Scotland accounts for 23 of the 35 towns across the UK where homes can be bought for less than two years' worth of household earnings, according to new research by Zoopla.
The property portal analysed house prices in 929 towns across Britain, where the typical home is valued at £299,100, roughly 4.3 times annual household earnings.
Top Scottish towns for affordability
Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire was named the most affordable town for home buyers in Scotland, ranking fourth overall. Its average property value is £116,000, a ratio of 1.59 times the income of two full-time annual wages. Irvine in North Ayrshire follows closely with a ratio of 1.62.
Other Scottish towns in the top 10 of the UK list include Peterhead, Ardrossan, Methil and Saltcoats. Kilsyth in North Lanarkshire rounds out the rankings in joint 34th place, with an average property price of £144,100, just under the two-times property-to-household income ratio.
UK-wide findings
The most affordable town in the UK is Shildon in County Durham, where homes cost 1.15 times two full-time annual wages. Other English towns in the top 10 include Ferryhill, Peterlee and Workington, while Ferndale in Wales also features.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: "House prices have been rising more slowly than incomes, helping to improve housing affordability, but higher mortgage rates continue to offset some of these gains by increasing the monthly cost of buying a home."
He added: "Affordability varies widely across the country, with many towns in northern England and Scotland offering much better value relative to local household earnings. However, lower house prices don't always mean it's easier to buy, as access to employment, deposits and mortgage costs remain important considerations."
Donnell advised: "Anyone considering a move should take a fresh look at what they can afford and what's available locally. Expanding a search to neighbouring towns could make a meaningful difference to their buying options."
The research only included postal towns with 5,000 homes or more.
