HAMPSHIRE: Barclays survey shows Southampton has lowest household incomes in south-east SOUTHAMPTON is the poorest place in the southeast, according to shock new figures.

Average wages in the city are just half those of affluent neighbour Winchester, which is the 37th richest area in the entire country, according to research by Barclays bank.

Of 91 constituencies in the south-east, Southampton Test and Southampton Itchen, the city's two electoral districts, are ranked 91st and 90th respectively.

On the western edge of the city, the average household income is just £28,700, compared with Winchester's £55,670.

The eastern end of Southampton is marginally better off than the other half, earning an average of £30,550 per home. But the city still lags a couple of thousand pounds behind the earnings of regional rival Portsmouth and well behind the national average of £39,575.

Wages are even growing much faster in Winchester than they are in Southampton, with earnings climbing by a third over five years in the historic county capital but swelling just one-fifth over the same period in Southampton.

The city is one of the worst-off places in the entire south of England when figures for the south-west are added in. Only areas of Bristol take home less, with the average in parts of that city £26,750.

The lowest household income in the country is in parts of Birmingham at just £20,500 - just one-fifth of the highest, in Kensington and Chelsea.

The royal borough saw average household income clear the £100,000 barrier for the first time, after an influx of the uber-rich into the area propelled the figure to a staggering £101,600.

City council Cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, Royston Smith, said the authority was working to attract more high-paying jobs to the area.

"We are aware that we are lagging behind and we are actively trying to change that," he said. "That is why we created this position of economic development and regeneration for me. We want to increase salaries and prosperity in general.

"We are trying to encourage companies to the area that bring higher wages. We have Lloyds Register coming here, and there's the opening of Millbrook Technology Campus.

"Manufacturing is in decline and we are looking at attracting technology jobs which are highly paid."

The figures were produced by Barclays Premier by analysing the wages paid in by its account-holders.