Australian Housing Crisis Tracker: what it takes to buy a home, and to rent one
How hard is it to buy a home in Australia right now? We track mortgage repayments against pay, the years it takes to save a deposit, house prices against income and how many new homes are being approved, then what renters face: rental stress and rents against wages. Start with your local council on the map, then compare states below. Every figure is official ABS, RBA, AIHW or state government data.
Housing affordability by local area
On the latest rental bond data, a typical new lease takes an estimated 56.2% of a typical household's income in Tweed, the highest of any council with at least 300 new leases a quarter. Next are Noosa (48.9%), Fraser Coast (47.6%). Current council rents are shown for NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania (Victoria's latest published quarter is Jul–Sep 2025); new-home approvals are shown for every council. Pick a measure, then hover over or tap a council.
Show on the map
Older measures: Census 2021 Dated
From the 2021 Census, before the rate rises that began in May 2022. Replaced when 2026 Census results arrive (from mid-2027).
Sources: rents from © State of New South Wales (Department of Communities and Justice), Rent and Sales Report (CC BY 4.0); © The State of Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority, median rents quarterly data (CC BY 3.0 AU); South Australian Housing Trust, Private Rent Report (CC BY 4.0); © State of Victoria (Homes Victoria, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing), Rental Report (CC BY 4.0); WA and Tasmania: our medians of new bonds from © Government of Western Australia (Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety), Rental Bonds WA, and Department of Justice (Tasmania), Rental Deposit Authority, Rental Bond and Rental Data (both CC BY 4.0). Income: ABS Census 2021 median household income (QuickStats, table G02) indexed by the ABS Wage Price Index to June quarter 2026 (Victoria: to Sep quarter 2025, its rent quarter). Approvals: ABS Building Approvals by LGA, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, and Regional Population, 30 June 2025. Boundaries: ABS ASGS LGA 2025, simplified. ABS data CC BY 4.0. How the map is built.
What the council data covers
- Current council rents come from state bond records. NSW, Victoria, Queensland and SA publish them by council; for WA and Tasmania we work out each council's median from the state's bond records.
- New South Wales: Apr–Jun 2026, DCJ Rent and Sales Report (CC BY 4.0)
- Victoria: Jul–Sep 2025, Homes Victoria Rental Report (CC BY 4.0) – the latest quarter Homes Victoria has published, a year older than the other states
- Queensland: Jul–Sep 2026, Residential Tenancies Authority (CC BY 3.0 AU)
- South Australia: Apr–Jun 2026, SA Housing Trust Private Rent Report (CC BY 4.0)
- Western Australia: Jul–Sep 2026, our median of WA bond lodgements (Rental Bonds WA) (CC BY 4.0)
- Tasmania: Apr–Jun 2026, our median of Tasmanian new bonds (Rental Deposit Authority) (CC BY 4.0)
- Northern Territory: The NT doesn't publish council-level rents or open bond records (checked 17 Oct 2026), so there is nothing to map yet.
- Australian Capital Territory: The ACT doesn't publish open bond records or rents by region (checked 17 Oct 2026), so there is nothing to map yet.
- Rent-to-income is our estimate, not a published figure. It divides the median weekly rent for new leases by the 2021 Census median household income for that council, grown by the state's wage price index since 2021 (NSW ×1.166, Vic ×1.140, Qld ×1.186, SA ×1.172, WA ×1.183, Tas ×1.180; Victoria to Sep quarter 2025 to match its rent quarter, the rest to June quarter 2026). Household income includes owners as well as renters, and wage growth isn't the same as household income growth, so read it as a guide to how stretched new renters are, not an exact share.
- No price-to-income layer by council. National council-level sale prices aren't published under an open licence, so price to income is shown for states below. Why.
- Small numbers are left out. Councils are grey where too few new bonds were lodged in the quarter: fewer than 30 for the published state tables (NSW, Vic, Qld, SA) and fewer than 10 for our WA and Tasmanian medians (175 councils in the six states). Approvals rates aren't shown where the population is under 1,000.
- Census measures are dated. The 2021 rental and mortgage stress layers sit under "Older measures". 2026 Census results are due from mid-2027 and will replace them.
