Sydney had the highest median house value compared to other capital cities in Australia as of April 2025, with a value of over **** million Australian dollars. Brisbane similarly had relatively high average residential housing values, passing Canberra and Melbourne to top the pricing markets for real estate across the country alongside Sydney. Housing affordability in Australia Throughout 2024, the average price of residential dwellings remained high across Australia, with several capital cities breaking price records. Rising house prices continue to be an issue for potential homeowners, with many low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Australia’s house price-to-income ratio declined slightly to ***** index points. With the share of household income spent on mortgage repayments increasing alongside the disparity in supply and demand, inflating construction costs, and low borrowing capacity, the homeownership dream has become an unattainable prospect for the average person in Australia. Does the rental market offer better prospects? Renting for prolonged periods has become inevitable for many Australians due to the country’s largely inaccessible property ladder. However, record low vacancy rates and elevated median weekly house and unit rent prices within Australia’s rental market are making renting a less appealing prospect. In financial year 2024, households in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area reported spending around ** percent of their household income on rent.

The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in June 2025, it reached over one million Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023, with minor fluctuations in 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of April 2025. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 10 percent increase from April 2024, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the June quarter of 2025, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.37 million, representing an increase of about 53,600 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, elevated mortgage interest rates in recent years have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

Key information about House Prices Growth

• Australia house prices grew 3.5% YoY in Jun 2025, following an increase of 4.2% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Sep 2004 to Jun 2025, with an average growth rate of 0.0%.

CEIC calculates quarterly House Price Index Growth from quarterly Residential Dwellings: Mean Price of Eight Capital Cities. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides Residential Dwellings: Mean Price of Eight Capital Cities in local currency. House Price Index Growth prior to Q3 2012 is calculated from Residential Property Price Index: Weighted Average of Eight Capital Cities.

Moulden in Greater Darwin, Northern Territory was the most affordable capital city housing suburb in Australia as of November 2024, with a median property value of around ******* Australian dollars. The Gray suburb, also in Greater Darwin, was the second-most affordable capital city housing suburb.

In 2022, Sydney was listed as the second-least affordable city worldwide in terms of housing affordability, as well as the most unaffordable capital city for houses in Australia, with a median multiple house price relative to income value of ****, meaning that housing prices in Sydney were over ** times the average annual gross median household income.

As of 2024, the average price of entry level units in Sydney, Australia came to around ******* Australian dollars, marking an annual increase of around *** percent. Brisbane had the second-highest entry unit prices across the country's capital cities that year. Prospective first-home buyers in Perth saw the largest annual growth in entry house prices, at over ** percent.

Sydney topped the residential rental pricing market in Australia in March 2025, with house rent prices reaching an average of *** Australian dollars per week. The average weekly rent for a unit in Sydney was the highest among all capital cities in the country, followed by Brisbane.

Australia’s real house price index increased to ***** in the first quarter of 2025. House prices fluctuated over the reported period compared to the base year of 2015, experiencing a sharp increase throughout 2021, with the country’s house price index peaking in the first quarter of 2022 at *****. Prospective homeowners priced out of the market Recent house price increases reflect the ongoing challenges of housing affordability in Australia. Property prices largely outpace income growth, reigniting discussions about whether the country is stuck in a property bubble, a topic that has been debated for over a decade. The country’s house price-to-income ratio hit ***** in the second quarter of 2024, the highest ratio recorded over the past five years, making it increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder. Unaffordable rental conditions Australia’s rental market has also seen challenges, with the rent price index continuing to climb throughout 2024 into the first quarter of 2025, making the prospect of renting less appealing. As of March 2025, the average weekly house rent price in Sydney stood at *** Australian dollars, the highest across the country’s major cities. Canberra, Darwin, and Perth were the next most expensive markets for house rents, while Hobart was the most affordable capital city for both house and unit rent prices.

Australia PPI: Input: House Construction: Weighted Average of 6 Capital Cities data was reported at 160.300 2011-2012=100 in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 160.400 2011-2012=100 for Dec 2024. Australia PPI: Input: House Construction: Weighted Average of 6 Capital Cities data is updated quarterly, averaging 68.300 2011-2012=100 from Sep 1966 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 235 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 160.400 2011-2012=100 in Dec 2024 and a record low of 8.300 2011-2012=100 in Sep 1966. Australia PPI: Input: House Construction: Weighted Average of 6 Capital Cities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.I030: Producer Price Index: 2011-12=100: ANZSIC 2006: Input to the House Construction Industry.

