Average salary in New Forest
The median full-time salary for jobs in New Forest is £36,792 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,501 a month.
Where New Forest ranks
New Forest ranks 181st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 46th of 64 in South East. Its average rent ranks 114th of 316, close to where its pay ranks. At the median, what is left after rent and Band D council tax (£1,055 a month) ranks 227th of 316, in the lower half.
| Measure | Figure | Rank, all areas | Rank in South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, jobs based here | £36,792 | 181st of 348 | 46th of 64 |
| Median pay, residents | £38,571 | 173rd of 348 | 46th of 64 |
| Take-home a month at the median | £2,501 | 181st of 348 | 46th of 64 |
| Average rent a month | £1,244 | 114th of 316 | 49th of 64 |
| Band D council tax a year | £2,419.76 | 169th of 348 | 41st of 64 |
| Left a month after rent and Band D | £1,055 | 227th of 316 | 34th of 64 |
1st is the highest. Ranks compare the 348 council areas on this site. How to read these figures.
Areas with the nearest medians to New Forest: Luton (£36,936), Redditch (£36,849), King's Lynn and West Norfolk (£36,801), Wychavon (£36,768), Newcastle upon Tyne (£36,726) and Castle Point (£36,715). UK occupations with a median close to the New Forest median of £36,792: metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations (£37,058), planning, process and production technicians (£36,895), clothing, fashion and accessories designers (£36,848) and production, factory and assembly supervisors (£36,777).
Pay range for full-time jobs in New Forest
ONS change on the previous year: the median for jobs in New Forest rose 10.7%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs. 40 of 345 council areas had a change this large in either direction. ONS figures for one area come from a sample, so they can move a lot from one year to the next. For South East as a whole it was a rise of 2.4%.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £22,858 | £1,905 | £19,977 | £1,665 |
| 25th percentile | £28,430 | £2,369 | £23,989 | £1,999 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £36,792 | £3,066 | £30,010 | £2,501 |
| 75th percentile | £48,326 | £4,027 | £38,314 | £3,193 |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England and Wales rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for jobs in New Forest as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.3%.
People who work in New Forest and people who live there
The median for people who live in New Forest is £38,571, which is £1,779 (4.8%) higher than the £36,792 median for jobs based there. The residents' figure is the higher of the two. Among all areas, the residents' median ranks 173rd of 348 and the jobs median 181st of 348. ONS change on the previous year for residents: a rise of 7.3%.
The jobs figure counts jobs based in New Forest, wherever the worker lives; the residents' figure counts people living in New Forest, wherever they work. ONS rates the residents' median for New Forest as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 6.7%.
Rent and council tax at the median salary
On the median salary for jobs in New Forest (£36,792), the average rent of £1,244 takes 49.7% of take-home pay; on the 25th percentile salary (£28,430) it takes 62.2%. For the average rent to be 30% of take-home pay, the rule of thumb in our rent affordability calculator, you would need a salary of at least £67,591 a year. No more than a quarter of full-time jobs based in New Forest pay more than that.
| Property | Average rent a month | Rent as a share of take-home | Left after rent and Band D council tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| All properties | £1,244 | 49.7% | £1,055 |
| 1 bedroom | £864 | 34.5% | £1,435 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,132 | 45.3% | £1,167 |
Band D is £202 a month. This is the average Band D for the council area, including parish precepts, so the exact bill depends on your parish. Rents are ONS figures for August 2026 and may be revised.
New Forest and other areas in South East
Among these 7 areas, New Forest has the lowest median and the 6th highest amount left after rent and Band D council tax. Medians run from £36,792 in New Forest to £49,889 in Mole Valley.
| Area | Median salary | Average rent a month | Left after rent and Band D a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mole Valley | £49,889 | £1,551 | £1,526 |
| Reading | £49,062 | £1,574 | £1,445 |
| Oxford | £43,502 | £1,963 | £717 |
| Milton Keynes | £41,516 | £1,344 | £1,242 |
| Mid Sussex | £40,222 | £1,423 | £1,078 |
| Portsmouth | £38,815 | £1,368 | £1,063 |
| New Forest | £36,792 | £1,244 | £1,055 |
The areas either side of New Forest in the alphabetical list for South East, highest median first. Each figure is at that area's own median. See all 64 in the South East table.
How New Forest compares with South East and the UK
The median for jobs in New Forest is £3,191 (8.0%) lower than the South East median, £2,506 (6.4%) lower than the England median and £2,247 (5.8%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
| Area | Median, jobs there | Median, residents | Take-home a month (England and Wales rates) | Average rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Forest | £36,792 | £38,571 | £2,501 | £1,244 |
| South East | £39,983 | £41,618 | £2,692 | £1,426 |
| England | £39,298 | £39,243 | £2,651 | £1,459 |
| United Kingdom | £39,039 | £39,039 | £2,636 | £1,400 |
Related pages
Every area in the South East table, salary by job, the take home pay calculator, rent affordability calculator and cost of living calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional. Take-home: 2026/27 England and Wales rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 8: earnings by place of residence, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, released 16 September 2026 (ONS)
- Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (MHCLG, GOV.UK)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
There is no official definition of a good salary. ONS figures for full-time jobs in New Forest (2025) show how pay is spread: one in ten jobs pay less than £22,858, a quarter pay less than £28,430, half pay less than £36,792 and a quarter pay more than £48,326. On the median, take-home pay is about £2,501 a month at 2026/27 rates.
New Forest ranks 181st of 348 council areas for median pay for jobs based there, in the lower half, and 46th of 64 in South East. Its median of £36,792 is £2,247 (5.8%) lower than the UK median of £39,039.
The ONS average monthly private rent in New Forest was £1,244 in August 2026: £864 for one bedroom and £1,132 for two bedrooms. That is 49.7% of take-home pay on the median salary for jobs there. The figure is provisional and may be revised.
Band D council tax in New Forest is £2,419.76 for 2026/27, about £202 a month, which ranks 169th of 348 council areas and 41st of 64 in South East. Your own bill depends on your property's band and any discounts.