How much is the average house deposit in Australia?
The estimated average deposit gap in Australia was about $338,400 at the end of 2025, equal to roughly 31.5% of the average property price. That figure has nearly doubled since 2015. Benchmark deposits on the 2025 median house price come in lower: $149,000 at 20%, $74,500 at 10% and $37,250 at 5%. First-home buyers using a government guarantee paid around $31,000 to $33,000, based on 2024–25 scheme-user data.
Two patterns stand out. The average property price has roughly doubled since 2011, from about $487,000 to $1.07 million. At the same time, the estimated deposit gap as a share of price has held in a fairly narrow band of 28% to 36%. The deposit gap looks bigger today because the price underneath it has grown.
How does the deposit change at 5%, 10% and 20%?
On the 2025 median Australian house price of $745,000, the benchmark cash amount varies by tens of thousands depending on the deposit percentage. Fixed-percentage deposits show the cash required at 5%, 10% and 20%, while the estimated average deposit gap shows the difference between mean dwelling prices and average new loan sizes across the market.
5% of the $745,000 median house. LMI is more likely at this level unless a government guarantee applies.
10% of the $745,000 median house. LMI may still apply, although premiums are usually lower than at 5%.
20% of the $745,000 median house. This is the common benchmark at which LMI is usually not required.
The gap between 5% and 20% on the same house is more than $110,000. For a unit at the 2025 median of $606,000, those benchmarks drop to $30,300 at 5% and $121,200 at 20%. Dwelling type and deposit percentage together make a bigger difference to the cash requirement than any other single factor.
Which states need the largest house deposits?
In 2025, the estimated average deposit gap was $428,400 in New South Wales and $64,900 in the Northern Territory, a gap of more than $363,000 between the highest and lowest. Geography is one of the largest drivers of the estimated deposit gap.
In 2025, the average property in New South Wales cost $1,301,137 and buyers borrowed an average of $828,000. That leaves an average deposit of $428,400, or 32.9% of the property price. The average deposit is +72.8% compared with 2015.
The deposit estimate is calculated as the ABS mean dwelling price at the December quarter minus the average new owner-occupier loan size for the December quarter. Median house and unit prices are 2025 annual medians.
Where has the estimated deposit gap grown fastest?
Queensland's estimated average deposit gap rose 184.9% from 2015 to 2025, the biggest increase of any state. South Australia followed at +170.5% and Tasmania at +161.3%. Victoria recorded the smallest mainland increase at 45.0%, and the Northern Territory was the only state where the estimated deposit gap fell, down 49.9%.
Top accent colour reflects the size of the decade change: green for moderate or negative growth, amber for medium and red for the largest increases. The national average rose 88.9% from $179,200 to $338,400 over the same period.
Source: ABS Total Value of Dwellings, Table 1; ABS Lending Indicators, Table 4.
How have house deposits changed over time?
The national deposit estimate rose from $136,900 at the end of 2011 to $338,400 at the end of 2025, an increase of 147.3% over 14 years. Since 2023, the figure has held in a tight band of $335,000 to $338,000: high in dollar terms, but broadly flat year-on-year.
How have rising loan sizes changed the deposit gap?
The national deposit estimate rose just 0.5% across 2025, even though property prices kept climbing. Average loan sizes grew from about $637,000 across 2024 to $692,000 across 2025, absorbing much of the price growth. When loan sizes rise closer to property prices, the calculated deposit gap can stay flat even while prices increase.
How much is a 20% house deposit by capital city?
A 20% deposit on the 2025 Sydney median house price of $1.51 million is $302,600, the highest of any Australian capital. Canberra is second at $202,700. At the other end, Darwin's 20% benchmark is $129,400, less than half of Sydney's.
| Capital city | Median price | 5% deposit | 10% deposit | 20% deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $1,513,000 | $75,650 | $151,300 | $302,600 |
| Canberra | $1,013,500 | $50,675 | $101,350 | $202,700 |
| Brisbane | $995,000 | $49,750 | $99,500 | $199,000 |
| Adelaide | $884,000 | $44,200 | $88,400 | $176,800 |
| Perth | $860,500 | $43,025 | $86,050 | $172,100 |
| Melbourne | $845,900 | $42,295 | $84,590 | $169,180 |
| Hobart | $712,750 | $35,638 | $71,275 | $142,550 |
| Darwin | $647,000 | $32,350 | $64,700 | $129,400 |
| Australia | $745,000 | $37,250 | $74,500 | $149,000 |
Source: ABS Total Value of Dwellings, Table 2. Median house sale prices for each capital city, 2025 annual median.
