A North East town with deep railway heritage has been declared Britain's most affordable location for families.

Shildon in County Durham is recognised as the world's first railway town. It became the inaugural place globally to see a steam locomotive transporting passengers on a public railway when the 26 mile Stockton and Darlington Railway launched.

The town, which houses the Locomotion museum, has been highlighted in analysis by Zoopla. According to the property portal, the typical house price in Shildon stands at £82,000, meaning that joint purchasers can access the property ladder with a value to earnings ratio of merely 1.36, and a standard monthly mortgage repayment would be £325.

The research arrives at a crucial moment for the housing market as we approach the busy Easter home purchasing season.

Zoopla's affordability assessment is based on the 300 popular towns for families seeking to purchase three bed properties - popularity is determined by the number of views per property - and they are subsequently ranked by affordability.

The initial three locations are all in the North East of England, as are seven of the top 10. Properties in Shildon are three times less expensive than the most affordable towns in South East England, Zoopla stated.

In Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley, and the most affordable town in Wales, a typical three bed property costs £113,000 and the price to earnings ratio is 1.85.

Cumnock, a historic market town in East Ayrshire, leads the list in Scotland with a mean value of £113,600 and a value to earnings ratio of 1.68.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, stated: "The housing market is entering one of its busiest periods, with the most homes for sale in many years and at a time when buyers are becoming increasingly focused on value for money.

"What stands out is the scale of the affordability gap across the UK. In parts of the North East, families can buy a home for much less than the cost of buying in the most affordable towns in southern England.

"Whilst there are affordable options in every region, buyers often face a trade-off between lower house prices and their proximity to major employment centres.

"Many of the most affordable towns in southern England are coastal meaning better affordability may come at the cost of more expensive travel which may not work for everyone.

"The tools are out there to help buyers make better informed decisions and understand the trade offs to make a successful move in 2026."