Official statistics · 10 of 13 measures compare directly
Highland and West Lothian compared
Every measure Civometry publishes for both areas, side by side. Each figure is its publisher’s own for the period named beside it, and the difference between the two is stated in the middle. Neither area is called better: which direction counts as better depends on what you are asking, and the page does not decide that for you. Where the two figures are not comparable — a different period, or nothing published for one side — the row says so instead of showing a difference.
Highland
S12000017 · Scotland
West Lothian
S12000040 · Scotland
Getting better or worse
0
Civometry calculation on Home Office, ONS, HM Land Registry and MHCLG figures
The same in both
0
Civometry calculation on Home Office, ONS, HM Land Registry and MHCLG figures
Population
237,260
National Records of Scotland: Mid-year population estimates time series
50,020 more in Highland
187,240
National Records of Scotland: Mid-year population estimates time series
Median annual pay, full-time employees
£39,740
ONS: ASHE Table 8.7a: annual gross pay by place of residence
£394 more in West Lothian
£40,134
ONS: ASHE Table 8.7a: annual gross pay by place of residence
Average house price
£221,000
HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices
£7,496 more in West Lothian
£228,496
HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices
All claimants
2.2%
ONS: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis)
0.5 percentage points higher in West Lothian
2.7%
ONS: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis)
All recorded crime and offences
430
Scottish Government: Recorded Crime in Scotland: bulletin tables
123 more in West Lothian
553
Scottish Government: Recorded Crime in Scotland: bulletin tables
Outstanding borrowing
£1,430m
MHCLG: Local authorities borrowing and investments: UK live table
£747m more in Highland
£683m
MHCLG: Local authorities borrowing and investments: UK live table
Supported asylum seekers
No published figure
Home Office: Immigration system statistics: asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority (Asy_D11)
No published figure for Highland.
31
Home Office: Immigration system statistics: asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority (Asy_D11)
Borrowing per resident
£6,028
MHCLG: Local authorities borrowing and investments: UK live table
£2,378 more in Highland
£3,650
MHCLG: Local authorities borrowing and investments: UK live table
Women's pay as a share of men's
87.0%
ONS: ASHE Table 8.7a: annual gross pay by place of residence, men and women full-time
8.6 percentage points higher in Highland
78.4%
ONS: ASHE Table 8.7a: annual gross pay by place of residence, men and women full-time
House price to pay ratio
5.6 years
HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices
0.1 years more in West Lothian
5.7 years
HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices
Annual rent as a share of pay
No published figure
ONS: Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics
No published figure for Highland.
No published figure
ONS: Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics
Band D council tax as a share of pay
No published figure
MHCLG: Council tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
No published figure for Highland.
No published figure
MHCLG: Council tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
In one sentence
In the latest published figures, population was 237,260 in Highland and 187,240 in West Lothian (mid-2025); median annual pay, full-time employees was £39,740 in Highland and £40,134 in West Lothian (2025); and average house price was £221,000 in Highland and £228,496 in West Lothian (June 2026). (Civometry, from official statistics; each figure is the publisher's own.)
In the latest published figures, population was 237,260 in Highland and 187,240 in West Lothian (mid-2025); median annual pay, full-time employees was £39,740 in Highland and £40,134 in West Lothian (2025); and average house price was £221,000 in Highland and £228,496 in West Lothian (June 2026). (Civometry, from official statistics; each figure is the publisher's own.)
The gaps, drawn
Each measure above that has a figure for both areas over the same period, as two dots on that measure’s own scale. The line is the distance between them; nothing here decides which end is better.
HighlandWest LothianEach row has its own scale; the line is the gap between the two figures.
3 of the 13 measures above have no published figure for one side, so they are not drawn; the table states which side and why.
Over time
The headline series both areas publish, each over its full published span. Highland is the solid line and West Lothian the grey one; each series is its publisher’s own, and a series that starts later starts later — no gap is filled in.