Least affordable for renters now: rent-to-income, 2026 estimate
Councils with at least 300 new bonds in the quarter, in the six states with council rents (Victoria: Jul–Sep 2025).
| Council | Median new-lease rent | Est. household income | Rent-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tweed NSW | $850/wk | $1,511/wk | 56.2% |
| Noosa Qld | $850/wk | $1,739/wk | 48.9% |
| Fraser Coast Qld | $600/wk | $1,259/wk | 47.6% |
| Gympie Qld | $570/wk | $1,322/wk | 43.1% |
| Bundaberg Qld | $590/wk | $1,372/wk | 43.0% |
| Mid-Coast NSW | $525/wk | $1,236/wk | 42.5% |
| Clarence Valley NSW | $535/wk | $1,310/wk | 40.9% |
| Gold Coast Qld | $820/wk | $2,005/wk | 40.9% |
| Port Macquarie-Hastings NSW | $600/wk | $1,473/wk | 40.7% |
| Port Stephens NSW | $650/wk | $1,600/wk | 40.6% |
21 councils compared (checked against each state's published tables; WA and Tasmania against the bond records)
| Council | Rent quarter | Median new-lease rent (week) | New bonds | Est. household income 2026 (week) | Rent-to-income | Approved per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney NSW | Apr–Jun 2026 | $900 | 6,122 | $2,580 | 34.9% | 9.8 |
| Blacktown NSW | Apr–Jun 2026 | $670 | 3,055 | $2,457 | 27.3% | 5.2 |
| Tweed NSW | Apr–Jun 2026 | $850 | 502 | $1,511 | 56.2% | 3.3 |
| Dubbo NSW | Apr–Jun 2026 | $550 | 506 | $1,862 | 29.5% | 7.1 |
| Albury NSW | Apr–Jun 2026 | $500 | 586 | $1,668 | 30.0% | 7.1 |
| Brisbane Qld | Jul–Sep 2026 | $650 | 20,140 | $2,452 | 26.5% | 6.8 |
| Gold Coast Qld | Jul–Sep 2026 | $820 | 7,944 | $2,005 | 40.9% | 10.5 |
| Logan Qld | Jul–Sep 2026 | $630 | 3,929 | $1,916 | 32.9% | 12.3 |
| Townsville Qld | Jul–Sep 2026 | $550 | 2,042 | $2,017 | 27.3% | 5.3 |
| Adelaide SA | Apr–Jun 2026 | $524 | 1,435 | $1,727 | 30.3% | 11.8 |
| Onkaparinga SA | Apr–Jun 2026 | $600 | 975 | $1,653 | 36.3% | 7.4 |
| Port Pirie SA | Apr–Jun 2026 | $390 | 115 | $1,246 | 31.3% | 3.0 |
| Melbourne Vic | Jul–Sep 2025 | $670 | 6,745 | $1,913 | 35.0% | 24.4 |
| Greater Geelong Vic | Jul–Sep 2025 | $500 | 1,993 | $1,815 | 27.5% | 11.8 |
| Ballarat Vic | Jul–Sep 2025 | $420 | 979 | $1,629 | 25.8% | 11.9 |
| Mornington Peninsula Vic | Jul–Sep 2025 | $600 | 752 | $1,773 | 33.8% | 4.6 |
| Perth WA | Jul–Sep 2026 | $650 | 1,753 | $2,284 | 28.5% | 6.8 |
| Stirling WA | Jul–Sep 2026 | $750 | 1,828 | $2,112 | 35.5% | 6.1 |
| Karratha WA | Jul–Sep 2026 | $1,050 | 296 | $3,735 | 28.1% | 11.5 |
| Hobart Tas | Apr–Jun 2026 | $580 | 589 | $2,174 | 26.7% | 2.9 |
| Launceston Tas | Apr–Jun 2026 | $510 | 691 | $1,546 | 33.0% | 2.9 |
Rent and bond counts as published by each state for the quarter shown. Estimated income: Census 2021 median household income × the state's wage price index growth, Sep quarter 2021 to June quarter 2026 (Victoria: to Sep quarter 2025). WA and Tasmania rows are our medians of the bond records. Approvals per 1,000 residents: dwellings approved Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 ÷ estimated resident population at 30 June 2025.
How much of your pay would mortgage repayments take?
Repaying an 80% loan of $880,320 on the average Australia dwelling at 6.80% over 30 years costs $5,739 a month, or 64% of a full-time worker's gross pay. The RBA raised the cash rate to 4.60% on 30 September 2026.
That is for someone buying today. The Census shows what existing borrowers were paying in August 2021, at lower prices and before rates started rising in May 2022: a median of $1,863 a month, with 14.5% of mortgaged households paying more than 30% of their income. See mortgage stress by council.
- What it measures
- Monthly principal-and-interest repayments on an 80% loan against the mean dwelling price, as a share of full-time earnings. The chart shows the banks' discounted variable rate for owner-occupiers.
