Revealed: How average wages stack up with the cost of renting a home in Luton
With the cost of living still stretching how far wages have to go, we are looking at one of the biggest expenses – rent – and how much you need to earn each year to be able to live in Luton.
According to figures from Propertymark – which uses average final let prices from agencies – you’d need to cough up an average of £1,389 per calendar month for properties in LU3, where the average salary is £41,670 a year.
LU1 seems to be the most affordable place to rent, with the consistently lowest rents and income threshold compared to other postcode areas in the town: the average let-agreed price is £1,197, and the average salary required is £35,910.
Next up is LU2, with an average monthly rent of £1,239, with renters needing to earn an average of £37,160 per year.
Finally is LU4, with average let agreed price coming in at £1,271 and £38,130 needed in annual salaries to rent here.
We also looked at the average salaries of various professions in Luton. According to Indeed, a nurse's base salary is £42,525; a shop assistant earns an average of £24,420; a teacher’s base salary is £24,420 and £25,89 for a warehouse worker.
Halifax recommends between 35 per cent and 45 per cent of take-home pay should be spent on rent, and each of the average salaries is based on 40 per cent on annual income used to cover rent.
In August 2025, the Office of National Statistics found that private renters in England could expect to spend 36.3 per cent of their income on an average-priced rented home.
The New Renters’ Rights Bill now means landlords can only increase rents once per year, and need to give tenants at least two months’ notice.
Renters can take their cased to a tribunal if they think the increase is too much.