Median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence
The chart as a table
| Period | Median weekly pay, full-time employees, by area of residence | West Lothian |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | £425 | £421 |
| 2009 | £453 | £425 |
| 2010 | £456 | £459 |
| 2011 | £458 | £477 |
| 2012 | £471 | £493 |
| 2013 | £476 | £491 |
| 2014 | £489 | £506 |
| 2015 | £491 | £502 |
| 2016 | £530 | £508 |
| 2017 | £545 | £519 |
| 2018 | £560 | £547 |
| 2019 | £576 | £569 |
| 2020 | £585 | £585 |
| 2021 | £606 | £603 |
| 2022 | £667 | £635 |
| 2023 | £711 | £703 |
| 2024 | £737 | £723 |
| 2025 | £775 | £769 |
Highland (teal) and West Lothian (grey), ONS. Latest for Highland: 2025; for West Lothian: 2025.
Average house price
The chart as a table
| Period | Average house price | West Lothian |
|---|---|---|
| January 2004 | £82,166 | £83,853 |
| February 2004 | £76,674 | £85,030 |
| March 2004 | £77,627 | £84,087 |
| April 2004 | £78,575 | £86,634 |
| May 2004 | £84,994 | £87,916 |
| June 2004 | £92,661 | £92,127 |
| July 2004 | £98,001 | £93,288 |
| August 2004 | £99,438 | £93,644 |
| September 2004 | £99,571 | £93,131 |
| October 2004 | £98,821 | £93,319 |
| November 2004 | £100,776 | £92,621 |
| December 2004 | £99,451 | £95,121 |
| January 2005 | £99,752 | £97,005 |
| February 2005 | £96,759 | £97,712 |
| March 2005 | £96,292 | £97,140 |
| April 2005 | £99,350 | £97,491 |
| May 2005 | £104,323 | £101,173 |
| June 2005 | £109,787 | £105,196 |
| July 2005 | £111,877 | £108,543 |
| August 2005 | £112,889 | £112,620 |
| September 2005 | £112,140 | £110,773 |
| October 2005 | £113,540 | £112,352 |
| November 2005 | £115,178 | £111,741 |
| December 2005 | £116,447 | £113,684 |
| January 2006 | £115,435 | £112,343 |
| February 2006 | £115,364 | £111,835 |
| March 2006 | £115,910 | £113,244 |
| April 2006 | £119,997 | £115,701 |
| May 2006 | £125,906 | £116,931 |
| June 2006 | £128,819 | £119,803 |
| July 2006 | £129,762 | £121,581 |
| August 2006 | £130,316 | £124,333 |
| September 2006 | £133,807 | £125,744 |
| October 2006 | £132,832 | £126,830 |
| November 2006 | £131,508 | £128,696 |
| December 2006 | £131,641 | £127,183 |
| January 2007 | £133,578 | £129,454 |
| February 2007 | £134,678 | £130,030 |
| March 2007 | £134,252 | £131,962 |
| April 2007 | £135,717 | £132,047 |
| May 2007 | £141,247 | £135,384 |
| June 2007 | £143,187 | £140,564 |
| July 2007 | £144,223 | £142,542 |
| August 2007 | £142,277 | £142,843 |
| September 2007 | £146,655 | £141,608 |
| October 2007 | £148,769 | £144,330 |
| November 2007 | £152,264 | £142,803 |
| December 2007 | £147,437 | £142,433 |
| January 2008 | £146,626 | £140,531 |
| February 2008 | £139,858 | £143,388 |
| March 2008 | £141,827 | £144,468 |
| April 2008 | £139,355 | £144,145 |
| May 2008 | £141,431 | £148,841 |
| June 2008 | £142,214 | £148,595 |
| July 2008 | £142,233 | £145,498 |
| August 2008 | £141,371 | £140,892 |
| September 2008 | £139,602 | £137,535 |
| October 2008 | £140,217 | £138,857 |
| November 2008 | £138,526 | £135,642 |
| December 2008 | £138,306 | £134,462 |
| January 2009 | £133,231 | £125,865 |
| February 2009 | £133,229 | £117,955 |
| March 2009 | £132,080 | £118,468 |
| April 2009 | £136,353 | £121,347 |
| May 2009 | £139,471 | £129,103 |
| June 2009 | £141,239 | £128,323 |
| July 2009 | £145,371 | £131,980 |
| August 2009 | £145,499 | £131,671 |
| September 2009 | £146,609 | £133,591 |
| October 2009 | £145,548 | £132,566 |
| November 2009 | £147,964 | £134,852 |
| December 2009 | £148,756 | £137,394 |
| January 2010 | £146,685 | £139,865 |
| February 2010 | £143,314 | £134,018 |
| March 2010 | £141,328 | £130,549 |
| April 2010 | £142,419 | £132,028 |
| May 2010 | £147,789 | £135,219 |
