Australia’s housing affordability remains near a three-decade low, taking first-home buyers nearly six years just to save a deposit, but there are ways they can get in sooner.

A new report by REA Group and Commonwealth Bank shows housing affordability has slumped, as rising house prices add to the challenges for those trying to get into the market.

Prospective first-home buyers, defined as people aged between 25-39 and earning $129,000, can only afford 17 per cent of houses, the lowest figure since 1995.

It is also taking longer just to have enough money for the deposit.

As of June 2025, an average-income Australian household would need to save for the equivalent of 5.9 years to put down a 20 per cent deposit for a median-priced house.

South Australia has the highest deposit hurdles a

See Full Page