 2023-02: +7.4%Flats 2024-03: -1.9%Flats 2025-04: -0.2%Flats 2026-03: -0.1%All property types 1996-01: +5.1%All property types 1997-02: +4.6%All property types 1998-03: +6.8%All property types 1999-04: +2.0%All property types 2000-05: +12.3%All property types 2001-06: +16.1%All property types 2002-07: +27.0%All property types 2003-08: +23.2%All property types 2004-09: +16.2%All property types 2005-10: +3.3%All property types 2006-11: +7.6%All property types 2007-12: +5.0%All property types 2009-01: -15.8%All property types 2010-02: +5.0%All property types 2011-03: -4.0%All property types 2012-04: -0.8%All property types 2013-05: +2.1%All property types 2014-06: +7.6%All property types 2015-07: +5.5%All property types 2016-08: +7.6%All property types 2017-09: +9.4%All property types 2018-10: +5.9%All property types 2019-11: +0.9%All property types 2020-12: +1.1%All property types 2022-01: +8.7%All property types 2023-02: +9.6%All property types 2024-03: -2.1%All property types 2025-04: +1.9%All property types 2026-03: +5.1%1996200120062011201620212026
  • All property types
  • Detached
  • Semi-detached
  • Terraced
  • Flats

Source: HM Land Registry House Price Index

Sold House Prices in Peterborough

The average sold price across all property types in Peterborough is £240,475, which is 17.1% below the England average of £289,946 as of March 2026. The discount runs across every property type, but it widens sharply at the lower end. Detached houses sit 17.5% below England, while flats are 46.4% cheaper. That spread tells you where the value is: Peterborough's family-house stock competes on roughly even terms with the national market, while its smaller units are priced for a city that built a lot of housing and never carried a city-centre flat premium.

Property Type Peterborough Average England Average Difference
Detached houses £388,038 £470,492 -17.5%
Semi-detached houses £248,940 £288,185 -13.6%
Terraced houses £195,843 £243,788 -19.7%
Flats and maisonettes £115,075 £214,563 -46.4%
All property types £240,475 £289,946 -17.1%

Detached houses at £388,038 carry a 17.5% discount to England's £470,492, and grew 5.3% over the year. The detached stock concentrates in the newer estates at Hampton in PE7, the villages around PE6 and PE8, and the established suburbs of PE3. These are the family homes that draw both owner-occupiers and the higher end of the lettings market.

Semi-detached houses at £248,940 show the narrowest discount at 13.6% below England's £288,185, and posted the strongest annual growth of any type at 6.1%. This is the backbone of Peterborough's rental market, the three-bed semi in townships like Bretton in PE3 and Werrington in PE4 that lets to working families and commuters. The combination of the shallowest discount and the fastest growth points to genuine local demand for this stock.

Terraced houses at £195,843 sit 19.7% below England's £243,788, with 5.4% annual growth. The terraced stock is concentrated in the inner city around PE1 and the older suburbs of PE2, and at under £200,000 on average it is the most accessible house type for an investor wanting a standard buy-to-let rather than a flat.

Flats and maisonettes at £115,075 carry the deepest discount at 46.4% below England's £214,563, and were flat over the year at -0.1%. Peterborough never built the city-centre tower stock that inflates flat values in Cambridge or London, so apartment prices reflect local demand only. For an investor chasing the highest gross yield, that low flat entry point is where the income numbers work hardest, mostly in central PE1.

Price Per Square Foot in Peterborough

Just £84 per square foot separates Peterborough's cheapest postcode from its dearest, with PE1 at £226 and PE8 at £310. Measuring by the square foot strips out how big the homes are, so it compares the value of the locations themselves rather than the house types. PE8 (Oundle) commands the top rate, reflecting the stone-built market-town stock and rural setting at the edge of the area.

Rank Area Price Per Sq Ft
1 PE1 (City Centre) £226
2 PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) £237
3 PE2 (Orton, Woodston) £260
4 PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) £270
5 PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) £271
6 PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) £278
7 PE8 (Oundle) £310

PE1 at £226 per square foot is the cheapest space in Peterborough, drawn from 538 transactions analysed. The city-centre postcode mixes terraced housing and converted and purpose-built flats, the smaller-unit stock that typically suits buy-to-let, and the low per-square-foot rate is what underpins its position as the highest-yielding postcode in the city.

