Canberra
Housing tenure
In Canberra, 65% of households were purchasing or fully owned their home, 24.4% were renting privately, and 5.5% were in social housing in 2021.
Canberra's Housing Tenure data provides insights into its socio-economic status as well as the role it plays in the housing market. For example, a high concentration of private renters may indicate a transient area attractive to young singles and couples, while a concentration of home owners indicates a more settled area with mature families and empty-nesters (Household Summary). Tenure can also reflect built form (Dwelling Type), with a significantly higher share of renters in high density housing and a substantially larger proportion of home-owners in separate houses, although this is not always the case.
In conjunction with other socio-economic status indicators in Canberra, Tenure data is useful for analysing housing markets, housing affordability and identifying public housing areas.
Further reading: How can Councils influence affordable housing.
Derived from the Census questions:
'Is this dwelling (owned outright, owned with a mortgage etc.)', and 'If this dwelling is being rented, who is it rented from?'
Households
| Housing tenure | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra - Households (Enumerated) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
| Tenure type | Number | % | Regional NSW % | Number | % | Regional NSW % | 2016 to 2021 | |
| Fully owned | 45,167 | 25.8 | 36.3 | 38,958 | 25.8 | 35.5 | +6,209 | 22001 |
| Mortgage | 68,028 | 38.9 | 29.4 | 55,098 | 36.6 | 28.6 | +12,930 | 22002 |
| Renting - Total | 52,571 | 30.0 | 25.7 | 45,322 | 30.1 | 25.3 | +7,249 | 22003 |
| Renting - Social housing | 9,682 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 9,292 | 6.2 | 4.2 | +390 | 22004 |
| Renting - Private | 42,676 | 24.4 | 21.7 | 35,843 | 23.8 | 20.9 | +6,833 | 22005 |
| Renting - Not stated | 213 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 187 | 0.1 | 0.2 | +26 | 22006 |
| Other tenure type | 2,790 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 1,923 | 1.3 | 2.2 | +867 | 22007 |
| Not stated | 6,414 | 3.7 | 6.4 | 9,408 | 6.2 | 8.4 | -2,994 | 22008 |
| Total households | 174,970 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 150,709 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +24,261 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
(Enumerated data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Dominant groups
Analysis of the housing tenure of households of Canberra in 2021 compared to Regional NSW shows that there was a smaller proportion of households who owned their dwelling; a larger proportion purchasing their dwelling; and a larger proportion who were renters.
Overall, 25.8% of households owned their dwelling; 38.9% were purchasing, and 30.0% were renting, compared with 36.3%, 29.4% and 25.7% respectively for Regional NSW.
Emerging groups
The largest changes in housing tenure categories for the households in Canberra between 2016 and 2021 were:
- Mortgage (+12,930 households)
- Renting - Private (+6,833 households)
- Fully owned (+6,209 households)
- Other tenure type (+867 households)
The total number of households in Canberra increased by 24,261 between 2016 and 2021.