Census 2016: The Canberra suburbs with the highest mortgages and rents

Mortgagees in Deakin, Red Hill and Lawson are paying about $1000 more each month than the average Canberran, according to 2016 census data.

The three suburbs are home to the most expensive median monthly repayments of $3000.

Yarralumla and Forrest rounded out the top five at $2700 and $2620, respectively.

The ACT median mortgage repayment was $2058.

Symonston mortgagees had the cheapest mortage repayments at $962 per month. It was the only Canberra suburb with median repayments under the $1000 mark.

Greenway, Belconnen and Phillip – suburbs dominated by units – were among the most affordable with median monthly mortgage repayments of $1652, $1733 and $1745.

The data also demonstrates the compressed nature of the Canberra market, compared to other capital cities – it is home to just a few budget and a few prestige suburbs, with most demand centred around the middle.

Half of Canberra’s suburbs had a median monthly mortgage within $100 of the territory median.

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Dunlop and Flynn equalled the territory’s $2058 median. Watson, Theodore and McKellar also sat in the middle with median repayments of $2044, $2045 and $2075, respectively.

Median mortgage repayments have dropped by about $100 since the 2011 census, when a $2167 median monthly repayment was recorded.

The drop in mortgage repayments is in line with a shift from houses to more affordable options, such as townhouses and units.

There was no change to Canberra’s median weekly rental cost of $380 since the 2011 census.

It also demonstrated a compressed market with about half of Canberra’s suburbs falling within $20 of the territory median.

Oaks Estate renters had the cheapest weekly costs at $165, followed by Symonston at $205.

Ainslie, a suburb with a high median monthly mortgage repayment ($2450) was the third cheapest suburb for rents at $275 a week.

Charnwood, Higgin and Stirling recorded a median weekly rental price of $300.

O’Malley was the most expensive suburb for tenants with a median rental price of $941, Forde was a distant second at $510.

The median rental price in Forrest, Fadden and City was $500.