Average house deposit for first home buyers in Australia
The average first home buyer needs to save $134,841 for a 20% deposit, based on the average first-home property value of around $674,000.
Key takeaways
- Nationwide first home buyers typically need $134,841 for a 20% deposit on an average $674,203 property.
- The average first home buyer is now paying around $4,000 a month on their mortgage.
- Low deposit loans government schemes or guarantors can help secure a home loan with a smaller deposit.
A typical first home buyer's deposit is between 5% and 20% of the property's purchase price. If you bought an $700,000 house with a 20% deposit you would need to save $140,000 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).
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."
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.
- Based on Finder analysis, by September 2026, this has risen to around $4,130 a month – an increase of about 78%.
- Nationwide, the average first home buyer is now paying around $4,000 a month on their mortgage, based on a $610,063 loan and a 6.90% average variable rate.
Did you know?
Our 2025 State of Women's Wealth Report reveals a clear gender gap in home ownership. Gen Z men are twice as likely to own a home outright compared to Gen Z women (18% vs 9%), and millennial men are 50% more likely to have paid off their homes (15% vs 10%). Overall, 46% of women say they're behind in their journey to home ownership, compared to 33% of men.
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.
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."
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.
Sources
More resources on Finder
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