How long does it take to save a house deposit in Australi...

Key findings at a glance

32^yrs

To save a 20% deposit on the national mean at the latest March 2026 saving ratio of 6.2%

$222^k

$222,220 required for a 20% deposit on the national mean of $1,111,100

38^yrs

To save in New South Wales, the longest state timeline in March 2026

18^yrs

To save in the Northern Territory, the shortest timeline nationally

Section 01Deposit timeline

How long does it take to save a 20% deposit?

In the March 2026 quarter, Australia's mean dwelling price reached $1,111,100, up from $677,475 in 2017. A 20% deposit on the national mean home is now $222,220.

At the March 2026 household saving ratio of 6.2%, the average annual saving estimate is about $6,933. With no starting savings and no investment return included, it would take approximately 32 years to reach a 20% deposit.

Income has increased over the period, but not as quickly as the deposit required. Average annual income rose from $85,441 in 2017 to $111,815 on the latest November 2025 earnings data, an increase of around 31%. The deposit needed for a mean-priced home rose by 64% over the same period, from $135,495 to $222,220.

That gap shows why the time needed to save a deposit has increased, even as wages have continued to rise.

Why does this article use the mean price?

The ABS publishes the mean price of residential dwellings by state and nationally, but does not publish a median dwelling price at the same state and national level. Median dwelling prices are released only by capital city in a separate ABS series. This article uses the ABS mean price of residential dwellings as a single, consistent basis across every state and territory. Because a mean is pulled upward by higher-value properties, it sits above the median. The timelines below should therefore be read as relative comparisons between states and over time, not as a typical buyer's exact experience.

National mean price

$1.11^M

↑ 64% since 2017

20% deposit required

$222^k

As of March 2026

Years to save deposit

32^yrs

At 6.2% saving rate

Years to save a 20% house deposit, Australia 2017–2025

National mean dwelling · average annual income · household saving ratio · each calendar year

Standard conditions

Pandemic-era anomaly (2020–21)

Post-COVID trough (2022–23)

Note: National mean dwelling price · average annual income · household saving ratio · each calendar year. The series runs to the 2025 annual figure of 31 years; the latest March 2026 quarter reading is 32 years. Bar colour reflects economic context: blue = pandemic-era anomaly (2020–21); red = post-COVID trough (2022–23).

Source: ABS Total Value of Dwellings (mean price of residential dwellings); ABS Average Weekly Earnings; ABS National Accounts (household saving ratio), 2017–2025.

53^yrs

2023 recorded the longest deposit timeline in the dataset

When the household saving ratio fell to 3.3% in 2023, the estimated annual saving amount fell to $3,472. That put the deposit threshold of $184,020 a full 53 years away, the longest timeline in the dataset, more than double the 23-year figure recorded in 2019.

The 2023 result shows how quickly the deposit timeline can change when the saving rate falls. The deposit itself rose by about 1% in 2023, from $181,665 in 2022 to $184,020 in 2023. The larger change was the saving rate, which reduced estimated annual savings from $4,077 to $3,472.

By 2025, the household saving ratio had recovered to 6.1%, bringing the deposit timeline back to 31 years, close to the 31-year timeline recorded in 2017, even though the deposit required was higher in dollar terms. On the latest March 2026 data, the ratio edged up slightly to 6.2% over the quarter and mean prices rose further, extending the national timeline to 32 years.

Section 02Saving rate

How saving rates affect deposit timelines

The household saving ratio is a primary input in how long it takes to save a deposit. Between 2017 and 2025, it ranged from 3.3% to 13.9%, a span of more than four times. Across those years the estimated deposit-saving timeline moved between 11 years and 53 years, though that range reflects changes in dwelling prices as well as the saving rate.

Household saving ratio, Australia 2017–2025

Net household saving as a percentage of net household disposable income · each calendar year

Household saving ratio (%)

Note: The 2020–21 spike was driven by reduced consumer spending during lockdowns and government income support. The 2022–23 trough followed the lifting of restrictions, return of spending, and rising cost-of-living pressures. The series runs to the 2025 annual ratio of 6.1%; the latest March 2026 quarter reading is 6.2%.

Source: ABS Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product (March 2026). Note on the saving ratio: 2017–2024 data points use calendar-year averages of the quarterly seasonally adjusted series. The 2025 figure of 6.1% is the annual household saving ratio from ABS Australian System of National Accounts, Table 1 (5204.0), FY2024–25 — the most recent financial-year annual figure available at time of publication. The two series are constructed differently and are not directly comparable across all years; the 2025 endpoint should be read as an approximation.

Did higher saving rates during COVID make it easier to save?

