That’s according to Nationwide , which said that house prices in predominantly rural areas have risen by 23% over the last five years, compared to 18% in predominantly urban areas. Local authorities classified as ‘urban with significant rural’ saw price growth of 22% over the same period.
The building society said that rural terraced properties have seen the strongest rate of price growth, while urban flats have experienced the weakest growth.
Andrew Harvey, Nationwide’s senior economist, said: “The pandemic had a significant impact on housing demand during 2021 and 2022, with our research at the time pointing to a shift in preferences towards more rural areas, particularly amongst older age groups.
“Whilst these effects have now faded, less urban areas have continued to hold the edge in terms of house price growth.
Types of property with most impressive price growth
Rural terraced properties that have seen the strongest price growth between December 2019 and December 2024, with average prices increasing by 25%.
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Rural semi-detached also increased by 25% over the same period, with urban semis seeing a 24% rise.
Meanwhile, rural detached properties increased by 21%.
Flats saw considerably weaker price growth, particularly those in predominantly urban areas, which increased by just 6% over the last five years.
Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which is just north of the Cotswolds, was the top performing rural authority in 2024, said Nationwide, with average prices rising by 11%.
