Sydney has taken out the eight top spots in a less than prestigious top ten list – the suburbs with the highest median mortgage costs in the country.
Woollahra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, took out the top spot according to the latest ABS statistics, with a median monthly mortgage repayment of $3,250, compared to the rest of New South Wales at $1,933.
Manly and Mosman were next with median repayment rates of $3033, and Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Leichhardt, Pittwater and Waverley rounded out the top eight with median repayments of $3000.
The only non-Sydney suburbs to feature in the top ten were Perth waterfront neighbourhoods Cottesloe and Nedlands.
Nationally, median monthly mortgage repayments in Australia climbed nearly 40% between 2006 and 2011 - from $1,300 to $1,800.
This compares to median household income increases of just 20.2%.M edian household rent rose by 49%.
Western Australia’s Ashburton was the suburb with the fastest growing mortgage increases, growing 279% between 2006 and 2011.
ABS Director of Rural and Regional Statistics Lisa Conolly said there are a range of factors that influence how mortgage costs in regions change, including local economic circumstances, regional housing supply and demand, the age of the mortgages and stage of life of the local population.
"Regions, such as Ashburton and Port Hedland in Western Australia have experienced high population growth and turnover, meaning that there would be increased demand for housing in these regions, and possibly new home owners with new mortgages."
AUSTRALIA'S HIGHEST MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS
1. Woollahra – $3250
2. Manly – $3033
3. Mosman – $3033
4. Hunters Hill – $3000
5. Ku-ring-gai – $3000
6. Leichhardt – $3000
7. Pittwater – $3000
8. Waverley – $3000
9. Cottesloe (WA) – $3000
10. Nedlands (WA) – $3000