- Latest figure
- 64% of gross pay at 6.80% (September 2026). Cash rate target: 4.60% from 30 September 2026.
- Trend
- Up from a low of 3.45% in August 2021. The cash rate target rose four times in 2026.
- Source
- RBA Table F5 Indicator Lending Rates, RBA cash rate target, ABS prices and earnings; PublicSquare calculation.
- Last updated
- Lending rate: September 2026 (published 8 Oct 2026; October due early November). Cash rate: 30 September 2026. Verified source data
- Reserve Bank of Australia (2026), Statistical Table F5 Indicator Lending Rates, banks' discounted variable owner-occupier housing rate (series FILRHLBVD; source CANSTAR data and RBA), September 2026, published 8 Oct 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Cash Rate Target, 4.60% effective 30 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Total Value of Dwellings, June Quarter 2026, mean price of residential dwellings by state (ABS Data API dataflow RES_DWELL_ST), released 8 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026, full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, persons, original (dataflow AWE), released 13 Aug 2026. CC BY 4.0.
How long does it take to save a house deposit?
A 20% deposit on the average Australia dwelling is $220,080. Someone on average full-time earnings who saves 15% of their gross pay would need about 13.5 years for the deposit alone. The calculator adds stamp duty (NSW and QLD), LMI and fees, and lets you switch to the 5% Deposit Scheme.
Uses the same formulas, LMI rates, price caps and stamp duty tables as our Before You Move In calculator. LMI is an indicative premium. Excludes interest on savings and price growth.
Try the Rent-to-Own deposit builder →- What it measures
- The years needed to save a 20% deposit on the mean dwelling price, for one full-time worker on average earnings saving 15% of gross pay.
- Latest figure
- 13.5 years nationally; 15.9 in NSW and 10.2 in Tasmania.
- Trend
- It moves with the price-to-earnings ratio: 12.0 years in May 2021 on the same assumptions, 13.5 now.
- Source
- PublicSquare calculation from ABS prices and earnings. Calculator logic, LMI table and scheme price caps match PublicSquare's Before You Move In calculator (assumptions verified July 2026).
- Last updated
- June quarter 2026 prices, May 2026 earnings. Verified source data
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Total Value of Dwellings, June Quarter 2026, mean price of residential dwellings by state (ABS Data API dataflow RES_DWELL_ST), released 8 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026, full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, persons, original (dataflow AWE), released 13 Aug 2026. CC BY 4.0.
How many years of pay does a home cost in Australia?
The average dwelling in Australia costs 10.2 times what a full-time worker earns in a year: $1,100,400 against annual earnings of $108,352. In May 2021 the same measure was 9.0x.
- What it measures
- The mean price of all residential dwellings (houses and units) divided by full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings × 52. It's one worker's pay, not household income.
- Latest figure
- 10.2x nationally (June quarter 2026 price, May 2026 earnings). Highest: NSW 11.9x. Lowest: NT 6.0x.
- Trend
- Up from 9.0x in May 2021 and 9.8x a year ago. Prices fell slightly in the June quarter (−0.7%) but are 6.8% higher than a year earlier.
- Source
- ABS Total Value of Dwellings and ABS Average Weekly Earnings; PublicSquare calculation.
- Last updated
- Prices: June quarter 2026 (released 8 Sep 2026; September quarter due December 2026). Earnings: May 2026 (released 13 Aug 2026; next due February 2027). Verified source data
Why only states? The ABS publishes dwelling prices for states and territories, not councils, so price to income can't be calculated by council on free national data. On the map above, the closest current council measure is rent-to-income (a 2026 estimate) for NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. See what the map covers.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Total Value of Dwellings, June Quarter 2026, mean price of residential dwellings by state (ABS Data API dataflow RES_DWELL_ST), released 8 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026, full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, persons, original (dataflow AWE), released 13 Aug 2026. CC BY 4.0.
View the data by state
| Region | Mean dwelling price | Full-time earnings (yr) | Ratio now | Ratio May 2021 | Years to 20% deposit* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $1,100,400 | $108,352 | 10.2x | 9.0x | 13.5 |
| New South Wales | $1,304,900 | $109,658 | 11.9x | 11.4x | 15.9 |
| Victoria | $918,400 | $106,137 | 8.7x | 9.6x | 11.5 |
| Queensland | $1,130,600 | $106,064 | 10.7x | 7.4x | 14.2 |
| South Australia | $979,600 | $102,450 | 9.6x | 6.7x | 12.7 |
| Western Australia | $1,123,700 | $115,825 | 9.7x | 6.0x | 12.9 |
| Tasmania | $733,200 | $96,008 | 7.6x | 7.2x | 10.2 |
| Northern Territory | $614,400 | $103,173 | 6.0x | 5.3x | 7.9 |
| ACT | $981,700 | $119,090 | 8.2x | 8.9x | 11.0 |
*Saving 15% of gross full-time earnings, starting from $0, before interest, stamp duty and costs.
