Moving into – or around – Manchester is no small feat, and with rental and house prices going through the roof, and the demand being sky high, it can feel harder than ever to be able to live in the city you love. Now, after some extensive research, the most popular areas to live in Manchester have been revealed, looking at those who have actually managed to make the move, with the likes of Ancoats, Didsbury and Worsley coming up trumps.
New research from Compare My Move reveals that nearly 8% of people relocating to Manchester are choosing to buy or rent in Ancoats. The neighbourhood is not only the city’s top destination but is also growing in popularity, with 1.2% more movers heading to Ancoats in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Ancoats is the most popular place to move to in Manchester
The area immediately north east of the city centre has changed dramatically from the derelict industrial area that it was known to be just decades ago, so much so that Ancoats is potentially the most gentrified spot in Manchester, now being home to swanky apartments, a hoard of restaurants and cafes, and the regeneration of New Islington Marina.
All of this could make Ancoats an unapproachable, unrealistic place to live, but with that Manchester charm and attention to detail, it has indeed become one of the most popular places in the city to move to – and we can’t knock it one bit. Making the most of its history and existing buildings, the area is packed with red brick, cobbled streets and of course, canals, alongside newer developments which bring it right up to the 21st century, offering everything you could need from a neighbourhood, from supermarkets and pubs, to spots for activities and public transport.
Ancoats is also home to a monthly Makers Market – the schedule of which you can find here – and there are plenty of spots to enjoy the likes of yoga, Pilates and social groups, highlighting the emphasis on community that’s so rare to find within a city centre. According to Compare My Move, the average house price in Ancoats is £301,143, and the average monthly rent is £1,334.
Didsbury and Worsley also remain popular
Didsbury ranks as the second most popular area, attracting 7.7% of Manchester movers. While it sits just behind Ancoats in overall demand, Didsbury has seen a sharper rise in interest, with a 10.5% year‑on‑year increase in movers. The lovely Worsley follows closely in third place and has experienced even stronger growth, recording a 25.8% increase compared to 2024, putting this gorgeous area of Salford even firmer on the map.
Elsewhere, Chorlton has emerged as one of Manchester’s fastest‑rising neighbourhoods, seeing the largest year‑on‑year increase of any area in the study. The number of people moving to Chorlton rose by 44.6% in 2025, highlighting its growing appeal among buyers and renters alike – and we don’t blame them.
The most popular areas people moved to in Manchester in 2025:
- Ancoats
- Didsbury
- Worsley
- Hulme
- City Centre
- Old Trafford
- Chorlton
- Urmston
- Denton
- Eccles
Data taken from Compare My Move, Rightmove, and Property Data.
Dave Sayce, co‑founder and managing director of Compare My Move, explains how this is likely to affect Manchester and the city’s most popular neighbourhoods in 2026: “Ancoats, once a heavily industrial part of Manchester, has undergone a major transformation in recent years and is now one of the city’s most desirable residential areas. Thanks to its central location, it has also become a hotspot for property investors.
“We have seen a rise of more than 10% in people moving to Ancoats from outside Manchester since 2024. This increase in external demand will have a noticeable impact on both the buying and rental markets. As a result, we expect average property prices and rental costs in Ancoats to continue rising in 2026.
“This trend is reinforced by the fact that Didsbury, currently the most expensive area to buy or rent in our top 10, has been almost as popular as Ancoats among movers. For anyone living in, or planning to move to, Ancoats, it is important to be aware that property prices and rents are likely to increase over the coming year.”