Not for long. In 2020 and 2021, the household saving rate rose to 13.9% and 12.8%, cutting the theoretical deposit timeline to 11 years and 13 years. But mean dwelling prices rose by about 28% between 2020 and 2022, pushing deposit thresholds higher. By 2022, the saving rate had fallen to 4%, while the national 20% deposit had reached $181,665, about $40,000 more than in 2020.

By 2025, the saving ratio had recovered to 6.1%, but it remained below the levels recorded during the COVID saving period. On the latest March 2026 data, it read 6.2% on a quarterly basis. That kept the national deposit-saving timeline well above the 11-year and 13-year estimates recorded in 2020 and 2021.

Section 03By state

Where you buy determines how long it takes to save

The national estimate of 32 years covers a wide range across the states. On the latest March 2026 figures, the deposit-saving timeline runs from 18 years in the Northern Territory to 38 years in New South Wales, a 20-year gap driven mostly by dwelling prices. The calculation applies the same national saving rate across all states and territories.

New South Wales has the longest estimate, while the Northern Territory has the shortest. Queensland is the only other state above the national 32-year estimate. Most other states and territories sit below the national figure because their mean dwelling prices, deposit thresholds or average earnings produce shorter timelines under the same calculation.

Years to save a 20% deposit by state and territory — March 2026 (6.2%)

State mean-price timelines shown · select a state to see the March 2026 figure and the December 2025 quarter comparison

Under 20 yrs

20–29 yrs

30–34 yrs

35+ yrs

Select a state to see capital city and regional deposit saving timelines

Note: Colours reflect state deposit-saving timelines on ABS mean dwelling prices. The latest March 2026 household saving ratio of 6.2% is applied uniformly; income figures use state-level ABS AWE averages (Nov 2025).

Source: ABS Total Value of Dwellings — Mean Price of Residential Dwellings, by state and territory (Mar-2026 release); ABS Average Weekly Earnings (Nov-2025); ABS National Accounts household saving ratio (March 2026).

20^yrs

New South Wales and the Northern Territory sit 20 years apart

On the March 2026 figures, New South Wales' 38-year timeline and the Northern Territory's 18-year timeline sit 20 years apart. The difference comes from price: a $264,960 deposit in NSW against a $119,460 deposit in the NT. Both apply the same saving rate. This makes dwelling price the main driver of the widest state gap in the deposit-saving estimates.

The deposit is only the entry point

Saving a 20% deposit nationally takes an estimated 32 years at the March 2026 saving ratio. Saving the full purchase price of the national mean home would take 160 years at the same rate. The deposit is not the finish line. It is the entry point to buying a $1,111,100 home, with most of the purchase price financed through a home loan.

Section 04All states

House deposit saving time by state and territory

Deposit-saving times vary widely across Australia because mean dwelling prices and average earnings differ by state and territory. On the latest March 2026 figures, the estimated timeline ranges from 18 years in the Northern Territory to 38 years in New South Wales.

New South Wales and Queensland sit above the 32-year national estimate, while South Australia and Western Australia sit just below it at 30 years. Every other state and territory has a shorter estimated timeline under the same March 2026 saving-rate method.

March 2026 — deposit-saving time by state and territory

Sorted by years to save · national average highlighted

Sort by:

State / territory	Mean price	20% deposit	Annual saving	Years to save
Rest of NT NT · Regional	$460,000	$92,000	$7,462/yr	12
Rest of SA SA · Regional	$595,000	$119,000	$7,311/yr	16
Rest of WA WA · Regional	$661,000	$132,200	$8,372/yr	16
Rest of Vic VIC · Regional	$625,000	$125,000	$7,570/yr	17
Rest of Tas TAS · Regional	$620,000	$124,000	$6,872/yr	18
Darwin NT · Capital city	$750,000	$150,000	$7,462/yr	20
Rest of NSW NSW · Regional	$825,000	$165,000	$7,827/yr	21
Rest of Qld QLD · Regional	$815,000	$163,000	$7,609/yr	21
Melbourne VIC · Capital city	$850,000	$170,000	$7,570/yr	22
Hobart TAS · Capital city	$740,000	$148,000	$6,872/yr	22
Perth WA · Capital city	$1,000,000	$200,000	$8,372/yr	24
Canberra ACT · Capital city	$1,071,300	$214,260	$8,311/yr	26
Adelaide SA · Capital city	$980,000	$196,000	$7,311/yr	27
Brisbane QLD · Capital city	$1,150,000	$230,000	$7,609/yr	30
Sydney NSW · Capital city	$1,485,000	$297,000	$7,827/yr	38
Australia National average	$824,627	$164,925	$7,827/yr	21

Method: March 2026 figures. Mean price = ABS mean price of residential dwellings by state (March 2026 quarter). Annual saving = average state income (ABS AWE Nov-2025) × 6.2% national saving ratio (ABS National Accounts, March 2026). Years to save = 20% deposit ÷ annual saving, rounded to the nearest year. No starting savings or investment return assumed. All figures nominal.

