WORCESTER renters could be set to pay almost £1,000 more on rent this year than in 2023, concerning new statistics have revealed. 

Private renters living in the city are set to pay £978.60 more to their landlords this year compared to 2023, should current price trends continue. 

New data from the Office for National Statistics showed Worcester renters paid £853 on average in May 2024, £89 more than the same time last year. 

By comparison, the monthly rental price only went up £81 in the seven years between May 2015 and May 2022. 

This means, that with an average wage of £2,326 across Worcestershire, people in Worcester paid around 37 per cent of their wages on their rent bills on average in May. 

The rent price in Worcester has been rising by an average of £5.20 every month throughout 2024. 

If this trend continues, the average Worcester renter would have to pay out £889.40 in December 2024. 

It is projected the average private renter will have paid a bill of £10,322.60 by the end of this year. 

Nationally, average UK private rents increased by 8.7 per cent in the 12 months to May 2024. 

In Worcester, however, the rent went up by 9.49 per cent between May 2023 and May 2024. 

However, the average house price for first-time buyers has decreased in the city. 

In 2023, the average price of a house for those looking to get onto the property ladder was at a high of £223,139, however, this year that price has dropped to £222,185. 

In the latest census, in 2021, it was revealed that 37.3 per cent of the national population rented their accommodation.