The cities in the North and Midlands where house prices are forecast to soar We reveal the areas that are most in demand with buyers – and what you can buy there Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds, Leicester Credit: Getty; Alamy The pandemic has helped drive a steep fall in London’s population for the first time in 30 years. Analysts from the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence suggested that 700,000 people left the capital last year, equal to 8pc of the population – which has led to a dip in demand for homes. But not everyone is abandoning city life: other British cities are experiencing their highest house price growth for a decade.