PE8 at £310 per square foot tops the table, 37% above PE1, based on 319 transactions analysed. Oundle is a stone-built market town with a well-known independent school and a rural setting, and buyers there pay for location quality rather than rental income. That premium per square foot lines up with PE8 carrying both the highest average asking price and one of the lowest yields in the area.

For Sale Asking Prices in Peterborough

PE1 at £204,938 and PE8 at £429,551 sit 109.6% apart, the widest asking-price spread across Peterborough's seven priced postcodes. That range mirrors the sold-price hierarchy, with the affordable city core at one end and the premium market towns at the other. The mean asking price across the seven postcodes is £283,870.

Rank Area Asking Price
1 PE1 (City Centre) £204,938
2 PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) £238,440
3 PE2 (Orton, Woodston) £238,610
4 PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) £265,189
5 PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) £292,259
6 PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) £318,107
7 PE8 (Oundle) £429,551

PE1 at £204,938 is the only Peterborough postcode where the average asking price falls below the city-wide Land Registry sold average of £240,475, and it is the lowest barrier to entry by a clear margin. The £33,500 step up to PE4 buys a move out of the city centre into the suburban semis of Werrington and Gunthorpe. For an investor with a fixed budget, PE1 offers the most property for the money and the highest yield in the city.

PE8's £429,551 asking price is an outlier in this group, driven by Oundle's premium market-town stock rather than anything typical of Peterborough itself. It costs more than double PE1, and the rental yield data below confirms that this is owner-occupier and second-home territory rather than an income play. The three city-proper postcodes that anchor the buy-to-let case, PE1, PE2 and PE4, all sit below £240,000.

Boats moored on the River Nene in Peterborough
Boats moored on the River Nene in Peterborough

House Price Growth in Peterborough

PE1 (City Centre) posted the strongest five-year growth in the city at 18.3%, ahead of PE4 at 15.9%. Six of the seven priced postcodes delivered positive five-year returns, with only PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) slightly negative at -0.8%. The one-year and three-year readings are softer across the board, reflecting the 2023 to 2024 cooling that the city has only recently come out of.

Area 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years
PE1 (City Centre) 1.1% 8.8% 18.3%
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 0.7% 1.2% 15.9%
PE8 (Oundle) 14.1% 8.4% 12.7%
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) -1.7% 1.4% 12.1%
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) -2.5% -1.9% 11.7%
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) -7.1% -6.1% 9.7%
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) -5.6% -2.4% -0.8%

PE1 at 18.3% has the strongest five-year growth in the city, and it pairs that with the lowest asking price and the joint-highest yield. The city centre has benefited from the new university campus, the Station Quarter works and the Fletton Quays regeneration all landing within walking distance, lifting demand for the smaller units that dominate the postcode. Its 8.8% three-year reading confirms the gain is not a one-year blip.

PE4 at 15.9% over five years shows steady suburban demand in Werrington and Gunthorpe, the second-strongest medium-term record in the city. PE8's 14.1% one-year figure is the highest recent rise, though Oundle's small, high-value transaction count makes its readings more volatile than the larger city postcodes. PE3 is the one postcode that has gone nowhere over five years at -0.8%, with the sold-price data showing Bretton's larger 1970s housing stock lagging the rest of the city.

Monthly Property Sales in Peterborough

Transaction volumes vary widely across Peterborough, from 13 sales a month in PE8 to 56 in PE7, reflecting the difference between a small market town and the city's busiest growth corridor. The larger city postcodes turn over a healthy number of homes each month, which matters for an investor thinking about how easily they could sell again.

Area Sales Per Month Turnover Asking Price
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 56 8% £292,259
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 40 7% £238,610
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 33 8% £318,107
PE1 (City Centre) 26 6% £204,938
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 23 13% £265,189
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 23 10% £238,440
PE8 (Oundle) 13 5% £429,551

PE7 records the most transactions at 56 a month, driven by the large new-build estate at Hampton south of the city, where a steady pipeline of completions keeps sales volumes high. A high count of monthly sales on an 8% turnover rate points to a deep, liquid market rather than a thin one. PE2 follows at 40 a month, the established Orton townships providing a constant flow of resale family homes.

