The town’s rising popularity is thought to be linked to its average house prices being significantly lower than the national average

A West Midlands town has been named among the most popular places in the UK for people moving home, according to new research that highlights the growing appeal of more affordable locations.

With many people chasing cheaper postcodes as house prices remain high in large cities, property platform Stora analysed net migration figures alongside average house prices across 50 UK locations to find out where people are choosing to move to — and where they are leaving.

The research found that Dudley ranked inside the top ten most popular locations for movers, recording an 8% increase in net migration.

Dudley joined several other towns seeing strong growth in migration, many of which also offer lower-than-average house prices and good transport links to nearby cities.

The ten most popular locations for movers were:

Birkenhead – 27% increase in migration
Wigan – 26% increase in migration
Northampton – 25% increase in migration
Mansfield – 10% increase in migration
Dudley – 8% increase in migration
Warrington – 7% increase in migration
Southend-on-Sea – 6% increase in migration
Newport – 5% increase in migration
Bexley – 3% increase in migration
Milton Keynes – 2% increase in migration

Birkenhead topped the list, seeing a 27% rise in net migration, with more than 11,000 people settling in the Merseyside town, despite average house prices being over £28,500 higher than in some surrounding areas. Wigan followed closely behind, with a 26% increase in migration, potentially driven by its low average house price of £187,000.

For Dudley, experts suggest its position reflects a wider trend of people looking beyond major cities in favour of towns that offer affordability, space and access to employment hubs.

Located within easy reach of Birmingham and Wolverhampton, Dudley’s growing appeal highlights how West Midlands towns are becoming increasingly attractive to movers priced out elsewhere.