London is still the most desirable place to live for aspiring homebuyers despite the high cost of housing in the city, a study from The Calculator Site has revealed.
England’s capital has an average monthly search volume of 55,192 for the combined terms; ‘London houses for sale’ is the most popular search term, with 30,767 searches over the last 12 months.
In second place is Glasgow, a city known for its diverse art scene and friendly locals. ‘Glasgow flats for sale’ is the city’s highest volume in the study, with 9,783 average monthly searches over the last 12 months. Overall, the Scottish city has 49,342 average monthly searches for property-related key terms.
Birmingham takes the bronze medal. Located in the southwestern region of England, the city has accessible transport links to the rest of the U.K. and a wealth of cultural diversity, making prospective homeowners search for Birmingham property-related key terms 7,900 times per month. ‘Birmingham houses for sale’ is the most used term, with 30,717 average monthly searches over the last 12 months.
Alastair Hazell of The Calculator Site said: “This study highlights the most sought-after cities for expectant homeowners, according to research based on the public’s search volume. London takes the number one spot, no doubt due to its wealth of career opportunities, transport links and multicultural landscapes.
“It’s interesting to see a variety of locations making it in the top ten most desirable cities to live in, from Swansea in southwestern Wales to the Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, suggesting that people are also eager to move to smaller, less populated cities across the U.K.”
The most desirable U.K. cities for homebuyers in 2024
| Rank | U.K. cities | Average monthly search volume |
| 1 | London | 55,192 |
| 2 | Glasgow | 49,342 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 37,900 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 36,342 |
| 5 | Sheffield | 36,283 |
| 6 | Manchester | 32,867 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 30,333 |
| 8 | Bristol | 30,183 |
| 9 | Swansea | 29,925 |
| 10 | Inverness | 28,015 |
