OURTOP10 CAPITAL CITY INDEX • VOL.02 • RELEASED JULY 2026

Mortgage Stress Report Q2 2026

Postcode-level analysis of household mortgage stress across Australia’s capital cities,
powered by Digital Finance Analytics‘ rolling survey of 52,000 households.

+14%RISE IN STRESSED HOUSEHOLDS THIS QUARTER

+18%RISE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS

68/80RANKED POSTCODES ROSE THIS QUARTER

≈421,700STRESSED HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS 80 POSTCODES

National snapshot

Across the 80 ranked mortgage stress postcodes nationally, the number of stressed households rose by around 14% in just three months — a net increase of roughly 52,000 households, taking the total to approximately 421,700. The national total climbed from roughly 369,700 at the end of Q1, and 68 of the 80 ranked postcodes recorded an increase. Pressure is still building in most hotspots.

Perth leads the nation. WA added 14,746 stressed households in three months, the largest net rise of any market.

A Hobart postcode quadruples. Kingston (7050) jumped 304% in a single quarter, the steepest postcode move in the index.

Canberra is the fastest-growing story. The ACT holds three of the nation’s 10 biggest annual increases.

Growth in stressed households by market — Q2 2026 (%)

Perth & WA+25.1%

Hobart & TAS+22.2%

Northern Territory+14.9%

Adelaide & SA+14.8%

Brisbane & QLD+14.7%

Melbourne+10.2%

Sydney+8.9%

Canberra & ACT+8.1%

Percentage growth in stressed households across each market’s top 10 ranked postcodes, quarter on quarter.

Net new stressed households by market — Q2 2026

Perth & WA+14,746

Brisbane & QLD+9,574

Melbourne+8,769

Sydney+7,386

Adelaide & SA+5,430

Hobart & TAS+3,431

Northern Territory+1,378

Canberra & ACT+1,316

Total stressed households — Q1 vs Q2 2026

Melbourne85,692 → 94,461

Sydney82,770 → 90,156

Brisbane & QLD65,075 → 74,649

Perth & WA58,636 → 73,382

Adelaide & SA36,642 → 42,072

Hobart & TAS15,439 → 18,870

Canberra & ACT16,213 → 17,529

Northern Territory9,228 → 10,606

End Q1 2026 End Q2 2026

THE 10 BIGGEST QUARTERLY MOVERS — NATIONAL • Q2 2026

#	Postcode	Suburbs	Market	Qtr change	Stressed households (approx.)
1	7050	Kingston, Kingston Beach	Hobart/TAS	▲ +304%	~525 → 2,120
2	6155	Canning Vale	Perth/WA	▲ +105%	~2,450 → 5,030
3	0835	Virginia (Litchfield)	NT	▲ +70%	~140 → 240
4	6112	Armadale	Perth/WA	▲ +64%	~4,360 → 7,170
5	2617	Kaleen, Belconnen, Bruce, Evatt	Canberra/ACT	▲ +53%	~1,460 → 2,230
6	0836	Humpty Doo (Litchfield)	NT	▲ +52%	~450 → 680
7	5158	Hallett Cove, O’Halloran Hill, Sheidow Park, Trott Park	Adelaide/SA	▲ +50%	~2,880 → 4,310
8	4300	Bellbird Park (Ipswich corridor)	Brisbane/QLD	▲ +50%	~5,370 → 8,030
9	5114	Yattalunga (Playford corridor)	Adelaide/SA	▲ +41%	~3,700 → 5,210
10	2320	Rutherford (Hunter Region)	Sydney/NSW	▲ +41%	~4,810 → 6,780

Household counts are modelled estimates from Digital Finance Analytics’ rolling survey, rounded to the nearest 10.

“What’s particularly notable is that mortgage stress is no longer just a Sydney and Melbourne story. Perth recorded the largest quarterly increase in stressed households, Hobart produced the biggest postcode-level jump in the country, and Canberra accounted for three of the nation’s 10 fastest annual increases.”

Mansour Soltani, OurTop10 Director

“The latest from our rolling 52,000 household surveys revealed that more households are under financial pressure, whether renting or holding a mortgage. Recent hikes in interest rates, following the RBA decisions, and higher inflation are compounding the pressure, which we measure in cash flow terms. This smells of a long difficult episode for many, rather than a quick turnaround.

Households need to understand their cash flows, prioritise their spending, and seek help from debt counselling services such as the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007), who recently said they have never seen so many requests for help from households in regular work.”

Martin North, Principal of Digital Finance Analytics

Sydney: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 2320 Rutherford — +41% this quarter (4,811 → 6,783)

Sydney and surrounds saw a net increase of 7,386 households in mortgage stress in Q2 2026. Its top 10 postcodes now have 90,156 stressed households combined — the second-highest total of any capital city, behind Melbourne’s 94,461. The pressure is also broadening, with 8 of the region’s 10 hardest-hit postcodes recording an increase over the quarter.

