More than two thirds of us own our home or have a mortgage

MORE than two thirds of households in Australia either own their own home or are paying off a mortgage, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

MORE than two thirds of households in Australia either own their own home or are paying off a mortgage, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The 2001 figure of 67% was a fall of 1.1% from 2006, however the number of dwellings in the nation rose 8.2% to 9.1million over the same period.

Ownership rates were highest in Tasmania and Victoria at just over 70%, while in the Northern Territory it was lowest at 46%.

Rates of ownership fell in every state and territory, possibly reflecting the lack of first home buyers entering the market after the global financial crisis.

In New South Wales it fell the least, just 0.2%, while in Queensland it fell the most at 1.9%.

In Queensland, the local government areas with the highest home ownership rates were Somerset, Scenic Rim and Redland, all over 72%.

This compares with rates of 61.5% in Brisbane, 60.9% in the Gold Coast and 60.5% in the high-growth Ipswich region.

The far-north and remote regions recorded the lowest rates of home ownership, while the mining area of Isaac had a low 35.5% home ownership rate.

In NSW inner-city Sydney has the lowest ownership rate at 37.3% while Palerang local government area in the Southern Tablelands has the highest at 83.6%.

Originally published as More than two thirds of us own our home or have a mortgage