PE3 has the highest turnover at 13%, with Bretton's homes changing hands more often as a share of the stock, while PE8 at 13 sales a month and 5% turnover is the quietest market, in line with Oundle's small size and premium prices. For a buy-to-let investor, the busier city postcodes offer a clearer exit route than the market towns at the edge of the area.

How Long Properties Take to Sell in Peterborough

PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) clears fastest at around 254 days, while PE8 (Oundle) is slowest at roughly 608 days, more than twice as long. Days on market measures how long a typical home is listed before it sells; months of unsold stock shows how much for-sale supply is queued at the current rate of sales. The wider sales market across Peterborough currently favours buyers, which is the flip side of the strong rental demand covered later.

Area Avg Days to Sell Months of Unsold Stock Market
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 254 8.3 Balanced market
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 304 10.0 Balanced market
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 380 12.5 Buyer's market
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 380 12.5 Buyer's market
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 435 14.3 Buyer's market
PE1 (City Centre) 507 16.7 Buyer's market
PE8 (Oundle) 608 20.0 Buyer's market

The contrast between how the sales and rental markets behave is the most useful signal here. PE1 takes around 507 days to sell into a buyer's market, yet the same postcode has the strongest rental demand in the city, which means an investor buys with negotiating room and lets with little of it. A slower sales market is a holding cost if you need to exit quickly, so a long-term income plan suits Peterborough better than a fast resale strategy. PE3's 254 days is the quickest route back out for anyone who needs liquidity.

What Type of Property Can You Buy in Peterborough?

The housing mix splits Peterborough cleanly: PE1 is a flat-and-semi city centre with 25.1% flats, while the outer postcodes are detached-dominated, peaking at 56.3% detached in PE8. The stock a postcode holds shapes which strategy fits it. The figures below are drawn from 2021 Census records for each postcode.

Area Detached Semi-detached Terraced Flats
PE1 (City Centre) 15.6% 37.3% 15.0% 25.1%
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 42.1% 23.5% 19.3% 15.1%
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 45.5% 17.9% 24.1% 12.5%
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 39.9% 32.9% 16.8% 9.1%
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 55.6% 27.3% 9.3% 4.0%
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 50.6% 31.3% 11.5% 5.6%
PE8 (Oundle) 56.3% 24.6% 15.5% 2.2%

PE1 holds by far the largest share of flats at 25.1% and the smallest share of detached homes at 15.6%. That smaller-unit stock is the classic buy-to-let supply, and it lines up with PE1 carrying the lowest asking price and the joint-highest yield in the city. The city-centre flats suit single lets, professional couples and student sharers, while the terraced housing supports lower-cost family lets.

PE8 is the most detached-dominated postcode at 56.3% with just 2.2% flats, and PE6 is close behind at 55.6% detached. These outer market-town postcodes are weighted towards larger owner-occupier family homes rather than the smaller units that drive rental income, which matches their higher prices and lower yields. The middle ground, PE2 and PE4, mixes semis, terraces and a moderate flat share, giving the widest choice of standard family buy-to-let stock.

Flats cover both purpose-built blocks and converted units, and a small share of non-standard dwellings is excluded, so rows may not add to 100%.

Picturesque houses in a village on the outskirts of Peterborough
Picturesque houses in a village on the outskirts of Peterborough

Peterborough Rental Market Analysis

Monthly rents in Peterborough range from £942 in PE1 to £1,313 in PE8, with gross rental yields from 3.7% to 5.5% across the seven priced postcodes. For investors asking is buy to let worth it in Peterborough, the sections below break down rents, yields and tenant affordability postcode by postcode. If you are working out how to build a property portfolio in the East of England, Peterborough's combination of low asking prices and firm rental demand offers a different route from the high-cost markets further south. Browse current buy-to-let homes for sale across the region.

Average Rent & Gross Rental Yields in Peterborough

Gross rental yields in Peterborough range from 3.7% in PE6 and PE8 to 5.5% in PE1 and PE4. The cheaper city postcodes deliver the strongest income, and the premium market towns the weakest. PE1 reaches 5.5% on the lowest asking price in the city, while PE8 charges the highest rent at £1,313 a month yet returns only 3.7% because its £429,551 asking price is more than double PE1's.

