Australian home ownership statistics: how many Australian...

Section 01

Total homeowners

How many Australians own their home?

The 2021 Census counted 10,852,208 occupied private dwellings across Australia. Roughly two in three were owner-occupied, split almost evenly between households that own outright and those still paying off a mortgage. The remaining third rent, either privately or through public housing.

The combined homeownership rate of 66% has been gradually declining from around 70% in the early 1980s, driven mainly by a fall in outright ownership as property prices rose and mortgage terms lengthened. Since 2003, more households have owned their homes with a mortgage than have owned their homes outright.

Homeownership rate

66%

Owned outright + with mortgage

Total private dwellings

10.85M

2021 Census, occupied

Owned with mortgage

3.80M

35% of all dwellings

Owned outright

3.36M

31% of all dwellings

Australian housing tenure, 2021

Share of occupied private dwellings by tenure type

66%

own their home

Owned with mortgage

3,798,273 dwellings

35%

Owned outright

3,364,184 dwellings

31%

Renting

3,320,775 dwellings

30.6%

Other / not stated

368,975 dwellings

3.4%

Source: ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

Yes, gradually. The combined rate of 66% in 2021 sits below the roughly 70% recorded in the early 1980s. Outright ownership has fallen the most, dropping from 39.5% in 1997–98 to 29.5% in 2019–20.

Long-run shift in ownership

Around

70%

Homeownership rate in the early 1980s

66%

Homeownership rate, 2021 Census

39.5%

Outright owners in 1997–98

29.5%

Outright owners in 2019–20

Outright ownership has fallen 10 percentage points over roughly two decades. More Australians now own their home with a mortgage than own it outright.

About the data

The ABS cancelled the 2023–24 Survey of Income and Housing due to data quality issues, making the 2021 Census the most reliable baseline available for tenure splits. The next SIH results are expected in mid-2027. Where 2025 figures appear in this article, they draw on ABS Lending Indicators, dwelling price data and the RBA interest rate series.

Section 02

Mortgage holders

How many Australians have a mortgage?

Around 3.8 million households, or 35% of all occupied private dwellings, held a mortgage at the 2021 Census. The national median outstanding debt was $275,000 in 2019–20, with weekly housing costs averaging $493, about 16% of gross household income.

In 1997–98, outright ownership sat at 39.5% and mortgage ownership at 30.9%. By 2019–20, outright ownership had dropped to 29.5% while mortgage ownership climbed to 36.8%. Private renting has also grown steadily, from 20% to 26.2% over the same period.

New lending has picked up significantly. In 2025, there were 556,092 new owner-occupier and investor loan commitments, the highest annual total since the 2021 peak, with first home buyers accounting for 119,464 of those. The average new owner-occupier loan reached around $734,000 by the December quarter.

National median mortgage debt

$275k

Outstanding balance, 2019–20

Average weekly cost

$493

For mortgaged households nationally

Cost as share of income

16%

Of gross household income

Australian housing tenure trends, 1997–2020

Share of households by tenure type, ABS Survey of Income and Housing

Owned outright
With mortgage
Private renter

Source: ABS Survey of Income and Housing, 1997–98 to 2019–20.

Median mortgage debt by state, Australia

Median outstanding debt among mortgaged households, 2019–20

ACT

$347,000

$321,000

NSW

$302,000

VIC

$285,000

$280,000

QLD

$261,000

$216,000

TAS

$177,000

Source: ABS Housing Occupancy and Costs, 2019–20.

Based on the 2021 Census, 35% of all occupied private dwellings were owned with a mortgage, covering around 3.8 million households. The median outstanding debt was $275,000 nationally in 2019–20.

Section 03

Who is buying

Who is actually buying homes in Australia?

Age is the strongest driver of home ownership in Australia. Ownership rises sharply through people's 30s and 40s, then levels out in their 60s and 70s. More tellingly, every generation born since the mid-1950s has reached each age group with lower ownership rates than the generation before.

Australians born between 1947 and 1951 reached a 54.2% home ownership rate at ages 25–29. Those born from 1992 to 1996 had reached just 36.1% at the same stage of life, an 18 percentage point gap.

Born 1947–51 (at age 25–29)

54.2%

Home ownership rate for the post-war generation entering their late 20s

Born 1992–96 (at age 25–29)

36.1%

Home ownership rate for millennials and Gen Z at the same life stage, 18 pp below

Home ownership by birth cohort and age group, Australia

Ownership rates (%) at each age bracket, by year of birth

1947-51
1957-61
1967-71
1977-81
1987-91
1992-96

Source: AIHW analysis of ABS Census data.

First home buyers by age group, Australia 2019–20

Share of recent home purchases by age group, first home buyers vs changeover buyers

First home buyers
Changeover buyers

Source: ABS Survey of Income and Housing, 2019–20.

56.1% of first home buyers who purchased in the three years to 2019–20 were aged between 25 and 34, up from 49.6% in 2017–18. The share under 25 remained small at 5.3%.

Around 24% of changeover purchases in 2019–20 were made by households aged 65 or over, likely reflecting retirees using built-up home equity to downsize.

According to the ABS Survey of Income and Housing 2019–20, 56.1% of first home buyers were aged 25–34, while only 5.3% were under 25.

Section 04

Dwelling types

What types of homes do Australians live in?

Of Australia's 10.85 million private dwellings, separate houses make up the majority. The 2021 Census counted 7.7 million separate houses, roughly 71% of all homes. High-density apartments in buildings of nine or more storeys accounted for 394,303 homes nationally.

