We all know how hard it can be to get on the property ladder.

House prices just seem to be climbing and the average wage seems stagnant in comparison.

Research by Online Mortgage Advisor has confirmed these fears and found that single residents can only afford 47 per cent of houses.

However, it’s better news for couples as the average duo can afford 84.3 per cent of houses.

This data was calculated using a formula (Mortgage (4.5x salary) + 15 per cent deposit = maximum price of property affordable) and comparing it to the median annual salary from the local authorities.

According to the data, Rossendale is one of the least affordable places in the North West to buy a property as a couple.

A local couple there can afford 69.3 per cent of the properties currently for sale.

A single buyer will only be able to afford 32.3 per cent of properties.

Ribble Valley is also a pricey place for the average couple as more than 19 per cent of properties are unaffordable.

For single buyers, 56 per cent of properties are unaffordable on the average wage.

Opposingly, Barrow-in-Furness and Burnley are some of the most affordable locations in the North West for single buyers, as people can afford to buy 69.8 per cent and 63.6 per cent of houses respectively.

Wigan (95.1 per cent) and Barrow-in-Furness (93.6 per cent) are deemed the most affordable places for couples.

In which locations did property prices outgrow wages the most?

By measuring the ratio change between median house price and median annual salary, Online Mortgage Advisor can reveal the Lancashire locations where property prices have outgrown wages.

A higher ratio means a larger growth in the gap between property prices and local earnings.

10 years ago, full-time employees in the North West could typically expect to spend around 5.3 times their annual salary on buying a home.

However, this ratio has risen to 5.7, creating an increase in ratio of 0.4 which his higher than Yorkshire, Wales and the North East.

After analysing 14 local authorities in Lancashire, the data suggests that nine of them has become less affordable to the average worker.

The biggest price gap across the entirety of Lancashire is in Hyndburn.

In 2011, an average full-time employee in Hyndburn could typically expect to spend around 3.77 times their annual salary on buying a home. This ratio has risen to 4.33, creating an increase in ratio of 0.56.

Lancaster is next (increase in ratio of 0.55) followed by Rossendale (0.54).

Blackburn with Darwen has also seen an increase in ratio (0.48) suggesting that property prices are also outgrowing wages in this region too.