| June 2010 | £148,372 | £136,046 |
| July 2010 | £151,441 | £136,908 |
| August 2010 | £149,986 | £138,153 |
| September 2010 | £152,261 | £138,868 |
| October 2010 | £151,931 | £136,164 |
| November 2010 | £154,870 | £134,495 |
| December 2010 | £154,763 | £133,376 |
| January 2011 | £149,908 | £131,865 |
| February 2011 | £148,540 | £132,200 |
| March 2011 | £143,846 | £130,516 |
| April 2011 | £149,114 | £128,640 |
| May 2011 | £143,367 | £129,158 |
| June 2011 | £143,852 | £130,251 |
| July 2011 | £141,793 | £132,933 |
| August 2011 | £144,781 | £132,858 |
| September 2011 | £147,168 | £132,522 |
| October 2011 | £144,393 | £130,003 |
| November 2011 | £141,041 | £128,310 |
| December 2011 | £139,619 | £128,222 |
| January 2012 | £139,954 | £128,990 |
| February 2012 | £138,143 | £129,575 |
| March 2012 | £137,765 | £128,866 |
| April 2012 | £137,234 | £126,571 |
| May 2012 | £138,591 | £127,237 |
| June 2012 | £137,777 | £128,338 |
| July 2012 | £136,391 | £130,097 |
| August 2012 | £138,675 | £126,966 |
| September 2012 | £141,933 | £123,838 |
| October 2012 | £142,792 | £123,938 |
| November 2012 | £140,422 | £124,146 |
| December 2012 | £134,909 | £123,232 |
| January 2013 | £136,547 | £123,839 |
| February 2013 | £135,795 | £121,807 |
| March 2013 | £135,739 | £123,971 |
| April 2013 | £135,121 | £121,890 |
| May 2013 | £136,696 | £123,091 |
| June 2013 | £139,361 | £123,390 |
| July 2013 | £139,799 | £127,294 |
| August 2013 | £140,751 | £128,645 |
| September 2013 | £141,768 | £129,268 |
| October 2013 | £141,362 | £127,680 |
| November 2013 | £141,788 | £129,793 |
| December 2013 | £141,917 | £128,891 |
| January 2014 | £143,117 | £126,910 |
| February 2014 | £144,007 | £124,133 |
| March 2014 | £144,948 | £125,217 |
| April 2014 | £145,659 | £128,753 |
| May 2014 | £145,001 | £131,591 |
| June 2014 | £145,370 | £131,884 |
| July 2014 | £146,503 | £131,298 |
| August 2014 | £148,232 | £131,827 |
| September 2014 | £149,358 | £132,724 |
| October 2014 | £149,274 | £135,318 |
| November 2014 | £147,346 | £135,307 |
| December 2014 | £146,781 | £136,174 |
| January 2015 | £147,576 | £134,275 |
| February 2015 | £147,023 | £132,743 |
| March 2015 | £148,823 | £133,890 |
| April 2015 | £148,825 | £133,382 |
| May 2015 | £151,197 | £136,061 |
| June 2015 | £151,214 | £134,213 |
| July 2015 | £152,414 | £136,076 |
| August 2015 | £154,401 | £135,438 |
| September 2015 | £153,684 | £137,709 |
| October 2015 | £151,502 | £139,130 |
| November 2015 | £149,529 | £141,926 |
| December 2015 | £148,151 | £142,102 |
| January 2016 | £149,209 | £141,117 |
| February 2016 | £151,452 | £140,260 |
| March 2016 | £153,976 | £141,375 |
| April 2016 | £153,754 | £141,404 |
| May 2016 | £152,749 | £142,270 |
| June 2016 | £150,904 | £141,999 |
| July 2016 | £151,770 | £145,340 |
| August 2016 | £152,863 | £143,946 |
| September 2016 | £154,411 | £144,059 |
| October 2016 | £154,297 | £143,816 |
| November 2016 | £155,257 | £143,166 |
| December 2016 | £152,547 | £144,198 |
| January 2017 | £154,503 | £139,509 |
| February 2017 | £153,920 | £139,479 |
| March 2017 | £155,215 | £138,753 |
| April 2017 | £152,725 | £142,540 |
| May 2017 | £152,953 | £144,436 |
| June 2017 | £155,588 | £144,998 |
| July 2017 | £157,051 | £146,286 |
| August 2017 | £158,488 | £150,753 |
| September 2017 | £156,068 | £154,236 |
| October 2017 | £157,895 | £154,143 |
| November 2017 | £155,958 | £154,366 |
| December 2017 | £158,611 | £153,696 |
| January 2018 | £157,647 | £155,482 |
| February 2018 | £157,431 | £154,631 |
| March 2018 | £157,855 | £155,343 |
| April 2018 | £158,849 | £156,275 |
| May 2018 | £160,396 | £158,521 |
| June 2018 | £162,504 | £160,888 |
| July 2018 | £160,001 | £161,922 |
