THESE are the best and worst cities and towns for female first-time buyers

last updated 12 May 2022

Getting on the property ladder can be hard enough, without throwing any additional hurdles into the mix.

Help for first-time buyers: First-time home buyer guide – how to get on the property ladder for the first time

But now new research from Compare My Move has revealed that female buyers in search of their first-home are facing a bigger challenge when it comes to putting together their house deposit when compared to their male counterparts, and it's all down to a gulf in pay between the genders.

sloping roof house with exposed red brick walls and white windows

The comparison site looked at the gender pay gap for 22 to 29-year-olds across every region of Britain, and found that there were 13 towns and cities where female first-time buyers will need to spend an extra 12 months or more saving for a deposit compared to male first time buyers.

The top five worst culprits are listed below, and surprisingly the capital doesn't top the list.

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Area	Avg 10 per cent deposit	Time to save (Male)	Time to save (Female)	Difference in Time	Monthly Savings Gap
Cambridge	£37,196	7 Years and 11 Months	11 Years and 9 Months	3 Years and 10 Months	£130
Oxford	£36,145	7 Years and 4 Months	10 Years and 4 Months	3 Years	£120
Slough	£27,146	5 Years and 11 Months	7 Years and 11 Months	2 Years	£92
London	£41,374	6 Years and 4 Months	8 Years and 2 Months	1 Years and 10 Months	£123
Brighton and Hove	£31,624	5 Years and 5 Months	7 Years and 2 Months	1 Years and 9 Months	£120

Still, it's not all doom and gloom as the research also went on to reveal the areas where the gender pay gap is small.

room with wooden flooring and floral printed walls

Of the top five below, three are in Scotland and two are in Wales.

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Area	Avg 10 per cent Deposit	Time to Save (Male)	Time to Save (Female)	Difference	Monthly Savings Gap
Dundee	£10,667	1 Years and 3 Months	1 Years and 4 Months	1 Month	£40
Aberdeen	£12,975	2 Years and 1 Month	2 Years and 3 Months	2 Months	£40
Glasgow	£12,136	1 Years and 8 Months	1 Years and 10 Months	2 Months	£40
Swansea	£13,177	2 Years and 3 Months	2 Years and 6 Months	3 Months	£57
Newport	£15,610	2 Years and 7 Months	2 Years and 10 Months	3 Months	£57

Commenting on the research findings, Compare My Move co-founder Dave Sayce said: 'Our latest research shows the struggle faced by first time buyers to get together a deposit is intensified by the gender pay gap.

'Females are most affected in areas of high living and renting costs, where the expendable income available to young savers is seriously squeezed. When coupled with high house prices, the pay gap compounds the issues faced by all first time buyers.'

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