Area Average Monthly Rent Asking Price Gross Yield
PE1 (City Centre) £942 £204,938 5.5%
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) £1,091 £238,440 5.5%
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) £1,030 £238,610 5.2%
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) £1,219 £292,259 5.0%
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) £1,012 £265,189 4.6%
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) £978 £318,107 3.7%
PE8 (Oundle) £1,313 £429,551 3.7%

PE1 at 5.5% combines the lowest asking price with the lowest rent at £942 and still delivers the joint-highest yield. A 30% deposit of £61,481 buys into the highest-yielding postcode in the city. The tenant base in PE1 is mixed, with city-centre flats drawing young professionals and ARU students and the terraced stock housing working families, a spread that helps cushion void risk.

PE4 matches PE1 at 5.5% from the other direction, pairing a higher £1,091 rent with a still-modest £238,440 asking price in the Werrington and Gunthorpe suburbs. PE6 and PE8 sit at the bottom at 3.7%: both charge solid rents, but their premium asking prices in the Deepings and Oundle mean the income return stays compressed. The pattern across Peterborough is consistent, the cheaper the postcode, the harder the rent works.

Is Peterborough Rent High?

Monthly rents in Peterborough take between 32.1% and 44.8% of the local median gross monthly salary. The widely cited threshold for affordable rent is 30% of gross income, and every Peterborough postcode sits above it. That is a function of local wages being modest rather than rents being extreme, and it is why a working-tenant let here usually means a household of two earners rather than a single salary.

The median gross weekly salary in Peterborough is £676.80, which works out at £2,933 per month or £35,196 per year. That is below the East of England median of £785.80 a week and the Great Britain median of £752.40. Data from the Nomis Labour Market Profile (ASHE 2025).

Rank Area Rent as % of Income
1 PE8 (Oundle) 44.8%
2 PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 41.6%
3 PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 37.2%
4 PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 35.1%
5 PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 34.5%
6 PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 33.3%
7 PE1 (City Centre) 32.1%

PE1 at 32.1% is the most affordable for tenants, the closest in the city to the 30% mark. A £942 rent against a £2,933 monthly salary leaves the most headroom, and affordable rents tend to mean fewer arrears and longer tenancies, which is exactly what a landlord wants from the highest-yielding postcode. PE8 at 44.8% is the least affordable, but Oundle's renters are typically professional or dual-income households rather than people on the city's median wage.

How Big Is Peterborough's Private Rented Sector?

The private rented sector is deepest in PE1, where it accounts for 37.7% of households, more than double the 16.7% in the suburban PE4. The share of homes already let privately is a guide to the size of the established tenant pool. The table below shows household tenure by postcode.

Area Owned Outright Owned with Mortgage Private Rented Social Rented
PE1 (City Centre) 19.9% 21.5% 37.7% 19.7%
PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 32.9% 30.0% 22.5% 13.3%
PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 36.8% 33.3% 21.9% 7.3%
PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 37.8% 26.1% 21.2% 14.1%
PE8 (Oundle) 41.2% 28.2% 21.1% 8.6%
PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 36.2% 34.6% 19.3% 9.3%
PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 38.3% 30.9% 16.7% 13.0%

PE1 has by far the largest private rented sector at 37.7%, with more than a third of city-centre homes already let privately, a clear sign of a deep and established lettings market. It pairs that with the city's joint-highest yield, so the postcode with the most renters is also the one paying the best income return, an unusually clean alignment. PE2, PE6, PE3 and PE8 cluster around 21% to 22%, a healthy rented share alongside owner-occupation. PE4 has the smallest rented sector at 16.7%, the Werrington suburbs leaning more towards mortgaged family ownership.

The rental side of the market is firm right across these postcodes. Homes advertised to let are taking from around 34 days in PE6 up to about 63 days in PE4 to find a tenant, with PE1 and PE2 letting in roughly 50 and 39 days, all pointing to demand that comfortably absorbs the available supply.

Local Housing Allowance Rates in Peterborough

All eight Peterborough postcodes fall within the Peterborough Broad Rental Market Area, where Local Housing Allowance runs from £79.36 a week for a shared room to £241.64 a week for a four-bedroom home. Local Housing Allowance is the most a tenant on housing support can claim towards rent, so for that part of the market it works as a rent floor. The rates below apply across the whole of Peterborough. To check the current rate for a specific address, you can use the government's official Local Housing Allowance calculator.

