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AustraliaCommunity profile

Greater Capital Cities

Housing loan quartiles

In Greater Capital Cities, the 'highest group' was the largest quartile, comprising of 29% of households with mortgages in 2021.

Mortgage repayments in Greater Capital Cities are directly related to house prices, length of occupancy and the level of equity of home owners. When viewed with Household Income data it may also indicate the level of housing stress in the community.

The quartile method is the most objective method of comparing change in the mortgage payment profile of a community over time.

A detailed explanation of how Housing Loan Repayment quartiles are calculated and interpreted is available in specific data notes.

Please note, interest rates at the 2021 Census were at a record low in Australia. The first interest rate rises by the Reserve Bank began an upward cycle from May 2022. Please use mortgage payment data with caution as data from the 2021 Census pre-dates all official rate rises in the current cycle.

Q:

Derived from the Census questions:

'How much does your household pay for this dwelling?' and 'Is this dwelling (owned outright, owned with a mortgage etc.)'

Housing loan quartiles
Greater Capital Cities - Households (Enumerated)20212016Change
Loan repayment quartile groupNumber%Australia %Number%Australia %2016 to 2021
Lowest group428,91820.925.0394,32521.525.0+34,593
Medium lowest473,91623.125.0422,42923.025.0+51,487
Medium highest544,13226.625.0481,24526.325.0+62,887
Highest group601,69229.425.0534,78929.225.0+66,903
Total households with stated mortgage repayments2,048,660100.0100.01,832,790100.0100.0+215,870
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Housing loan - Quartile group dollar ranges
Calculated from loan repayment data for AustraliaMonthly housing loan repayments by Census year
Housing loan repayment ranges20212016201120062001
Lowest group$0 to $1,254$0 to $1,184$0 to $1,159$0 to $850$0 to $613
Medium lowest$1,255 to $1,873$1,185 to $1,784$1,160 to $1,804$851 to $1,305$614 to $891
Medium highest$1,874 to $2,675$1,785 to $2,518$1,805 to $2,596$1,306 to $1,931$892 to $1,261
Highest group$2,676 and over$2,519 and over$2,597 and over$1,932 and over$1,262 and over

Dominant groups

Housing loan repayment quartiles allow us to compare relative repayment liabilities across time. Analysis of the distribution of households by housing loan repayment quartiles in Greater Capital Cities compared to Australia shows that there was a larger proportion of households in the highest repayment quartile, and a smaller proportion in the lowest repayment quartile.

Emerging groups

The total number of households with a mortgage in Greater Capital Cities decreased by 1,832,790 between 2016 and 2021. The most significant change in Greater Capital Cities during this period was in the highest quartile which showed an increase of 66,903 households.

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