Is Australia on track to build 1.2 million homes?
Not yet. ABS figures show 355,817 homes were completed in the first 8 of the National Housing Accord's 20 quarters: 30% of the target after 40% of the time. Completions in the 12 months to June 2026 were 180,500, and approvals in the 12 months to August 2026 were 208,184. Both are below the 240,000 a year the target needs. The national housing council expects the target to be met in the December quarter of 2030, 18 months late.
- What it measures
- Homes completed since 1 July 2024 against the National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new homes by 30 June 2029, plus dwelling approvals over the last 12 months as a leading indicator.
- Latest figure
- 355,817 completed to June quarter 2026 (ABS, seasonally adjusted, the same method NHSAC uses). The pace now needed is about 70,349 a quarter; the June quarter delivered 47,168. Approvals: 208,184 in the 12 months to August 2026.
- Trend
- Approvals are up from 190,138 a year earlier, but still below the 240,000-a-year pace. NHSAC's August 2026 report (to March quarter 2026: about 308,000) moved its expected completion date to the December quarter of 2030.
- Source
- ABS Building Activity, ABS Building Approvals and NHSAC Quarterly Report, August 2026; PublicSquare calculation.
- Last updated
- Completions: June quarter 2026 (released 7 Oct 2026; September quarter due January 2027). Approvals: August 2026 (released 30 Sep 2026; September due early November 2026). Verified source data
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Building Activity, Australia, June 2026, dwelling units completed, all sectors, seasonally adjusted and original (dataflow BUILDING_ACTIVITY), released 7 Oct 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Building Approvals, Australia, August 2026, total dwelling units approved, all sectors, original (dataflow BA_GCCSA), released 30 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (2026), Quarterly Report, August 2026, released 21 Aug 2026. Commonwealth of Australia; licence to confirm, quoted with credit.
How has home ownership changed for younger Australians?
In 2021, 36% of households headed by someone aged 25–29 owned their home, down from 50% in 1971. For 30–34-year-olds it fell from 64% to 50%. Overall ownership was 67% in 2021, down from 70% in 2006.
- What it measures
- The share of households that own their home, outright or with a mortgage, by the age of the household reference person (Census).
- Latest figure
- 36% at 25–29 and 50% at 30–34 (2021 Census).
- Trend
- Each younger generation has had lower ownership at the same age. Results from the August 2026 Census will update this measure.
- Source
- AIHW, Home ownership and housing tenure (analysis of ABS Census data).
- Last updated
- AIHW release 16 October 2025 (2021 Census). Latest available. Verified source data
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2025), Home ownership and housing tenure (AIHW analysis of ABS Census of Population and Housing 1971–2021), released 16 Oct 2025. CC BY 4.0.
Are rents rising faster than wages?
Rents in the CPI rose 3.6% in the year to August 2026, faster than earnings (+3.7% in the year to May 2026) though a little below all prices (+4.0%). Over the last five years the CPI rents measure is up 26% and earnings are up 20%. The CPI tracks rents paid by all tenants, including long leases, so it rises more slowly than advertised rents for new leases.
Rental stress. In the 2021 Census, 32.2% of renter households were paying more than 30% of their income on rent, more than twice the share of mortgaged households (14.5%). In councils such as Fairfield, Tweed and the Gold Coast it was over 40%. Switch the map to rental stress.
- What it measures
- Chart: the CPI rents index (weighted average of eight capital cities, quarterly) and full-time average earnings, both set to 100 in May 2021. Headline: annual change in the monthly CPI rents index.
- Latest figure
- Rents +3.6% over the year to August 2026 (all-groups CPI +4.0%). Fastest: Darwin +6.3%, Perth +5.3%. Slowest: Canberra +1.4%.
- Trend
- Since May 2021: rents index 125.9, earnings index 119.9. Advertised rents for new leases (SQM, Domain, Cotality) have grown faster; we link to those rather than chart them.