How much is a 20% house deposit in Australia?
A 20% deposit on the national median house was $84,000 in 2015 and $149,000 in 2025, an increase of $65,000, or 77.4%, in a decade. The national median house price rose from $420,000 in 2015 to $745,000 in 2025.
Regional vs capital city house deposits
A 20% deposit in the rest of South Australia is $104,500, about $72,000 less than the Adelaide equivalent of $176,800. The 2025 medians outside the capitals are $522,500 for the rest of South Australia, $745,000 for the rest of Queensland and $775,000 for the rest of NSW. Regional median prices can therefore produce lower 20% benchmark deposits than capital-city medians.
How much deposit is needed for a unit in Australia?
A 20% deposit on the 2025 national median unit price of $606,000 is $121,200, around $27,800 less than the equivalent house deposit. The largest dollar difference is in Sydney: a 20% deposit on the unit median of $837,500 is $167,500, which is $135,100 less than the Sydney house benchmark.
Source: ABS Total Value of Dwellings, Table 2. Median house and unit/apartment sale prices for each capital city, 2025 annual median.
How has the deposit gap between houses and units changed?
The deposit gap between houses and units has grown from $10,600 in 2005 to $27,800 in 2025, more than doubling over two decades. In 2005, a 20% benchmark deposit on the median house was about $56,000, compared with $45,400 for a unit. House prices have risen faster than unit prices, particularly since 2020.
Average first-home buyer deposit in Australia
Couples using the First Home Guarantee scheme paid a median deposit of about $33,000 in 2024-25, on a purchase price of $660,000 at 95% LVR. Single borrowers paid a median of $31,000 on $521,000 at 94% LVR.
First-home-buyer deposits vs the broader market
The median first-home-buyer deposit across the broader market was about $68,200 (three years to 2019-20, in 2022-23 prices). Among non-scheme first-home buyers from January 2020 to May 2022, the average deposit was $122,000, against about $34,000 for scheme participants. The gap reflects that scheme borrowers typically purchased at lower price points and used higher loan-to-value ratios.
How much are first-home buyers borrowing?
The national average new first-home-buyer loan rose from $360,500 in 2015 to $607,600 in 2025, up 68.5% in a decade. South Australia (+102.1%), Queensland (+86.6%) and Tasmania (+84.6%) recorded the biggest decade increases. A higher loan does not always mean a higher deposit: many first-home buyers use a 5% to 10% deposit and borrow the rest. At current rates, repayments on the average first-home-buyer loan are around $3,300 a month.
House deposit calculator
On the 2025 national median house price of $745,000, a 20% benchmark deposit is $149,000. The worked example also applies an estimated stamp duty amount of $22,350, based on a simplified 3% calculation. The example uses the national median house price; deposit and stamp duty estimates change with the property price.
- ABS Total Value of Dwellings, December Quarter 2025: state-level mean dwelling prices and quarterly median transfer prices for houses and attached dwellings.
- ABS Lending Indicators, December Quarter 2025: number and value of new owner-occupier and first-home-buyer housing loan commitments by state.
- Reserve Bank of Australia, 2025 Conference paper "Super for Housing": median first-home-buyer deposit estimates from the ABS Survey of Income and Housing.
- Housing Australia Home Guarantee Scheme Trends and Insights Report 2024-25: median purchase prices and LVRs for First Home Guarantee borrowers.
- Housing Australia / NHFIC, First Home Guarantee Trends and Insights Report 2022-23: lender-panel comparison of broader first-home-buyer market and scheme borrowers.
- APRA Quarterly Authorised Deposit-taking Institution Property Exposure Statistics, December 2025: lender-side data on residential mortgage commitments by loan-to-valuation ratio band.
- Methodology: estimated deposit gap calculated as ABS mean dwelling price at the December quarter minus the average new owner-occupier loan size for the December quarter. Benchmark deposits use annual medians from ABS transfer data.
Data Snapshots
