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The latest housing affordability data from Cotality, released earlier this year, showed that both purchase and rental affordability were tracking at record lows.
Last week, REA Group released its latest rental affordability report, which showed that affordability hit a record low at the end of 2025 following a 55% rise in median asking rents since the beginning of 2020.
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REA Group estimates that the national median weekly advertised rent has increased by $230 since the start of 2020, from $420 to $650 today, adding nearly $12,000 to the annual cost of renting the median home.
Housing affordability to worsen in 2026:
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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.