Average Property Growth Rates in Australia by City

How We Source This Data

Property Growth Aus classifies data into three levels: Official Public Data (ABS, state government), Licensed Industry Data (SQM Research, CoreLogic, PropTrack) and PGA Projections (calculator outputs based on user assumptions). All data on this research page will be sourced from Level 1 or Level 2 sources only, and labelled accordingly. See our Data and Methodology page for full details.

We do not republish vendor-published "average growth" figures without checking the underlying time period, geography and index methodology. Different providers measure different things: median sale price changes, hedonic price indices (which adjust for property composition), and stratified medians can all produce materially different headline growth numbers for the same market and the same period. Where this page eventually presents a figure, the methodology used to calculate it will be disclosed alongside it.

National Average Property Growth Rate

The national average is the broadest possible measure and the least informative for any individual property decision. It blends together the high-growth markets of the largest capital cities with slower-growing regional areas and lifestyle markets, and it weights houses and units differently depending on the index. It is a useful benchmark for asking "did property generally go up or down this decade", but it should not be used to set expectations for a specific suburb.

Average Growth Rates by Capital City

Melbourne, VIC

Melbourne's housing market is shaped by strong long-run population growth, ongoing inner and middle-ring infill development, and one of the largest established unit pipelines in the country. Houses in established middle-ring suburbs with strong school catchments have historically been the standout performers.

Sydney, NSW

Sydney typically sets the national benchmark for absolute prices. Its growth is supported by constrained land supply, strong overseas migration and high local incomes, but it is also the most interest-rate-sensitive of the capital city markets because of the price levels involved.

Brisbane, QLD

Brisbane has historically traded periods of strong growth with periods of consolidation. Net interstate migration from southern states, infrastructure investment associated with major events, and an affordability gap relative to Sydney and Melbourne are commonly cited drivers.

Perth, WA

Perth's market is more closely tied to commodity cycles than any other capital city. Mining investment cycles can drive sharp growth periods followed by extended plateaus. Long-run averages can therefore look modest even when individual decades have been dramatic.

Adelaide, SA

Adelaide has traditionally been one of the more stable Australian capital markets, with lower absolute prices, lower volatility and steady, if unspectacular, long-run growth.

Canberra, ACT

Canberra's market is unique for its dependence on federal government employment, which provides unusually stable household income but limits the diversity of demand drivers.

Growth Rates by Property Type

For a qualitative discussion of why houses have generally outperformed units, see House vs Apartment: Which Grows Faster in Australia?

A Decade-by-Decade Overview

Looking at decade-on-decade returns is one of the most useful ways to understand how varied Australian property has been. The same city can deliver double-digit annual growth in one decade and effectively flat real growth in the next. This is normal — and it is why committing to a long holding period matters more than picking a perfect entry point.

How to Use These Rates in Your Planning

These figures are useful as reference points when choosing a growth rate for your property projection. We recommend using them as benchmarks for your three-scenario model (conservative, moderate, optimistic) rather than as exact predictions. The Property Growth Calculator allows you to run all three scenarios simultaneously, which makes for a more honest conversation about future outcomes than locking yourself into one headline number.

Finally, remember that historical averages describe the past. They do not promise the future. Use them to anchor your thinking, not to outsource it.