Property Size Weekly LHA Rate Monthly Equivalent
Shared accommodation £79.36 £344
1 bedroom £132.33 £573
2 bedrooms £161.10 £698
3 bedrooms £186.41 £808
4 bedrooms £241.64 £1,047

The two-bedroom LHA rate of £161.10 a week comes to about £698 a month, which sits below Peterborough's open-market rents of £942 to £1,313. A benefit-backed tenancy at the LHA rate therefore lets at a discount to the open market, and the stock that fits within these rates is concentrated in the cheaper PE1 and PE2 postcodes where both asking prices and rents are lowest. The rates are identical in every Peterborough postcode because they are set across the single Peterborough market area.

Buy-to-Let Considerations

Are House Prices High in Peterborough? Price-to-Earnings Ratios

Buying a property in Peterborough takes between 5.8 and 12.2 times the local median annual salary. This is based on the Nomis Labour Market Profile for Peterborough, which puts the median gross annual income for Peterborough residents at £35,196.

The national benchmark for price-to-earnings is 7.4x (England's average sold price of £289,946 divided by the Great Britain median annual salary of £39,125). Three of Peterborough's seven priced postcodes, PE1, PE2 and PE4, sit below that national benchmark, meaning they are more affordable relative to local incomes than the England average is relative to national incomes.

Rank Area Price-to-Earnings Ratio
1 PE1 (City Centre) 5.8x
2 PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) 6.8x
3 PE2 (Orton, Woodston) 6.8x
4 PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) 7.5x
5 PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) 8.3x
6 PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) 9.0x
7 PE8 (Oundle) 12.2x

PE1 at 5.8x is the most affordable entry point in Peterborough and well below the national benchmark of 7.4x. A property at under six times local earnings is competitive with many of the highest-yielding postcodes in the Midlands and the North, and it comes with the population growth and transport links that those markets often lack. PE8 at 12.2x sits far above the benchmark, firmly in premium owner-occupier territory where the elevated ratio compresses yields and stretches the payback period.

Deposit Requirements in Peterborough

A 30% deposit on a buy-to-let property in Peterborough ranges from £61,481 in PE1 to £128,865 in PE8. The gap between the cheapest and dearest deposit is £67,384, more than enough to fund a second deposit in PE1. For investors comparing Peterborough with the wider East of England, these deposit levels sit well below the £150,000-plus needed in Cambridge and the southern commuter belt.

Beyond the deposit, the stamp duty calculation and other ongoing rental costs affect the total capital required.

Rank Area 30% Deposit Required
1 PE1 (City Centre) £61,481
2 PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) £71,532
3 PE2 (Orton, Woodston) £71,583
4 PE3 (Bretton, Thorpe Wood) £79,557
5 PE7 (Whittlesey, Hampton) £87,678
6 PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) £95,432
7 PE8 (Oundle) £128,865

PE1 is the cheapest way into Peterborough at a £61,481 deposit, and it buys the highest-yielding, fastest-growing postcode in the city, which is an unusual combination to find at the bottom of a deposit table. PE4 and PE2 sit within £51 of each other on the deposit, but they are different bets: PE4 in Werrington matches PE1's 5.5% top yield and posted the second-strongest five-year growth at 15.9%, while PE2 in the Orton townships offers a deeper, more liquid resale market with 40 sales a month. Near-identical entry cost, two different profiles.

The River Nene in Peterborough
The River Nene in Peterborough

What the Peterborough Data Tells Buy-to-Let Investors

In Peterborough the cheapest way in is also the highest-yielding and the fastest-growing postcode. PE1 has the joint-top yield at 5.5%, the lowest asking price for buying an investment property at £204,938, the strongest five-year growth at 18.3%, and the most affordable prices against local earnings at 5.8 times income. A 30% deposit there is £61,481, the lowest in the city, for a home renting at £942 a month, and it sits in the postcode with the deepest established rental market.

PE4 matches PE1's 5.5% yield from a suburban base in Werrington and Gunthorpe, pairing a higher £1,091 rent with the second-strongest five-year growth at 15.9% on a £238,440 asking price. PE2 in the Orton townships offers a slightly lower 5.2% yield but the most liquid resale market in the city at 40 sales a month. Together these three city-proper postcodes, all under £240,000, are where the Peterborough buy-to-let case is strongest.