| August 2018 | £163,027 | £161,508 |
| September 2018 | £162,520 | £161,218 |
| October 2018 | £166,072 | £161,384 |
| November 2018 | £165,587 | £162,830 |
| December 2018 | £163,827 | £163,755 |
| January 2019 | £163,370 | £165,557 |
| February 2019 | £161,078 | £163,425 |
| March 2019 | £165,515 | £163,793 |
| April 2019 | £167,105 | £161,646 |
| May 2019 | £169,805 | £162,893 |
| June 2019 | £167,647 | £160,960 |
| July 2019 | £167,648 | £162,750 |
| August 2019 | £167,494 | £164,110 |
| September 2019 | £169,300 | £164,675 |
| October 2019 | £168,784 | £164,075 |
| November 2019 | £169,049 | £164,249 |
| December 2019 | £167,333 | £163,421 |
| January 2020 | £168,008 | £165,344 |
| February 2020 | £165,536 | £163,400 |
| March 2020 | £165,201 | £164,911 |
| April 2020 | £168,191 | £163,082 |
| May 2020 | £169,903 | £165,601 |
| June 2020 | £170,583 | £168,771 |
| July 2020 | £168,765 | £168,256 |
| August 2020 | £170,194 | £169,070 |
| September 2020 | £170,163 | £167,084 |
| October 2020 | £170,842 | £170,581 |
| November 2020 | £172,112 | £171,745 |
| December 2020 | £173,880 | £174,814 |
| January 2021 | £173,474 | £174,229 |
| February 2021 | £174,180 | £174,475 |
| March 2021 | £178,976 | £174,436 |
| April 2021 | £180,334 | £177,035 |
| May 2021 | £184,472 | £179,874 |
| June 2021 | £182,646 | £181,746 |
| July 2021 | £183,919 | £185,421 |
| August 2021 | £182,301 | £188,967 |
| September 2021 | £186,868 | £191,774 |
| October 2021 | £189,862 | £193,165 |
| November 2021 | £195,083 | £193,550 |
| December 2021 | £193,406 | £197,961 |
| January 2022 | £197,524 | £199,277 |
| February 2022 | £197,177 | £198,515 |
| March 2022 | £199,925 | £193,865 |
| April 2022 | £199,724 | £195,653 |
| May 2022 | £200,349 | £199,029 |
| June 2022 | £202,956 | £205,507 |
| July 2022 | £203,333 | £206,824 |
| August 2022 | £204,476 | £211,922 |
| September 2022 | £205,297 | £214,066 |
| October 2022 | £205,580 | £214,682 |
| November 2022 | £207,352 | £211,499 |
| December 2022 | £204,712 | £212,225 |
| January 2023 | £204,072 | £209,622 |
| February 2023 | £203,937 | £207,297 |
| March 2023 | £203,870 | £203,563 |
| April 2023 | £205,767 | £203,230 |
| May 2023 | £202,024 | £204,941 |
| June 2023 | £201,679 | £206,271 |
| July 2023 | £199,157 | £207,534 |
| August 2023 | £201,889 | £206,725 |
| September 2023 | £204,427 | £204,640 |
| October 2023 | £206,776 | £202,736 |
| November 2023 | £206,151 | £204,545 |
| December 2023 | £206,748 | £208,080 |
| January 2024 | £206,087 | £211,918 |
| February 2024 | £205,003 | £210,053 |
| March 2024 | £203,280 | £206,990 |
| April 2024 | £202,486 | £207,518 |
| May 2024 | £205,336 | £209,253 |
| June 2024 | £206,733 | £211,792 |
| July 2024 | £207,905 | £212,494 |
| August 2024 | £210,730 | £213,330 |
| September 2024 | £210,728 | £213,976 |
| October 2024 | £213,361 | £213,893 |
| November 2024 | £210,152 | £212,411 |
| December 2024 | £206,720 | £212,892 |
| January 2025 | £206,247 | £212,496 |
| February 2025 | £205,081 | £215,750 |
| March 2025 | £209,658 | £215,227 |
| April 2025 | £209,926 | £216,088 |
| May 2025 | £212,072 | £217,368 |
| June 2025 | £210,945 | £220,070 |
| July 2025 | £208,417 | £222,466 |
| August 2025 | £209,051 | £220,612 |
| September 2025 | £212,294 | £222,181 |
| October 2025 | £216,799 | £223,577 |
| November 2025 | £219,609 | £224,290 |
| December 2025 | £215,402 | £220,423 |
| January 2026 | £215,231 | £218,048 |
| February 2026 | £210,902 | £219,213 |
| March 2026 | £214,811 | £221,418 |
| April 2026 | £215,517 | £223,703 |
| May 2026 | £219,718 | £226,421 |
| June 2026 | £221,000 | £228,496 |
Highland (teal) and West Lothian (grey), HM Land Registry. Latest for Highland: June 2026; for West Lothian: June 2026.
