A SUSSEX town is among the top ten places in the country where asking prices for houses have risen the most.

The average price tag on a home has doubled in parts of southern England over the past decade – while further north some percentage increases have been in single digits, analysis has found.

Hastings was identified as one of the top house price hotspots, with the typical asking price there having increased by 89.7 per cent to £310,182 in the day years up to January 2022.

Across Britain, the average asking price for a home has risen by more than £100,000 over the past 10 years, up by 53 per cent to £341,019, according to the research from Rightmove.

Several other areas in southern England have seen a near-doubling of asking prices in the past decade, including Horfield in Bristol; Dover, Sheerness and Dartford in Kent; and Basildon in Essex.

The government recently set out plans to “level up” regional inequalities, including new urban regeneration and housing projects.

Rightmove’s director of property data Tim Bannister said in some areas the rising cost of rent has left many people struggling to save enough for a deposit.

Mark Brooks, CEO of estate agent Miles and Barr in east Kent, said: “The South East has seen a great influx of those living in urban areas such as London, looking to relocate to the golden sand beaches and tranquil lifestyle of the coast or countryside.

“The shift to flexible and home working, added to a wide range of transport links back to London, has led to many fleeing the city.”

At the other end of the spectrum, parts of Scotland and swathes of northern England including County Durham and Lancashire feature on the top ten places with the lowest average house price growth over the past decade.

In Middlesbrough, asking prices have climbed by just six per cent over the past ten years, now standing at £132,792 on average.

Between 2012 and 2016, house prices in Middlesbrough dropped and have increased since, Rightmove said.

Rightmove’s analysis looked at towns, cities and villages across Britain, excluding London.

Here are the top ten places with the highest percentage growth in asking prices (outside London) according to Rightmove, with the average price now and the percentage increase between January 2012 and 2022:

1. Margate, Kent, South East, £294,209, 102.5 per cent

2. Horfield, Bristol, South West, £385,003, 96.0 per cent

3. Dover, Kent, South East, £254,100, 95.6 per cent

4. Sheerness, Kent, South East, £271,570, 93.4 per cent

5. Basildon, Essex, East of England, £328,696, 91.4 per cent

6. Dartford, Kent, South East, £352,386, 91.2 per cent

7. Broadstairs, Kent, South East, £462,323, 90.4 per cent

8. Hastings, East Sussex, South East, £310,182, 89.7 per cent

9. Walderslade, Kent, South East, £321,506, 88.9 per cent

10. Bedminster, Bristol, South West, £354,336, 88.5 per cent

Here are the ten places with the lowest percentage growth in asking prices (outside London) according to Rightmove, with the average price now and the percentage increase between January 2012 and 2022:

1. Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, North East, £132,792, 6.2 per cent

2. Peterlee, County Durham, North East, £112,263, 8.4 per cent

3. Hartlepool, North East, £136,088, 8.9 per cent

4. Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, £117,085, 11.7 per cent

5. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North East, £199,230, 12.2 per cent

6. Blackpool, Lancashire, North West, £139,295, 12.3 per cent

7. Fleetwood, Lancashire, North West, £135,202, 12.4 per cent

8. Stanley, County Durham, North East, £117,500, 12.5 per cent

9. Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East, £149,758, 12.6 per cent

10. Houghton Le Spring, County Durham, North East, £148,614, 12.8 per cent