- Last updated
- Monthly CPI: August 2026 (released 30 Sep 2026; September due late October 2026). Chart: June quarter 2026. Verified source data
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Consumer Price Index, Australia, August 2026, Rents and All groups CPI, annual % change, Australia and capital cities, original (dataflow CPI), released 30 Sep 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Australia, Rents index, weighted average of eight capital cities, seasonally adjusted, quarterly to June quarter 2026 (dataflow CPI_Q), retrieved 17 Oct 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2026), Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026, full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings, persons, original (dataflow AWE), released 13 Aug 2026. CC BY 4.0.
What is the rental vacancy rate in Australia?
There's no official national rental vacancy rate. The most quoted series comes from SQM Research, a private company. Until we have its permission we link to its figures rather than reproduce them.
Latest vacancy rates by city: SQM Research vacancy rates. Median rents and prices are also published by Cotality, PropTrack and Domain. We link to these rather than chart them.
How many households are waiting for social housing?
At June 2025, about 206,000 households were on Australia's social housing waitlists, up from 183,000 a year earlier. 190,000 were waiting for public housing, up from 163,500 in June 2021, and 41% of them were classed as in greatest need.
Public housing waitlist, excluding transfers, at 30 June. Each year is as first published by the AIHW; later releases can revise earlier years.
- What it measures
- Households on the consolidated social housing waitlist, and on public housing waitlists (excluding transfers), at 30 June.
- Latest figure
- 206,000 households (consolidated waitlist, June 2025).
- Trend
- Consolidated waitlist up 23,000 in a year. Public housing waitlist: 163,500 (2021), 174,600 (2022), 169,000 (2023), 169,000 (2024), 190,000 (2025).
- Source
- AIHW, Housing assistance in Australia 2026 and earlier editions.
- Last updated
- AIHW release 23 June 2026 (June 2025 data). Latest available; next release expected mid-2027. Verified source data
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2026), Housing assistance in Australia 2026, Households and waitlists, Tables HOUSEHOLDS.26–27 (June 2025 data), released 23 Jun 2026, data tables reissued 30 Jun 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- Earlier years as first published by AIHW: Housing assistance in Australia 2025 (June 2024), 2024 (June 2023), 2023 (June 2022) and 2022 (June 2021). CC BY 4.0.
Want a different path to owning?
With Rent-to-Own you live in the home now and build your deposit as you go.
How Rent-to-Own worksOwn an investment property?
Rent-to-Sell matches your property with a tenant who plans to buy it.
How Rent-to-Sell worksFrequently asked questions
Is there a housing crisis in Australia?
On the official numbers, buying a home has become much harder. A new 80% loan on the average dwelling would take 64% of a full-time worker's gross pay, and a dwelling now costs about 10.2 times full-time annual earnings (it was 9.0 times in May 2021), around 206,000 households are on social housing waitlists, and home building is running behind the 1.2 million homes target. This tracker shows each measure with its source so you can judge for yourself.
Which councils are least affordable for renters right now?
On our 2026 estimate, a typical new lease takes the largest share of a typical household's income in Tweed (56.2%), Noosa (48.9%), Fraser Coast (47.6%), Gympie (43.1%), Bundaberg (43.0%). That compares the median rent for new leases in the latest quarter with Census household income grown by wages since 2021, for councils with at least 300 new leases a quarter in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania (Victoria's latest published quarter is Jul–Sep 2025). The map on this page shows every covered council.
How long does it take to save a house deposit in Australia?
At the national average dwelling price of $1,100,400, a 20% deposit is $220,080. A full-time worker on average earnings who saves 15% of their gross pay would need about 13.5 years for the deposit alone. Use the calculator above to add stamp duty and fees, or switch to the 5% Deposit Scheme.
What is a good price-to-income ratio for housing?
International comparisons such as the Demographia survey rate a median price of 3 times median household income or less as affordable, and more than 5 times as severely unaffordable. Our measure uses one full-time worker's earnings rather than household income, so it isn't directly comparable, but every state is between 6 and 12 times.
Is Australia on track to build 1.2 million homes?
Not yet. ABS figures show about 355,817 homes were completed in the first 8 of the Accord's 20 quarters, 30% of the target after 40% of the time. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council expects the target to be reached in the December quarter of 2030 rather than by June 2029.
How often is this tracker updated?
Each figure is refreshed soon after the official release: monthly for rents, building approvals and interest rates, quarterly for prices and completions, twice a year for earnings and yearly for social housing. Each section shows its own last-updated date and labels any figure that is the latest available but more than a year old.
Can I use these charts on my website?
Yes. Every chart has an 'Embed this chart' button that gives you a code snippet with a credit link. The underlying data comes from the ABS, RBA, AIHW and state rental bond agencies under Creative Commons Attribution licences, so please keep the credit line.