House prices across West Lothian have risen by 74% in a decade
That outstripped the Scottish average rise of 42% in the years 2013-23.
In 2023 the average house price in the county was £210,000 compared to a Scottish figure of £185,000.
A report to councillors said: 'West Lothian ranks 10th of Scottish local authorities for house prices; however, it is notably cheaper than the other regions surrounding Edinburgh such as Midlothian and East Lothian, making it a more affordable option for Edinburgh based commuters.'
Average house prices in West Lothian range from £229,475 in Linlithgow to £145,000 in Whitburn and Blackburn.
The largest increase in house prices have been around Broxburn, Winchburgh and Livingston all of which have seen major new developments in the last 12 years.
The change over the decade has been striking. The largest price increases have been in Broxburn and Livingston South wards where house prices have risen £95,000 in the ten years from 2013 to 2023.
The smallest rise – £18,585- has been in Bathgate, where prices rose from an average of £128,998 to £147,595 in a decade.
New homes are now at their most affordable in the Armadale and Blackridge and Whitburn and Blackburn wards at £179,000 and £145,000 respectively.
In 2013 the average cost of a new home in the Whitburn ward was just £86,000.
Whitburn and Blackburn is the only ward area which saw a fall in the numbers of new homes being built.
Infrastructure improvement including reopened railway stations such as Armadale has helped boost housebuilding in the town along with neighbouring Blackridge where developers see potential for competitively priced homes.
The former brickworks site in Armadale is one of the largest brownfield sites in the county earmarked for redevelopment.
The council's Business Development Team relied on Scottish Government statistics to provide a picture of the economic and financial health of the county as the basis for its draft economic investment plan which looks to 2035.
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
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