Section 05Quarterly comparison

How the current timeline compares with the previous quarter

The figures above use the latest March 2026 data. A quarter earlier, in the December 2025 quarter, the household saving ratio was higher at 7.0%, compared with 6.2% in March 2026, and mean dwelling prices were lower. Both changes lengthened the deposit-saving timeline: nationally from 28 years in the December 2025 quarter to 32 years on the current figures, with every state and territory extending.

Income basis: both periods use Nov-2025 earnings

There is no AWE release later than November 2025, so both the current March 2026 figures and the December 2025 quarter comparison apply the same Nov-2025 state income data. Holding income constant means the difference between the two periods reflects mean dwelling prices and the household saving ratio, not earnings. Timelines will be refined when updated AWE data is published.

In the December 2025 quarter, at the higher 7.0% saving ratio, the estimated NSW annual saving amount was approximately $7,827 per year, against $6,932 at the current 6.2% rate. Combined with a lower mean price in that quarter, that produced a New South Wales timeline of 34 years, four years shorter than the current 38-year figure.

Saving ratio Dec 2025

7.0^%

vs 6.2% in March 2026

NSW timeline (Dec 2025)

34^yrs

4 yrs shorter than now

Shortest (NT, Dec 2025)

16^yrs

2 yrs shorter than now

Between the December 2025 quarter and the current March 2026 figures, every state and territory extends by two to five years. Queensland and Western Australia recorded the largest increases, both rising by five years, while the Northern Territory recorded the smallest increase, rising by two years. The table below shows the December 2025 quarter starting figures for each market.

December 2025 quarter, deposit-saving time by state and territory

Prior-quarter baseline at the 7.0% saving ratio · national average highlighted

Sort by:

State / territory	Mean price	20% deposit	Annual saving	Years to save
Rest of NT NT · Regional	$460,000	$92,000	$6,609/yr	14
Rest of SA SA · Regional	$595,000	$119,000	$6,476/yr	18
Rest of WA WA · Regional	$661,000	$132,200	$7,415/yr	18
Rest of Vic VIC · Regional	$625,000	$125,000	$6,705/yr	19
Rest of Tas TAS · Regional	$620,000	$124,000	$6,087/yr	20
Darwin NT · Capital city	$750,000	$150,000	$6,609/yr	23
Rest of NSW NSW · Regional	$825,000	$165,000	$6,932/yr	24
Rest of Qld QLD · Regional	$815,000	$163,000	$6,739/yr	24
Hobart TAS · Capital city	$740,000	$148,000	$6,087/yr	24
Melbourne VIC · Capital city	$850,000	$170,000	$6,705/yr	25
Perth WA · Capital city	$1,000,000	$200,000	$7,415/yr	27
Canberra ACT · Capital city	$1,071,300	$214,260	$7,361/yr	29
Adelaide SA · Capital city	$980,000	$196,000	$6,476/yr	30
Brisbane QLD · Capital city	$1,150,000	$230,000	$6,739/yr	34
Sydney NSW · Capital city	$1,485,000	$297,000	$6,932/yr	43

Method: December 2025 quarter figures. Annual saving = average state income (ABS AWE Nov-2025) × 7.0% household saving ratio (ABS National Accounts, December 2025 quarter). Years to save = 20% deposit ÷ annual saving, rounded to the nearest year. No starting savings or investment return assumed. All figures nominal.

The gap between the most and least affordable markets widens slightly under the lower saving rate. New South Wales at 38 years and the Northern Territory at 18 years are now 20 years apart, up from 18 years in the revised December 2025 quarter estimate. The widening is driven by both higher mean dwelling prices in the March quarter and the reduced saving capacity that applies across every state.

38^yrs

New South Wales lengthens but stays below the 2023 peak

At a 6.2% saving ratio, the New South Wales deposit timeline reaches 38 years, four years longer than its revised December 2025 quarter estimate of 34 years. The March 2026 figure combines a 6.2% saving rate with higher mean dwelling prices in the March quarter.

Section 06Policy

Policy pathways for first-home buyers

Government schemes can reduce the upfront deposit needed to buy a home or make it more tax-effective to save one. For eligible first-home buyers, this can shorten the time needed to reach a deposit.

