Average Australian first home buyer deposit statistics

The average first home buyer needs to save $126,872 for a 20% deposit, based on the average first-home property value of around $635,000.

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Joshua Godfrey's headshot

By

Richard Whitten

&

Joshua Godfrey

Edited by

Jason Loewenthal

Updated

Fact checked

A typical first home buyer's deposit is between 5% and 20% of the property's purchase price. If you bought an $800,000 house with a 20% deposit you would need to save $160,000 for the deposit and borrow the rest.

Saving this deposit is often the biggest challenge for first home buyers today.

The statistics on this page break down how much homebuyers need to save for deposits using ABS lending figures to work out average deposits. We have broken this down by state and territory.

Key statistics

  • The average Australian first home buyer needs to save $134,841 if they want a 20% deposit.
  • The average first home buyer's monthly loan repayments have jumped 77% since rates began rising in May 2022.
  • The average buyer in NSW faces the biggest hurdle, requiring a deposit of $156,761.

What is the average house deposit by state?

  • The average Australian first home buyer looking to buy with a 20% deposit today needs to save $134,841.
  • A buyer in NSW needs to save $156,761. A buyer in Tasmania needs to save $107,083 which is 46% less in comparison.

We analysed how much homebuyers need to save for a deposit in each state and territory by looking at the latest average loan sizes for Australian owner-occupiers (ABS figures).

Using these loan averages we were able to assume property prices and deposit sizes. This is based on the assumption of a 20% deposit.

Borrowers can get home loans with deposits as low as 5%. But this comes with additional costs such as lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).

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Expert insight: Tips for first-time buyers

"My advice would is start the search in 'the sold' section rather than the 'for sale' section. If you do your research up front on what is actually achievable, you can conduct your search with much more focus and not waste any time chasing properties that will never be in [your] budget anyway. By using the map function, you can actually explore alternative areas to your ideal suburbs and find that ' sister' suburbs may give you a similar lifestyle at a more affordable price point."

Principal, Michelle May Buyers Agents

What are the average repayments on a 30-year loan?

With the loan amounts and deposit figures above, we calculated the average borrower's monthly home loan repayments. To do this we used:

  • A 6.27% interest rate (the RBA's latest average owner-occupier variable rate)
  • A 30-year loan term (this is the standard Australian loan term)

The data clearly shows that homebuyers in NSW have the most expensive mortgage burdens. This is the inevitable result of higher property prices in that state (especially in Sydney), which in turn forces buyers to save bigger deposits and borrow more.

Interest rates started rising in May 2022. This has massively increased loan repayments:

  • In April 2022 the average NSW homebuyer was making monthly repayments of $2,317. In September 2024 this has increased by 67% to $3,869.
  • Nationwide, loan repayments for first home buyers have jumped 77% over the same time.

How much does the average first home buyer borrow?

Another way to understand rising property prices and deposit sizes is to look at how much first home buyers borrow today.

Loans for first home buyers have increased dramatically across every state and territory in the last 2 decades.

What's the average property price based on the deposit amount?

Using loan averages and 20% deposits we can also determine average property prices. All figures in the chart below assume a 20% deposit.

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Our expert says

"Homebuyers have been chasing a goal which is becoming more and more difficult to attain. As property prices have risen the deposits needed for a first home loan have grown with them. Not only that, rising interest rates have meant that buyer borrowing power has dropped. The good news is that there are still solutions, like first home buyer support and low deposit loans, but it might require a little research and comparison to find the right one for you."

Rebecca Pike
Senior home loans writer

Compare first home buyer home loan options

If you're looking to enter the property market, you'll need to save a deposit and get a home loan. And luckily, you don't need to save a 20% deposit.

You can enter the market with a low deposit home loan if you're willing to borrow more and pay LMI.

And if you have parents who own a property and are willing to act as your guarantor, you can get a loan with a low deposit and skip the LMI premium.

There are also government schemes that let first home buyers purchase homes with deposits below 20% and no LMI.

Jason Loewenthal's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Jason Loewenthal as part of our fact-checking process.
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Editor

Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio

Richard's expertise
Richard has written 562 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans
  • Property
  • Personal finance
  • Money-saving tips
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Co-written by

Insights analyst

Joshua Godfrey is an insights analyst for Finder. Josh manages Finder's monthly Consumer Sentiment Tracker and quarterly reports which examine the financial issues currently affecting Australians. He has a Bachelor of Business and Diploma in Innovation from the University of Technology, Sydney where he studied finance and marketing. See full bio

Joshua's expertise
Joshua has written 25 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Data and analytics
  • Money trends
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