Nottingham named as the UK’s hipster homebuyer hotspot

According to our research, Nottingham is the top choice for homebuyers who identify as hipsters, and are looking for both an independent social scene and affordable housing prices.

Indie scenes and house price affordability

We analysed the number of independent shops found across 15 major UK cities, to find which presented the most indie scene for hipster homebuyers. We then filtered the list further by focusing on cities with below-average house prices.

London is widely considered to be the UK's hipster hub, and boasts the largest number of indie outlets for hipster homebuyers, with an estimated 325 independent stores.

While London has the highest number of indie outlets for hipster homebuyers, with 3.7 indie shops per 100,000 people, it also comes with an average property price of £542,311 - 84% higher than the national average.

Similarly, Bristol (99) and Edinburgh (76) have some of the highest levels of independent shops, with 21 and 14.4 per 100,000 people respectively, but their average property prices of £365,658 and £334,113 are also significantly higher than the national average.

Best locations for hipster homebuyers!

Leeds has the third-highest number of independent shops on the list at 72, with an average house price 16% below the national average. However, with a population of 809,036 people, it only has 8.9 independent shops per 100,000 people.

Newcastle and Manchester also rank in the top five in terms of indie shops, with 12.1 and 10.7 per 100,000 people respectively. Both cities also offer more affordable property prices, being 35% and 20% below the national average.

Nottingham: The top Choice

However Nottingham ranks as the top hotspot for hipster homebuyers, with an average house price of just £192,170 - 35% lower than the national average. The city also has 53 independent shops, which equates to 21 per 100,000 people - the second-highest proportion on the list, just behind Bristol.

‘Indie shops offer diverse alternatives to big brands’ - GetAgent CEO Colby Short

“While the Waitrose effect may have been a draw in previous years, we’re seeing more and more homebuyers value a thriving independent scene when looking to buy in a given community.

Whether it be a unique nightlife, boutique stores, or independent eateries, indie shops provide a wider range and a more diverse offering when compared to big brand stores.

They also encompass a greater sense of community and this has become increasingly important to homebuyers since the pandemic, in particular.

So move over Hackney, Nottingham is the nation’s best spot for hipster homebuyers when it comes to the highest proportion of indie shops and house price affordability.”

Data and methodology