Home / Compare / Northampton vs Chester
City Comparison · 2026

Northampton vs Chester 2026

East Midlands
Northampton
Median Salary £30,000
Cost of Living 66/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £750/mo
Real Take-Home £23,500/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.5%
Unemployment 4.8%
VS
Cheshire
Chester
Median Salary £32,000
Cost of Living 70/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £850/mo
Real Take-Home £24,200/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.8%
Unemployment 3.5%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

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

Top Salaries: Northampton vs Chester

Northampton

Northampton has excellent logistics connections and a strong financial services sector driven by Barclays and other financial firms.

Full Northampton Guide →

Chester

Chester is a historic Roman city with a strong financial services and tourism sector. MBNA is one of the largest private sector employers.

Full Chester Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Northampton

Browse live Northampton vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Northampton Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Chester

Browse live Chester vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Chester Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Northampton
£52,800 vs £30,000
Compare →
London vs Chester
£52,800 vs £32,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Northampton
£36,500 vs £30,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Chester
£36,500 vs £32,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Northampton
£33,200 vs £30,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Chester
£33,200 vs £32,000
Compare →
All City Comparisons →
Scroll to Top