Australia Housing Affordability Index: Capital Cities data was reported at 115.400 Index in Jun 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 108.200 Index for Mar 2010. Australia Housing Affordability Index: Capital Cities data is updated quarterly, averaging 164.059 Index from Sep 1984 (Median) to Jun 2010, with 104 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 206.960 Index in Sep 1997 and a record low of 87.100 Index in Mar 2008. Australia Housing Affordability Index: Capital Cities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Housing Industry Association. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.EB019: Housing Affordability Index: Based on Commonwealth Bank of Australia Home Price (Discontinued). Rebased Index. Replacement series ID: 305196301

This dataset presents the Rental Affordability Index (RAI) for all dwellings. The data uses different income values for each region within the Greater Capital Cities, and spans the quarters Q1 2011 to Q2 2021. The RAI covers all states with available data, the Northern Territory does not form part of this dataset. National Shelter, Bendigo Bank, The Brotherhood of St Laurence, and SGS Economics and Planning have released the RentalAffordability Index (RAI) on a biannual basis since 2015. Since 2019, the RAI has been released annually. It is generally accepted that if housing costs exceed 30% of a low-income household's gross income, the household is experiencing housing stress (30/40 rule). That is, housing is unaffordable and housing costs consume a disproportionately high amount of household income. The RAI uses the 30 per cent of income rule. Rental affordability is calculated using the following equation, where 'qualifying income' refers to the household income required to pay rent where rent is equal to 30% of income: RAI = (Median Income ∕ Qualifying Income) x 100 In the RAI, households who are paying 30% of income on rent have a score of 100, indicating that these households are at the critical threshold for housing stress. A score of 100 or less indicates that households would pay more than 30% of income to access a rental dwelling, meaning they are at risk of experiencing housing stress. For more information on the Rental Affordability Index please refer to SGS Economics and Planning. The RAI is a price index for housing rental markets. It is a clear and concise indicator of rental affordability relative to household incomes, applied to geographic areas across Australia. AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using geometries provided by SGS Economics and Planning. Values of 'NA' in the original data have been set to NULL.

The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in December 2024, it reached 976,800 Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023, with minor fluctuations in 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of April 2025. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 10 percent increase from April 2024, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the December quarter of 2024, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.29 million, representing an increase of about 53,200 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, elevated mortgage interest rates in recent years have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

This dataset presents the Rental Affordability Index (RAI) for 3 bedroom dwellings. The data uses different income values for each region within the Greater Capital Cities, and spans the quarters Q1 2011 to Q2 2021. The RAI covers all states with available data, the Northern Territory and Western Australia does not form part of this dataset. National Shelter, Bendigo Bank, The Brotherhood of St Laurence, and SGS Economics and Planning have released the RentalAffordability Index (RAI) on a biannual basis since 2015. Since 2019, the RAI has been released annually. It is generally accepted that if housing costs exceed 30% of a low-income household's gross income, the household is experiencing housing stress (30/40 rule). That is, housing is unaffordable and housing costs consume a disproportionately high amount of household income. The RAI uses the 30 per cent of income rule. Rental affordability is calculated using the following equation, where 'qualifying income' refers to the household income required to pay rent where rent is equal to 30% of income: RAI = (Median income ∕ Qualifying Income) x 100 In the RAI, households who are paying 30% of income on rent have a score of 100, indicating that these households are at the critical threshold for housing stress. A score of 100 or less indicates that households would pay more than 30% of income to access a rental dwelling, meaning they are at risk of experiencing housing stress. For more information on the Rental Affordability Index please refer to SGS Economics and Planning. The RAI is a price index for housing rental markets. It is a clear and concise indicator of rental affordability relative to household incomes, applied to geographic areas across Australia. AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using geometries provided by SGS Economics and Planning. Values of 'NA' in the original data have been set to NULL.