Band D council tax in Scotland
The chart as a table
| Period | Band D council tax in Scotland | West Lothian |
|---|---|---|
| Year ending March 1997 | £659 | £678 |
| Year ending March 1998 | £719 | £792 |
| Year ending March 1999 | £776 | £829 |
| Year ending March 2000 | £799 | £858 |
| Year ending March 2001 | £839 | £888 |
| Year ending March 2002 | £889 | £919 |
| Year ending March 2003 | £939 | £951 |
| Year ending March 2004 | £989 | £984 |
| Year ending March 2005 | £1,039 | £1,028 |
| Year ending March 2006 | £1,086 | £1,074 |
| Year ending March 2007 | £1,135 | £1,101 |
| Year ending March 2008 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2009 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2010 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2011 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2012 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2013 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2014 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2015 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2016 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2017 | £1,163 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2018 | £1,198 | £1,128 |
| Year ending March 2019 | £1,234 | £1,162 |
| Year ending March 2020 | £1,271 | £1,217 |
| Year ending March 2021 | £1,332 | £1,276 |
| Year ending March 2022 | £1,332 | £1,276 |
| Year ending March 2023 | £1,372 | £1,315 |
| Year ending March 2024 | £1,427 | £1,391 |
| Year ending March 2025 | £1,427 | £1,391 |
| Year ending March 2026 | £1,527 | £1,515 |
| Year ending March 2027 | £1,634 | £1,628 |
Highland (teal) and West Lothian (grey), Scottish Government. Latest for Highland: Year ending March 2027; for West Lothian: Year ending March 2027.
Crimes and offences recorded in Scotland per 10,000 people
The chart as a table
| Period | Crimes and offences recorded in Scotland per 10,000 people | West Lothian |
|---|---|---|
| Year ending March 2017 | 430.1 per 10,000 population | 524.3 |
| Year ending March 2018 | 427.3 per 10,000 population | 512.9 |
| Year ending March 2019 | 411.1 per 10,000 population | 544.4 |
| Year ending March 2020 | 394.7 per 10,000 population | 528.9 |
| Year ending March 2021 | 399.3 per 10,000 population | 530.8 |
| Year ending March 2022 | 393.6 per 10,000 population | 509.2 |
| Year ending March 2023 | 428.3 per 10,000 population | 507.2 |
| Year ending March 2024 | 468.6 per 10,000 population | 552.8 |
| Year ending March 2025 | 432.2 per 10,000 population | 538.3 |
| Year ending March 2026 | 429.9 per 10,000 population | 552.7 |
Highland (teal) and West Lothian (grey), Scottish Government. Latest for Highland: Year ending March 2026; for West Lothian: Year ending March 2026.
Recorded crime by category
A category-by-category crime comparison needs both areas to have a full, current twelve months in the data.police.uk archive. One of them does not, so it is not shown; the crime rate above, where published, still comes from that archive.
What this comparison rests on
Two figures are only subtracted when they are the same measure over the same period. Populations differ (— and — residents on the latest estimates used here), so counts are shown alongside rates rather than instead of them. Nothing on this page is weighted, indexed or scored: every difference is one published number minus another, and the rows that cannot be compared say why.