Manchester has recorded the strongest house price growth of any major city over the last decade, while London has seen the weakest, according to new analysis from Rightmove.

The property portal found that the average asking price in Manchester has risen by 63% over the past 10 years, climbing from £160,422 in 2016 to £261,891 today. By contrast, prices in London have increased by just 7%, from £639,593 to £687,080, despite the capital remaining Britain's most expensive housing market.

Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove, said: “Manchester is a big winner of the past decade, with strong price growth underlining its growing popularity among buyers.

“Affordability has been a central theme shaping these trends. Areas with lower starting price points have had more room for growth, which has contributed to a widening north-south divide in price growth trends over the last ten years.”

Affordability has been a major factor driving regional differences, with lower-priced areas offering greater scope for growth. Changing working patterns have also encouraged more buyers to consider locations outside London.

The four fastest-growing local areas over the last decade were all suburbs of Greater Manchester. House prices in Levenshulme, Atherton, Droylsden and Failsworth have all increased by around 80%.

Rounding out the top five was Wolverhampton, which also recorded 63% growth, followed by Newport (57%), Nottingham (53%) and Wakefield (52%).

The figures highlight a growing north-south divide, with none of southern England’s cities featuring among the top ten fastest-growing locations.