HOUSING affordability in Bradford remained virtually unchanged over the last year, new figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics revealed full-time employees in Bradford could expect to spend 5.1 times their annual earnings on purchasing a home in 2023 - close to the ratio of five times the year before.

In England, the average home sold for £290,000 in the 12 months to September, while the average full-time wage was £35,100.

Houses in Bradford were 3.2 per cent more expensive in 2023 than the year before, at an average price of £160,000.

In the meantime, wages locally saw a 2.7 per cent year-to-year increase.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are committed to creating a fair housing system that works for everyone, including increasing first-time buyer numbers in all regions and boosting availability of new, genuinely affordable housing.

"Over 876,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy.

"Our long-term plan for housing will go even further to build the homes that local communities want and need, backed by £10billion to boost supply and £11.5bn for affordable homes."