24% house price premium in National Parks
- 6% premium for homes within 5km of a National Park
- 14% premium for properties located in a National Landscape
- New Forest continues to be the most expensive National Park to live in
- Surrey Hills remains the most expensive National Landscape in which to purchase a property
Commenting on the figures, Andrew Harvey, Nationwide’s Senior Economist, said:
“National Parks are highly desirable areas to live in thanks to the beautiful countryside. Those living in the parks are ideally placed to make the most of the great outdoors and take advantage of a range of activities and amenities. Development is also controlled with limited new housing construction, which may also help to explain why house prices tend to be relatively high.
“Our analysis suggests that a property located within a National Park attracts a 24% premium compared to a similar property elsewhere. This is around £66,500 in cash terms based on the current UK average house price (£278,784 in Q2 2026).
“We continue to see a ‘fringe benefit’ for properties located close to National Parks. Those within 5km (around 3 miles) of a National Park command a 6% premium compared with those outside this range.
“We’ve also looked at National Landscapes in England & Wales (also known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)), which include places such as the Surrey Hills, Cotswolds and Chilterns. Our research found that properties in these areas attract a 14% price premium (over an otherwise identical property). These areas include some highly desirable locations, and the premium is likely to reflect the continued attractiveness of rural areas and the associated lifestyle.
New Forest continues to be the most expensive National Park to live in
“The table below shows average house prices in a selection of National Parks.
| National Park | Land Area (km2) | Popl.
living in park |
Average house price |
| New Forest | 570 | 34,300 | £563,000 |
| South Downs | 1,624 | 116,200 | £485,000 |
| Peak District | 1,437 | 35,800 | £450,000 |
| Dartmoor | 935 | 34,900 | £348,000 |
| Loch Lomond and the Trossachs | 1,865 | 15,200 | £330,000 |
| Lake District | 2,362 | 38,700 | £325,000 |
| Yorkshire Dales | 2,179 | 23,300 | £315,000 |
| Pembrokeshire Coast | 621 | 21,300 | £310,000 |
| Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) | 1,344 | 33,800 | £292,000 |
| Cairngorms | 4,528 | 18,000 | £255,000 |
| Eryri (Snowdonia) | 2,176 | 24,500 | £203,000 |
Source: Nationwide, ONS, National Parks UK
“The New Forest continues to be the most expensive National Park in which to purchase a property, with an average price of £563,000. Villages within the park include Ashurst, Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst.
“The South Downs has the highest resident population of any of the National Parks at 116,200. The park includes a number of sought-after towns in Hampshire and Sussex such as Petersfield, Liss, Midhurst and Petworth. Average prices remain relatively high at £485,000.
“The Lake District is the UK’s most visited National Park, with an estimated 18.1 million visitors per year, and is also the largest National Park in England. Main towns include tourist hotspots such as Ambleside, Bowness-on-Windermere and Keswick.
“This year marks ten years since the Yorkshire Dales National Park officially grew by nearly a quarter, with an extra 417km2 added, bringing the park within touching distance of the Lake District. 23,300 people live in the Dales spread across clusters of small towns and villages, and average prices in the area standing at £315,000.
“National Parks cover 20% of the land area in Wales, the highest proportion of the home nations, with the largest, Eryri (Snowdonia), covering 2,176km2. The Pembrokeshire Coast sees the highest average prices amongst Wales’s three National Parks, at £310,000.
“Scotland has two National Parks, with the Cairngorms covering the largest land area of the UK’s 15 National Parks. It is relatively sparsely populated however, with just 18,000 living across the 4,528km2 covered by the park and perhaps why the average price is a lower £255,000. Meanwhile, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is Scotland’s most visited National Park, with 50% of Scotland’s population living within an hour’s drive. This relative accessibility also drives higher house prices, with average prices estimated at £330,000.
Surrey Hills is the highest priced National Landscape
“National Landscapes (formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)), have been designated for conservation due to their significant landscape value. They show a greater degree of variation than National Parks in terms of their size, type and use of land. 15% of the land in England is within a National Landscape and 66% of people live within half an hour’s journey time.
“While not as well-known as National Parks, these are nevertheless very desirable places to live and as such tend to be associated with relatively high house prices. The table below shows average house prices in a selection of the largest National Landscapes.
| National Landscape | Land Area (km2) | Average house price |
| Surrey Hills | 422 | £710,000 |
| Chilterns | 833 | £685,000 |
| High Weald | 1,461 | £505,000 |
| North Wessex Downs | 1,730 | £475,000 |
| Cotswolds | 2,038 | £465,000 |
| Kent Downs | 878 | £450,000 |
| Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs | 983 | £443,000 |
| South Devon | 337 | £388,000 |
| East Devon | 268 | £380,000 |
| Wye Valley | 326 | £370,000 |
| Dorset | 1,129 | £345,000 |
| Cornwall | 958 | £300,000 |
Source: Nationwide, ONS, National Landscapes
“Surrey Hills remains the most expensive National Landscape in which to purchase property, with average prices of £710,000. The Landscape was designated in 1958 and covers a quarter of the county of Surrey. Around 40,000 people live in the Surrey Hills, mostly in small villages and rural hamlets, such as Shere, Mickleham and Westhumble.
“The Chilterns National Landscape runs from the picturesque village of Goring-on-Thames up through parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. A popular area for walking, the hills and woodlands provide striking landscapes and are also home to some highly desirable villages. This is reflected in property prices, with average prices of £685,000.
“Bordering the Chilterns to the south, is the North Wessex Downs, which is another area popular with commuters, taking in sought after market towns like Marlborough and Hungerford.
“The High Weald National Landscape covers 1,461km2 across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. Around 127,000 people live in the High Weald amongst a variety of smaller towns and villages, with an average price of £505,000 within the area.
“The Cotswolds is the UK’s largest National Landscape, stretching from North-East Somerset to South Warwickshire. Some of the main towns include Tetbury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold. As well as being a popular tourist destination, the Cotswolds’ central location and good rail accessibility also attracts commuters.
“Dorset National Landscape covers just over 40% of the county of Dorset, stretching from Lyme Regis to Poole Harbour and inland as far as Blandford Forum. The coastal part of the Landscape is a highly popular tourist area and sees high levels of second homeownership.
“The Cornwall National Landscape covers 958km2, nearly a third of total land area of the county. It is unusual in that it has 12 separate sections, predominantly covering different parts of the coastline, plus Bodmin Moor.”
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