pic: Lisburn
Figures from Halifax reveal that of all 66 cities in the UK, it's those in Northern Ireland that have experienced the highest house price growth over the last five years.
Armagh topped the table with a five year growth rate of 188 per cent, which boosted the average house price from £69,379 to £199,974.
Other massive rises were recorded in Newry (157 per cent), Lisburn (152 per cent) and Londonderry (132 per cent).
Bradford was the best performing city in England with a five year growth rate of 131 per cent.
Dundee had the highest house price growth in Scotland with 130 per cent, while Wales's top performer was Swansea with 125 per cent.
City Premiums
City status also added a premium of around £11,000 to the average price tag in the region, although 13 cities exceeded their regional average by at least £50,000.
Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax Estate Agents, commented: "House prices in cities tend to be higher than the average price in their region.
"The attraction of shopping and leisure facilities, as well as a short commute for workers means that there will always be demand to live in cities.
"Many cities have also benefited from urban regeneration programmes that have seen the wide scale re-development of old industrial areas and canalside warehouses into residential properties."
Of those awarded millennium city status, it was Inverness that has seen growth sky-rocket by 192 per cent since September 2000. As a result it has out-performed regional growth by 43 per cent
City newbie Brighton and Hove, with growth of 132 per cent, is now the tenth most expensive city in the UK.
Yet conversely, with an average house price of £266,457 it is the only city in the top ten which trades at a discount to its regional average.
Westminster and the City of London head up the most expensive UK cities, while Winchester in the South East offers the most exclusive prices outside of Greater London, averaging £379,643.
Top Ten Performing Cities Over The Past Five Years
source: Halifax
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