Your wages are finally winning: the Worthing affordability update, August 2026

Think back to this time last year. That supermarket receipt that felt like a typo. The petrol pump numbers that seemed to spin faster than your wheels. We've all felt it. But as of 3 August 2026, the story is changing, and for once it's changing in your favour.

For the first time in a long while, the money landing in your account is growing faster than the cost of everything you buy with it. Your legs have found an extra gear.

What “inflation” actually means

Strip away the jargon and inflation just means how much more life costs over time. Right now that number is 2.8%.

Picture a shopping basket filled with the everyday stuff: bread, milk, the cinema, a haircut. Last year that basket cost you £100. Today the same basket costs £102.80.

Prices are still rising, but they've stopped running away. Back in May the pace was 3.4%. Now it's slowed to something closer to a trot than a sprint.

The bit that actually matters: your pay packet

Here's the headline. While costs rose 2.8%, average pay rose 3.5%. Your wages grew 0.7% faster than the cost of living, which means there's a little more left over once the essentials are covered.

That's what's known as an increase in spending power. Not a fortune. But real, and it's happening right across the country, not just in the Sunday supplements.

What it means if you're thinking about moving

If a new front door or a bigger garden has been on your mind, this is worth knowing. The Bank of England base rate, the number that shapes what borrowing costs, has held steady at 3.75%.

With that extra 0.7% in people's pockets, confidence is creeping back. 58,200 new home loans got the green light this month, up on July. The average UK home now costs £287,003, and the market is climbing at a steady, unremarkable 2.4% a year. No spikes, no scares. Just steady.

Bringing it home to BN11

So what does a national pay rise feel like on the ground here in Worthing?

The local average asking price sits a bit above the national figure, at £300,222. But it's currently a buyer's market in BN11, with 491 homes for sale, so there's real choice for anyone looking. And because wages are finally beating the weekly shop, local buyers are finding it that bit easier to save a deposit or cover the monthly costs of somewhere new.

The clouds are clearing. Wages are beating prices, the squeeze is easing, and moving house is starting to feel less like a dream and more like a plan.

If you want an honest figure based on what's actually selling in Worthing right now, that's a conversation, not a form. Let's talk: 07440 782352.

Quick answers: Worthing affordability, August 2026

What is the inflation rate in August 2026?

UK inflation is 2.8%, down from 3.4% in May. Prices are still rising, but much more slowly than they were.

Are wages rising faster than inflation?

Yes. Average pay rose 3.5% while inflation sat at 2.8%, meaning spending power is growing for the first time in a while.

What is the Bank of England base rate?

The base rate is currently 3.75%, which shapes how much mortgages cost and how closely banks check affordability.

How many homes are for sale in Worthing?

There are 491 homes for sale in BN11 right now, giving buyers more choice and room to negotiate.

Is it a buyer's market in Worthing?

Yes. With 491 homes on the market and demand still rebuilding, BN11 is a buyer's market in August 2026.