This dataset is the Vulnerability Indices for Mortgage, Petroleum and Inflation Risks and Expenditure (VAMPIRE) for Australian Capital Cities for the year of 2016. The data has been calculated for each SA1 region region within the Greater Capital City regions following the 2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). The VAMPIRE index is a research method developed at RMIT University's Centre for Urban Research (CUR) commissioned by AURIN. It assesses socio-economic oil price vulnerability in Australian cities based on an analysis of socio-economic indicators from the ABS. This technique has been successful in linking socio-economic data with an improved understanding of socio-spatial structure of vulnerability from rising transport and housing costs. Providing the VAMPIRE index in AURIN's existing data infrastructure will permit researchers and practitioners to access and evaluate VAMPIRE within their own local contexts. The key (and only) dataset used to construct the VAMPIRE index is ABS census data for 2016. For each census year four Basic Community Profile (BCP) variables are used: (1) median household weekly income; (2) proportion of households owning two or more vehicles; (3) proportion of people traveling to work by car; and (4) number of homes being purchased with a mortgage. For more information please view the Technical Documentation.

Australian Capital Territory: Average Persons Per Household data was reported at 2.500 Person in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.600 Person for 2018. Australian Capital Territory: Average Persons Per Household data is updated yearly, averaging 2.600 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.830 Person in 1996 and a record low of 2.450 Person in 2004. Australian Capital Territory: Average Persons Per Household data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.EB004: Housing Stock.

As of September 2024, the average rental yield of houses in Sydney, New South Wales, was **** percent. In Darwin, the rental yield for houses measured **** percent, which was the highest across all Australian capital cities during that quarter.

As of September 2024, the average rental yield of units in Darwin was the highest amongst the capital cities in Australia at **** percent. The lowest average unit rental yield was recorded in Hobart, Tasmania, with a rental yield of **** percent.

In 2024, Sydney had the highest price per square meter of land across major cities in Australia. Lot buyers expected to pay a premium of ***** Australian dollars per square meter in the capital of New South Wales. Conversely, lot buyers in Adelaide expected to spend around *** Australian dollars per square meter of land. Prices through the roof Over the past decade, the surge in land and housing costs has been attributed to rapid population growth, driving up median prices for property and land, particularly in cities. In Sydney, the per square meter price of land has almost tripled since 2010, while the number of new property listings has declined over the years. A shortage of residential land available to build on has exacerbated the housing affordability crisis in Australia. Will lending rates continue to climb? The homeownership dream is out of reach for the average Australian without a housing loan. Nevertheless, Australia's high mortgage interest rates for both owner-occupiers and investors have impacted current and aspiring mortgage holders, with the value of household lending trending downwards over the past two years. While rates remained high in the first half of 2024, they likely reached their peak, as shown by the gradual plateau in the second half of the year. This stabilization should, in turn, accelerate buying, selling, and lending activities.

The rent price index in Australia in the first quarter of 2025 was *****, marking an increase from the same quarter of the previous year. Rent prices had decreased in 2020; in Melbourne and Sydney, this was mainly attributed to the absence of international students during the coronavirus outbreak. The current state of the rental market in Australia The rental market in Australia has been marked by varying conditions across different regions. Among the capital cities, Sydney has long been recognized for having some of the highest average rents. As of March 2025, the average weekly rent for a house in Sydney was *** Australian dollars, which was the highest average rent across all major cities in Australia that year. Furthermore, due to factors like population growth and housing demand, regional areas have also seen noticeable increases in rental prices. For instance, households in the non-metropolitan area of New South Wales’ expenditure on rent was around ** percent of their household income in the year ending June 2024. Housing affordability in Australia Housing affordability remains a significant challenge in Australia, contributing to a trend where many individuals and families rent for prolonged periods. The underlying cause of this issue is the ongoing disparity between household wages and housing costs, especially in large cities. While renting offers several advantages, it is worth noting that the associated costs may not always align with the expectation of affordability. Approximately one-third of participants in a recent survey stated that they pay between ** and ** percent of their monthly income on rent. Recent government initiatives, such as the 2024 Help to Buy scheme, aim to make it easier for people across Australia to get onto the property ladder. Still, the multifaceted nature of Australia’s housing affordability problem requires continued efforts to strike a balance between market dynamics and the need for accessible housing options for Australians.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the annual average transport cost per household in Sydney, Australia, was around ***** thousand Australian dollars. Comparatively, average transport costs in Hobart were around ***** thousand Australian dollars.