The outer postcodes read differently. PE6 and PE8 carry the lowest yields at 3.7%, with the Deepings and Oundle priced as premium owner-occupier markets where the rent does more for the headline figure than for the return. PE7's Hampton estates offer a solid 5.0% yield on the city's busiest sales market, useful for an investor who values liquidity, though its recent price softness bears watching. Buyers who want to come in below asking often look through off-market property in Peterborough channels, which can matter more in a slower-moving sales market like this one.

Peterborough operates a selective licensing scheme in designated areas, so check Peterborough City Council's property licensing pages for the postcode you are buying in before letting. With one of the fastest population growth rates of any English city, an under-hour commute to London, and a sales market that currently favours buyers while the rental market favours landlords, it reads as an income-led play: modest asking prices, firm tenant demand, and a long-term hold rather than a quick resale.

How Peterborough Compares

Peterborough's mean asking price of £283,870 is the second-lowest of five East of England and neighbouring locations compared here, while its top yield of 5.5% is second only to Northampton's. The comparison below places Peterborough alongside four nearby locations, each with a different investor profile. The mean asking price and mean monthly rent are simple averages across all postcodes with data, and top gross yield is the single highest postcode yield in each location.

Location Mean Asking Price Mean Monthly Rent Mean Gross Yield Top Yield (postcode)
Lincoln £274,494 £979 4.3% 4.8% (LN1, LN5)
Peterborough £283,870 £1,084 4.6% 5.5% (PE1, PE4)
Ipswich £314,699 £1,043 4.0% 5.1% (IP2, IP3)
Northampton £342,830 £1,211 4.2% 5.7% (NN1)
Cambridge £501,183 £1,690 4.0% 4.7% (CB2)

Peterborough is the second-cheapest location in this comparison at £283,870 mean asking price, just above Lincoln at £274,494, another affordable cathedral city with a similar growth profile. On income it does even better: Peterborough's 5.5% top yield beats both Lincoln at 4.8% and Ipswich at 5.1%. Only Northampton ranks higher on yield at 5.7%, and it costs £58,960 more on the mean asking price to get there.

The comparison that defines Peterborough is with Cambridge, 38 miles down the same line. Cambridge's mean asking price of £501,183 is 77% higher than Peterborough's, yet its top yield of 4.7% is the lowest in the table, the classic trade of capital-growth potential for thin income. For an investor who wants exposure to the high-growth Cambridge corridor without the Cambridge entry cost, Peterborough is the affordable end of the same economic geography. For a data-driven comparison across all UK locations, see our guide to the best places to invest in buy-to-let.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Peterborough a good place to live for buy-to-let tenants?

For a working-tenant let, it stacks up well. Peterborough's employment rate is 79.0%, above the national 75.6%, and the city has the jobs to match in distribution, food production, manufacturing and a growing services cluster in the centre. The draw for tenants is affordability with connectivity: lower rents than the south of the region, on a main line that reaches London King's Cross in under an hour.

It is also a city that keeps growing. The population rose 17.45% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, one of the fastest rates in England, which keeps a steady stream of new renters arriving faster than new homes are built.

What are the best areas in Peterborough for property investment?

For income, the city-centre and suburban postcodes do the work. PE1 (City Centre) is the cheapest way in at £204,938 and carries the joint-highest yield at 5.5%, with the deepest rental market in the city, so it leans hard towards income. PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) matches that 5.5% yield from a suburban base and added the second-strongest five-year growth at 15.9%, while PE2 (Orton, Woodston) pairs a 5.2% yield with the most liquid resale market at 40 sales a month.

The market towns sit at the other end. PE8 (Oundle) and PE6 (Market Deeping, Crowland) are the priciest postcodes and the lowest-yielding at 3.7%, weighted towards owner-occupier family homes. So if income matters most, PE1 and PE4 lead; the outer postcodes are more about lifestyle and capital than rental return.

How does Peterborough compare to Cambridge for buy-to-let?

They are two ends of the same line. Cambridge has a mean asking price of £501,183 against Peterborough's £283,870, so the same money goes far further in Peterborough, and Cambridge's top yield of 4.7% is actually below Peterborough's 5.5%. Cambridge offers world-class capital-growth fundamentals and a research-driven tenant base; Peterborough offers a much lower entry cost and stronger day-one income.

