Home / Compare / Birmingham vs Bradford
City Comparison · 2026

Birmingham vs Bradford 2026

West Midlands
Birmingham
Median Salary £33,200
Cost of Living 68/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £800/mo
Real Take-Home £25,100/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.9%
Unemployment 4.8%
VS
West Yorkshire
Bradford
Median Salary £28,500
Cost of Living 60/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £650/mo
Real Take-Home £22,800/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.2%
Unemployment 5.8%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Birmingham
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Bradford
Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.
Highest Headline Salary
Birmingham
Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.
Lowest Rent
Bradford
More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.
Best for Career Growth
Birmingham
Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.
Best Overall Value
Birmingham
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Birmingham vs Bradford

Birmingham

Birmingham is the UK's second largest city undergoing significant regeneration with growing financial services and digital sectors.

Full Birmingham Guide →

Bradford

Bradford has the youngest average population of any UK city with a growing creative and digital sector alongside traditional manufacturing.

Full Bradford Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Birmingham

Browse live Birmingham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Birmingham Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Bradford

Browse live Bradford vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Bradford Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Birmingham
£52,800 vs £33,200
Compare →
London vs Bradford
£52,800 vs £28,500
Compare →
Manchester vs Birmingham
£36,500 vs £33,200
Compare →
Manchester vs Bradford
£36,500 vs £28,500
Compare →
Birmingham vs Edinburgh
£33,200 vs £38,900
Compare →
Birmingham vs Bristol
£33,200 vs £38,200
Compare →
All City Comparisons →
Scroll to Top