A new study by Land of Rugs has revealed the UK cities and towns where residents are most likely to have fully paid off their homes. So, if you’re aiming to ditch the debt and go mortgage-free, these are the places to watch.
The study analysed homeownership tenure data from official sources including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), NISRA (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency), and the Scottish Government. These sources provide breakdowns across multiple housing categories, such as outright ownership, ownership with a mortgage, shared ownership, private renting, and social housing.
Looking at 133 towns and cities across the UK, the study compared the proportion of outright homeowners relative to the total number of homeowners in each location. By isolating the percentage of people who own their homes outright, the results paint a fascinating picture of where mortgage-free living is most common and it’s not always where you’d think.
Coming in fifth is seaside favourite Scarborough, where 41.40% of residents live mortgage-free. A coastal gem in North Yorkshire, Scarborough blends beach life with affordability, making it especially popular with retirees and second-home owners.
The numbers back that up. With a large proportion of older residents and long-term homeowners, it’s easy to see how Scarborough has climbed the rankings. It’s proof that the coast doesn’t always come with a cost.
Other cities in the top 10 ranked as following: Maldon leads the way with 43.81%, followed by Lewes (42.40%), Hereford (42.34%) and Lichfield in fourth (41.42%).
Just behind are Harrogate in sixth place (40.66%), High Peak seventh (40.14%), Folkestone eighth (39.24%), Solihull ninth (39.17%) and Torbay in tenth with 39.15%.
Not every city is faring as well. Unsurprisingly, major urban centres lag far behind when it comes to outright homeownership. London, for example, sees just 20.15% of homeowners owning their property outright. It’s even lower in Manchester (16.50%) and Greenwich (16.20%).
Westminster finishes bottom of the ranking, with just 16.04% of homeowners having fully paid off their homes, a reminder that in some parts of the UK, owning outright is still a long way off.
Other notable cities include Edinburgh in 58th place, Birmingham at 99th, Oxford at 107th, Bristol just behind at 108th, and Liverpool further down in 114th.
Top ten best UK cities where you’re most likely to own a home outright in the study:
| Rank | City/Town | % of Residents Who Own Their Property Outright |
| 1 | Maldon | 43.81 |
| 2 | Lewes | 42.40 |
| 3 | Hereford | 42.34 |
| 4 | Lichfield | 41.42 |
| 5 | Scarborough | 41.40 |
| 6 | Harrogate | 40.66 |
| 7 | High Peak | 40.14 |
| 8 | Folkestone | 39.24 |
| 9 | Solihull | 39.17 |
| 10 | Torbay | 39.15 |