
As the new year gradually gets underway, insights into what we can expect from 2025 emerge including where exactly is hot or not to buy a property. And low and behold, an unassuming Greater Manchester town is one to have on your radar, according to property experts. Home to delicious pies and the winners of the 2024 Super League, Wigan has been named one of the top property hotspots in the UK for 2025.
New analysis from Zoopla revealed that housing markets in northern England, as well as Scotland, have the best prospects for house price growth this year. The top property hotspots in the UK were calculated by Zoopla based on a range of key housing indicators including the affordability of homes, how quickly property is selling, how much asking prices are being cut to attract demand and how many homes have been on the market for more than six months. These factors were then collated and ranked across 120 postal areas of the UK to create an overall ranking of the areas with the best prospects for 2025.
The top property hotspots in England for 2025 are led by Newcastle, closely followed by Leeds, Stoke-on-Trent, Wigan and Carlisle. According to the property website, house prices are rising between 2% and 5% across these areas, with prices in Wigan already rising at 5% a year. The average house price in Wigan remains affordable and sits below the national average at £169,846, whilst it takes an average of 29 days to sell a house.
Also ranked amongst the top property markets in 2025 are Oldham, where prices have risen by 4.3% in the last year, and Manchester, with a rise of 3.1%. Oldham currently has an average house price of £178,401 whilst homes are more expensive in Manchester, selling at around £220,649, but sold quicker than any other areas in the list with an average of 25 days to sell.
The top 10 property hotspots in England for 2025, according to Zoopla
- Newcastle
- Leeds
- Stoke on Trent
- Wigan
- Carlisle
- Wolverhampton
- Sunderland
- Durham
- Oldham
- Manchester
What is Wigan known for?
Now, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about Wigan and why the town has become one of the top property hotspots in the UK for 2025. Well, the Greater Manchester town actually has quite a bit going for it.
Wigan is known for its industrial heritage with sites such as Trencherfield Mill, Wigan Pier and Museum of Wigan Life showcasing the town’s history, as well its sporting culture with it being home to rugby league team Wigan Warriors and football club Wigan Athletic.
Not to be forgotten is also the unique culinary delight that Wigan is known for – the Wigan kebab, a pie in a buttered barm. However, other food is available, with shipping container street food village, STACK, opening in Wigan last year.
Wigan has an outdoor race circuit Three Sisters and boasts green spaces such as Mesnes Park and Haigh Woodland Park as well as nature reserve Wigan Flashes on its doorstep. The town has a lot of musical heritage with it previously being home to Wigan Casino known for hosting Northern Soul nights, plus the town plays host to the unique Wigan International Jazz Festival. Plus, no mention of Wigan would be complete without the peculiar and entertaining World Pie Eating Championship.
The town also has two train stations, Wigan North Western and Wigan Wallgate, with trains to Manchester taking around 45 minutes. Also the first new train station in over 20 years is expected to open in Golborne in Wigan.
You can discover the full study of the UK’s top property hotspots in the UK here.