Plenty of buyers priced out of Cambridge look up the line to Peterborough for exactly this reason: the 38-mile gap buys roughly twice the property and a better yield, at the cost of Cambridge's growth premium. Which way to go depends on whether you are buying for income now or growth later.

Is there demand for student accommodation in Peterborough?

It is a newer and growing part of the market. ARU Peterborough, the city's first full university campus, only opened in 2022 and expanded with a second teaching building in September 2024, so a resident student population is a recent arrival here rather than a long-standing one. The demand it generates is concentrated in central PE1 and PE2, within reach of the campus and the station.

On the shared-house side, a sample of current room adverts in PE1 puts a double room with an ensuite at around £149 a week and a double with a shared bathroom at about £117, with PE2 a little lower. Student and HMO lets bring summer voids and more hands-on management, so factor that in. For how the numbers work on a shared house, see our guide to HMO property, or for the purpose-built end of the market, our guide to student property investment.

Can I find buy-to-let property under £250,000 in Peterborough?

Yes, more easily than in most of the East of England. Three of the seven priced postcodes average below £240,000: PE1 (City Centre) at £204,938, PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) at £238,440, and PE2 (Orton, Woodston) at £238,610. All three are also the higher-yielding postcodes, so the affordable end of Peterborough is also the income end.

Below those averages, the value sits in property type: flats across Peterborough average £115,075 on the Land Registry index and terraced houses £195,843, both well under £250,000. If a sub-£250,000 entry is the target, central PE1 flats and terraces are the place to start, or explore below market value properties.

When will the Station Quarter development affect Peterborough property prices?

It is an early-stage story. The £50 million scheme only began enabling works in November 2025, with main construction starting in early 2026, so the new homes and jobs it is designed to unlock, up to 700 and 4,000 respectively, are several years from delivery. Any direct effect on prices is a later-decade story rather than something priced in today.

What it does now is signal direction. A government-backed rebuild of the station gateway, alongside the new university campus and the completed Fletton Quays, tells investors the city's growth has institutional momentum behind it. The PE1 and PE2 postcodes nearest the station are the ones most exposed to the long-term upside.

What are average house prices in Peterborough?

The average sold price across Peterborough is £240,475 on the Land Registry index, about 17.1% below the England average of £289,946 and 28.7% below the East of England regional average as of March 2026. Asking prices by postcode run from £204,938 in PE1 (City Centre) up to £429,551 in PE8 (Oundle), with a mean across the priced postcodes of £283,870. By type, detached homes average £388,038, semi-detached £248,940, terraced £195,843 and flats £115,075.

Through a buy-to-let lens, PE1 is the cheapest entry and the joint-highest-yielding at 5.5%, while PE8 is the dearest and lowest-yielding.

What are the Local Housing Allowance rates in Peterborough?

All eight Peterborough postcodes fall in the Peterborough Broad Rental Market Area, so they share one set of rates. As of June 2026, Local Housing Allowance runs at £79.36 a week for a shared room, £132.33 for a one-bed, £161.10 for two beds, £186.41 for three and £241.64 for four. That figure is the most a tenant on housing support can claim towards rent, so for that part of the market it effectively sets a floor.

What type of property is most common in Peterborough?

It depends which part of the city you look at. The outer postcodes are detached-dominated, from 50.6% in PE7 up to 56.3% in PE8, the family-home stock of the New Town townships and surrounding villages. The city centre is the opposite: PE1 is only 15.6% detached but 25.1% flats, the highest flat share in the city, alongside a large semi-detached and terraced base. The smaller homes that usually suit buy-to-let are concentrated in that central PE1 and PE2 stock.

How do I buy an investment property in Peterborough?

Start by deciding whether income or growth matters more, because it points you at a different postcode. PE1 (City Centre) is the cheapest entry at £204,938 and the joint-highest-yielding at 5.5%, with the deepest rental market. PE4 (Werrington, Gunthorpe) matches that yield with stronger recent growth. Budget for a 30% deposit, which runs from £61,481 in PE1 to £128,865 in PE8 depending on the postcode.

Beyond what is openly listed, many experienced investors buy below asking through off-market property in Peterborough and BMV property, which can matter in a sales market that currently favours buyers. To see what is available now, browse investment properties in Peterborough or buy-to-let homes for sale.

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