First Home Guarantee

5^%

Eligible buyers can purchase with a minimum 5% deposit, with the government guaranteeing up to 15% of the property value so the buyer can avoid lenders mortgage insurance. On the national mean dwelling price, the deposit falls from $222,220 to approximately $55,555, a saving timeline of around 8 years at the current March 2026 rate.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

$50^k

Up to $50,000 in eligible voluntary super contributions, capped at $15,000 per financial year, can be released toward a deposit. Concessional contributions are generally taxed at 15%, and the assessable FHSS released amount receives a 30% tax offset. For higher-income earners, the tax difference can be material, although the benefit depends on income, contribution type and release timing.

The two main federal pathways are the First Home Guarantee Scheme, which allows eligible buyers to purchase with a minimum 5% deposit, and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, which lets buyers use eligible voluntary super contributions toward a deposit. Both schemes have eligibility rules, property requirements and contribution limits that can change over time, so they may not apply to every buyer.

Does a smaller deposit make buying cheaper?

A smaller deposit reduces the upfront amount needed, but it increases the size of the loan. With a 5% deposit on a $1,111,100 property, the buyer would borrow about $1,055,545. That means more debt and more interest paid over the life of the loan than if the buyer had saved a larger deposit. The effect depends on income, borrowing capacity, rent costs, interest rates, local property prices and eligibility for first-home buyer schemes.

Section 07Scenario analysis

What changes the deposit-saving timeline?

The deposit-saving timeline changes when one of the inputs changes: the annual saving amount, the deposit size or the dwelling price used in the calculation. The examples below show how sensitive the estimate is to those inputs.

Note: The national figures used throughout this article are a baseline only. Individual saving capacity varies by income, household size, location and living costs.

Higher saving rates shorten the estimate

At the current March 2026 saving ratio of 6.2%, reaching the national mean deposit takes 32 years. At a 10% saving rate, the estimate falls to approximately 20 years. At 15%, it falls to around 13 years. Adding $400 a month would lift annual savings from about $6,933 to $11,733, cutting the estimated national timeline from 32 years to about 19 years.

Dwelling prices create the largest state gap

Mean dwelling prices vary widely between states and territories. Under the March 2026 method, the estimated timeline ranges from 18 years in the Northern Territory to 38 years in New South Wales. The difference reflects the deposit required in each market. A 20% deposit on the NSW mean dwelling price is $264,960, compared with $119,460 in the Northern Territory.

Smaller deposits reduce the upfront target but increase the loan size

A 20% deposit on the national mean dwelling price is $222,220. A 10% deposit would be $111,110, while a 5% deposit would be $55,555. A smaller deposit reduces the amount needed upfront, but increases the loan amount. On a $1,111,100 purchase, a 5% deposit leaves a loan of about $1,055,545 before transaction costs. Lenders mortgage insurance may also apply when a buyer borrows more than 80% of a property's value without a government guarantee. These costs are not included in the deposit-saving timeline, which only measures the time needed to reach the deposit target.

First Home Super Saver Scheme outcomes depend on tax settings

The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows eligible buyers to use voluntary super contributions, capped at $15,000 per financial year and $50,000 in total, toward a home deposit. Concessional contributions are generally taxed at 15%, rather than the buyer's marginal tax rate. The assessable FHSS released amount then receives a 30% tax offset. For a buyer on a 37% marginal tax rate, using the maximum $50,000 in concessional contributions could produce a tax difference of about $11,000 before release-tax effects and other individual factors. The exact outcome depends on contribution type, income, tax position and ATO release rules.

General information only

This article is based on publicly available ABS, Housing Australia and ATO data. It is general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Scheme rules, eligibility criteria and tax outcomes can change over time. If you are making decisions about saving for a property purchase, consider speaking with a licensed financial adviser.

References

ABS: Total Value of Dwellings, March quarter 2026, dwelling values, mean dwelling prices and residential property data.
ABS: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, November 2025, average weekly earnings and wage data.
ABS: Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, March quarter 2026, household income and national accounts data.
Housing Australia: Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme details and 2025 expansion.

Methodology

Deposit target = ABS mean dwelling price × 20%
Prices use the ABS mean price of residential dwellings by state and nationally. The ABS publishes this mean at the state and national level, while median dwelling prices are released separately by capital city. Because a mean can be pulled upward by higher-value properties, the timelines are best read as relative comparisons rather than typical buyer estimates.
Annual saving = average full-time state income × national household saving ratio (6.2% for the March 2026 quarter; 7.0% for the December 2025 quarter comparison)
Years to save = deposit ÷ annual saving, rounded to the nearest year
No starting savings are assumed and no investment return on accumulated funds is modelled
The national saving ratio is applied uniformly across all states and territories
All figures are nominal and not adjusted for inflation or future price growth