Dwelling types, Australia 2021

Number of residential private dwellings by structure type

Separate house

7,699,917

Townhouse (1 storey)

753,231

Townhouse (2+ storey)

597,289

Flat / apt (1–2 storey)

479,622

Flat / apt (4–8 storey)

444,338

Flat / apt (9+ storey)

394,303

Flat / apt (3 storey)

382,041

Source: ABS 2021 Census, Administrative Data Snapshot.

The state breakdown tells a clearer story. NSW has the highest share of flats and apartments, driven by Sydney's density. Victoria stands out for medium-density housing, with 237,779 one-storey townhouses, more than any other state.

Why the Northern Territory looks different

The NT has Australia's most varied housing mix, with more caravans, cabins and non-standard homes than other jurisdictions. This reflects remote community housing patterns that are not typical of the broader residential market.

Section 05

State by state

Which Australian states have the highest home ownership rates?

Home ownership is not evenly spread across Australia. Rates range from 59% in the Northern Territory to 69.3% in Western Australia.

New South Wales

Total ownership

64%

With mortgage

34%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$574

Victoria

Total ownership

68%

With mortgage

37%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$501

Queensland

Total ownership

64%

With mortgage

36%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$447

South Australia

Total ownership

69%

With mortgage

39%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$390

Western Australia

Total ownership

69.3%

With mortgage

42.7%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$443

Tasmania

Total ownership

68%

With mortgage

35%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$346

Northern Territory

Total ownership

59%

With mortgage

43%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$534

Australian Capital Territory

Total ownership

69%

With mortgage

42%

Weekly cost (mortgage)

$546

Home ownership by state and territory, Australia 2021

Share of dwellings owned outright, owned with mortgage, and renting

Outright
Mortgage
Renting

Source: ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

State / territory	Ownership	Mortgaged	Outright	Renting	Median mortgage	Cost % of income
New South Wales	64%	34%	30%	33%	$302,000	17%
Victoria	68%	37%	31%	29%	$285,000	16%
Queensland	64%	36%	28%	35%	$261,000	15%
South Australia	69%	39%	30%	28%	$216,000	14%
Western Australia	69.3%	42.7%	26.6%	28%	$280,000	14%
Tasmania	68%	35%	33%	29%	$177,000	15%
Northern Territory	59%	43%	16%	40%	$321,000	16%
Australian Capital Territory	69%	42%	27%	28%	$347,000	16%
Australia (national)	66%	35%	31%	30.6%	$275,000	16%

Northern Territory: the NT has the lowest overall ownership rate at 59% and the highest rental rate at 40%, reflecting the large share of public and community housing in remote areas.
Western Australia: WA leads the country with a 69.3% ownership rate. Perth's median dwelling price rose from around $660,000 to $951,000 between 2023 and 2025.
Tasmania: records the lowest median mortgage debt at $177,000 and the lowest average weekly cost at $346.
ACT: highest median outstanding mortgage at $347,000 and the highest weekly mortgage cost at $546.
Queensland and NSW: both sit at 64% ownership. NSW has the highest share of renters at 33%.

Western Australia had the highest at 69.3%, followed by South Australia and the ACT, both at 69%. The Northern Territory had the lowest overall rate at 59%.

Section 06

Affordability

How affordable is it to buy a home in Australia?

Saving a deposit remains a decades-long challenge. In 2017, a single income earner saving 4.7% of their income needed roughly 25 years to save a 20% deposit. By 2025, even with a higher saving rate of 6.9%, the median dwelling price of $825,000 still leaves the timeline at around 21 years.

When household savings spiked to 13.9% during COVID lockdowns in 2020, the deposit timeline fell to around 8.3 years nationally.

$825K

National median dwelling price, 2025

Up from $465,000 in 2015. Sydney $1.515M · Brisbane $1.1M+ · Perth $951K.

Deposit savings reality, 2025

21 yrs

Years to save a 20% deposit nationally on a single income (2025)

8.3 yrs

Best recent year was 2020, a pandemic saving spike

39 yrs

Years to save a 20% deposit in Sydney on a single income (2025)

18 ×

Sydney median multiple (house price to income ratio)

Single average income ($111,815) at 6.9% saving ratio, 20% deposit on median dwelling price.

Years to save a 20% deposit, Australia

National trend, single income at 6.9% saving ratio

2017

25.0 yrs

2019

18.3 yrs

2020 ↓

8.3 yrs

2022 ↑

34.5 yrs

2024

25.4 yrs

2025

21.4 yrs

Source: ABS National Accounts, ABS dwelling price data.

Price-to-income ratios across capitals

Sydney's median dwelling price sits at around 18 times annual earnings. Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane are nearly 13 times income. Perth is around 12. For comparison, Vancouver and Los Angeles sit at roughly 15–16 times income.

Government programmes including the First Home Guarantee, shared equity schemes and state-based stamp duty concessions can help eligible buyers reduce upfront costs. But house prices have outpaced wages for so long that affordability is now a structural problem.

On a single average income of $111,815 with a 6.9% saving ratio, it takes around 21 years to save a 20% deposit on the median dwelling price of $825,000 in 2025. In Sydney, that extends to about 39 years.

"Every birth cohort since the 1950s has entered each age bracket with a lower homeownership rate than the one before it. At ages 25 to 29, younger Australians are 18 percentage points below where the post-war generation stood."

General information only

This article is based on publicly available ABS data. It is general information only and does not constitute financial advice. If you are making decisions about saving for a property purchase, consider speaking with a licensed financial adviser.