ANALYSIS of new figures reveals Norton was the most expensive area of the Dudley borough to buy a house in last year.

Zoopla said the data highlights how localised the housing market across England and Wales is.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that of the 24 council wards in Dudley, Norton had the highest median house price in 2021, of £325,000, followed by Pedmore and Stourbridge East with £295,000 and Kingswinford North and Wall Heath with £253,975.

The cheapest parts of Dudley to buy property were Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews, which had a median house price of £147,500, Brockmoor and Pensnett (£158,000) and St Thomas's (£159,000).

The median – the middle number in a series – is used to ensure the figures are not skewed by extreme highs or lows.

Meanwhile, the number of homes sold in Dudley rose from 3,507 in 2020 to 4,375 last year.

Of sales last year, seven per cent (306) were in Kingswinford North and Wall Heath – making it the busiest area for buyers.

Castle and Priory saw just 120 properties sold in 2021, earning it the title of quietest area of Dudley's property market.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research said it expects house prices to experience downward pressure over the next year, as a result of sharp rises in mortgage rates.

Karl Thompson, an economist at the think tank, said the strongest price contractions are expected outside of London and the South East, causing greater regional price disparities.

ONS figures also reveal the areas which saw the fastest growth in sales in Dudley.

Of the 24 wards with at least 100 properties sold, Halesowen South saw 71 per cent more properties sold in 2021 than in 2020, followed by Cradley and Wollescote (48 per cent) and Gornal (42 per cent).