In 1935, Parker Brothers began to market a brand-new property board game that has since become a global favourite.
Originally based on streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Monopoly arrived in the UK in the same year when Leeds-based company Waddingtons bought the patent. While there are now dozens of variants, from Chelmsford to Chelsea FC, the original London version hasn’t changed in nearly 90 years.
According to the BBC, the “slightly bizarre” choice of London streets was based on a flying visit to the capital by one of the firm’s employees back in the mid-1930s. But what would the Monopoly board – and the game – look like if it were invented today?
The streets would be in a very different order
One of the key designs of the Monopoly board is that the prices of the properties – except for stations and utilities – increase as you progress around the board. Old Kent Road is the cheapest at £60, while Mayfair will set you back the maximum of £400.
If Monopoly were invented in 2024, the first obvious difference would be the order of the streets.
Research reported in IFA Magazine analysed the average house value in each area on the classic Monopoly board. It then ranked each Monopoly street’s value from highest to lowest to see what the board’s order would look like today.
Interestingly, Mayfair remains the most expensive area on the map, almost 90 years since the game was originally devised. With an average value of £6,928,740, it is by far the highest-value street compared to other board locations.
The previous second most expensive street, Park Lane, slips six places to eighth with an average value of £1,924,142. In its place, moving up seven places, is Trafalgar Square, with a value of £3,855,331 – a world away from its Monopoly price of £240.
Leicester Square also rises to feature in the top three, moving up five places with an average value of £2,511,980.
Bond Street, Regent Street, and Oxford Street stay roughly where they are on the current board followed by Marlborough Street, which rises by six places.
The top 10 streets on the 2024 Monopoly board:
- Mayfair
- Trafalgar Square
- Leicester Square
- Bond Street
- Regent Street
- Oxford Street
- Marlborough Street
- Park Lane
- Whitehall
- Piccadilly
On the other side of the board, the Old Kent Road retains its place as the cheapest street but would be paired with Euston Road rather than Whitechapel Road in 2024.
Coventry Street is the biggest faller, moving down 10 places from the yellow properties to the purple set adjacent to the “Go to Jail” space.
You’d need to start with more money
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the average house price in the UK in 1935 was £530.
Considering that you start a game of Monopoly with £1,500, that means you could buy almost three average properties with your initial cash.
These days, the ONS says that the average UK house price is £288,000. So, assuming the same “rules” as classic Monopoly, you’d now need to start the game with approximately £815,000 to maintain the spending power – and you’d need about £109,000 every time you pass “Go”.
Of course, prices in London have also risen further than the national average. So, if you wanted to buy Mayfair at its current price of £6.9 million, you’d have to go around the board almost 56 times before you could afford it!
Indeed, buying any properties with your starting capital would be – as you may expect – much more difficult now than in 1935.
There are only seven properties that you could afford with your starting cash in 2024 – compare that to the classic board where you could easily hoover up several streets with your initial £1,500 on your first trip around the board.
So, if modern Monopoly were to reflect the reality of property ownership in London, the fact that it would be much more difficult due to rising property prices would be appropriate!
Perhaps modern 2024 Monopoly would also allow you to “borrow” cash from one of your relatives before you start the game – giving you a head start when it comes to getting your foot on the ladder?
Or, perhaps the rent you would receive from someone landing on your space would be significantly higher – reflecting that average UK private rents increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to July 2024 alone?
Interestingly, the one item that may not have risen quite so significantly in nine decades is the speeding fine. Pick up that Chance card in the game and it will see you pay £15, while the minimum speeding fine in the UK in 2024 is just £100 – a drop in the ocean at 1935 prices!
Get in touch
While we can’t help you to beat your family in a game of Monopoly, we can support your real-world house-buying ambitions.
To find out how, please email [email protected] or call us on +44 (0) 20 3411 0079.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
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