Change in Housing Affordability Indicators
The Change in Housing Affordability Indicators show how affordability of renting a home, saving for a deposit, and servicing a mortgage for people entering the market has changed over time. Each indicator compares price change with growth in median household income. They provide insight into affordability nationally, regionally, and by Territorial Authority.
- About the Indicators
- Affordability Indicators
- Indices
- Compare Regions
- Ways to measure housing affordability
Renting a home
The change in rental affordability indicator compares changes in rental prices for new tenancies with the growth in median household disposable (after tax) income.
Factors that can affect rental affordability are:
- Rental prices
- Household disposable income
Saving for a deposit
The change in deposit affordability indicator compares changes in house sales prices with the growth in median household disposable (after tax) income.
Factors that can affect deposit affordability are:
- House sales prices
- Household disposable income
Servicing a mortgage
The change in mortgage serviceability indicator compares changes in the purchasing power of mortgage interest payments for new home loans with the growth in median household disposable (after tax) income.
Factors that can affect mortgage serviceability are:
- Mortgage interest rates
- House sales prices
- Household disposable income.
Individual experience of affordability will vary, for example if household income doesn’t change in line with the national median.
Limitations
CHAI shows experience of those on median incomes, not individual experiences of affordability
The indicators compare the change of median incomes with overall house and rent movements, and average interest rates. Households not experiencing median income growth or paying different interest rates will experience different changes in affordability.
CHAI reflect change in affordability, not relative affordability
The indicators track whether affordability is improving or worsening in an area but not how affordable an area is at a point in time. This means it is not possible to compare the level of affordability between areas. Affordability in one area can improve more than another’s over a period of time, while the level of affordability remains worse.
Seasonal Series
Some of the indicators are affected by seasonal change. For example, rent prices tend to peak in the first quarter of each year. For short term analysis, it’s best to use the same time of year for the start and end of your comparison.
Modelled Income Series
The median household income data for recent periods is estimated using tax data and are revised as further income data becomes available.
About the dashboard
Contents
The indicators are displayed across multiple tabs:
- Affordability indicators present the annual and cumulative Change in Housing Affordability Indicators (CHAI) over time for a selected geographic area.
- Indices present the annual and cumulative changes over time for the indices that make up the CHAI.
- Area comparison allows users to choose multiple geographic areas and compare the change in affordability.
Using the dashboard
You can select the geography and time period you’re interested in by using the filters on the right-hand side of each page.
To see individual values, you can hover over the time series.
To download the data, click the download button on the grey Tableau bar at the bottom of each page.
Download the Concepts, sources, and methods paper.
The House Price Index (HPI) is provided by CoreLogic New Zealand and is provided subject to CoreLogic’s Terms and Conditions(external link)