11 out 12 parks surveyed cost 44% more than their surrounding area, with seven having an average house price exceeding £250,000.
Andrew Mason, mortgages director, Lloyds Bank, said: “Many homebuyers are prepared to dig that bit deeper to benefit from the lifestyle associated with living in national parks. As areas of outstanding natural beauty, they are also prime locations for second properties.
“The combined impact of these factors is that house prices are typically much higher than those in surrounding areas.”
The New Forest commands the largest premium in both price (£258,042) and premium percentage (94%). The average price of a property there is £531,000 – the same as in London. It is followed by the Peak District (89%) and the Lake District (72%).
Snowdonia is the only national park where property prices are below the area average of £200,000. A buyer would have to pay £165,840 for a home there.
The average house in a national park costs £332,755, 11 times higher than average gross annual earnings. The comparable ratio for England and Wales as a whole is 7.6 times. This is an increase of 21%, or £57,718, over the last decade.
Broads Authority is the only one to record a fall in house prices (-11%).
New Forest is the least affordable area with prices amounting to over 14 times annual income. It is followed by The South Downs (12.5) and the Peak District (10.3).
“When we take average local earnings into account, this situation can make it really tough for many of those living and working in national parks to afford to buy their own home,” Mason said.