The 2320 postcode (Rutherford, Cessnock) in the Hunter Region recorded the biggest quarterly increase, rising 41% from 4,811 to 6,783 stressed households — also the strongest annual growth of any NSW postcode, up 106%. The 2570 postcode (Camden–Oran Park corridor) followed, climbing 28% from 8,636 to 11,089. Liverpool (2170) is still Sydney’s largest hotspot, with 14,705 stressed households. If you’re under pressure in Sydney, an experienced local mortgage broker can help you review your loan.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	2320	Rutherford	Cessnock	6,783	4,811	3,295	▲ +41.0%	▲ +105.9%
2	2570	Camden	Camden	11,089	8,636	9,061	▲ +28.4%	▲ +22.4%
3	2567	Mount Annan	Camden	8,458	7,502	7,237	▲ +12.7%	▲ +16.9%
4	2171	Hoxton Park	Liverpool	7,002	6,253	6,028	▲ +12.0%	▲ +16.2%
5	2170	Liverpool	Fairfield	14,705	13,418	13,048	▲ +9.6%	▲ +12.7%
6	2770	Mount Druitt	Blacktown	6,498	6,093	5,960	▲ +6.6%	▲ +9.0%
7	2765	Riverstone	The Hills Shire	9,485	8,894	8,701	▲ +6.6%	▲ +9.0%
8	2560	Campbelltown	Campbelltown	12,946	12,140	11,876	▲ +6.6%	▲ +9.0%
9	2800	Orange	Cabonne	6,587	6,768	6,502	▼ -2.7%	▲ +1.3%
10	2620	Gundaroo	Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional	6,603	8,255	5,384	▼ -20.0%	▲ +22.6%

Melbourne: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 3037 Sydenham — +38% this quarter (6,263 → 8,665)

Melbourne and surrounding regions were the only market where all 10 ranked postcodes recorded an increase in mortgage stress during Q2 2026. Its top 10 postcodes are now home to 94,461 stressed households — the highest total of any capital city or region. Melbourne recorded a net increase of 8,769 stressed households over the quarter, the third-largest nationally.

Postcode 3037 (Sydenham, Brimbank) recorded Melbourne’s steepest quarterly rise, up 38% from about 6,263 to 8,665. Cranbourne (3977) was next, up 13% for the quarter and 32% for the year, Melbourne’s strongest annual growth. Stress remains concentrated in the south-east growth corridor: Narre Warren, Berwick, Pakenham and Cranbourne account for 42.5% of stressed households across the top 10. If you’re under pressure in Melbourne, an experienced local mortgage broker can help you review your loan.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	3037	Sydenham	Brimbank	8,665	6,263	7,252	▲ +38.4%	▲ +19.5%
2	3977	Cranbourne	Casey	8,509	7,512	6,455	▲ +13.3%	▲ +31.8%
3	3810	Pakenham	Cardinia	10,491	9,292	9,326	▲ +12.9%	▲ +12.5%
4	3199	Frankston	Frankston	7,818	7,005	6,388	▲ +11.6%	▲ +22.4%
5	3805	Narre Warren	Casey	11,272	10,193	9,685	▲ +10.6%	▲ +16.4%
6	3754	Doreen	Whittlesea	7,130	6,525	6,962	▲ +9.3%	▲ +2.4%
7	3806	Berwick	Casey	9,878	9,263	9,062	▲ +6.6%	▲ +9.0%
8	3064	Roxburgh Park	Hume	11,875	11,252	9,713	▲ +5.5%	▲ +22.3%
9	3350	Ballarat	Ballarat	9,547	9,165	8,797	▲ +4.2%	▲ +8.5%
10	3029	Tarneit	Wyndham	9,276	9,222	10,002	▲ +0.6%	▼ -7.3%

Brisbane & QLD: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 4300 Bellbird Park — +50% this quarter (5,370 → 8,034)

Brisbane and other major Queensland regions saw 8 of 10 ranked postcodes record an increase during Q2 2026, adding 9,574 stressed households — the second-largest net increase of any market, behind only Perth. The top 10 postcodes now hold 74,649 stressed households, the third-highest total nationally.

The 4300 postcode (Bellbird Park, Ipswich corridor) recorded the largest quarterly increase, up 50% from around 5,370 to 8,034. Mount Pleasant in Mackay (4740) was close behind at +31%. Toowoomba (4350) holds Queensland’s biggest volume: 13,178 stressed households, up 29% over the quarter. If you’re under pressure in Brisbane, an experienced local mortgage broker can help you review your loan.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	4300	Bellbird Park	Ipswich	8,034	5,370	6,221	▲ +49.6%	▲ +29.1%
2	4740	Mount Pleasant	Mackay	8,139	6,229	5,541	▲ +30.7%	▲ +46.9%
3	4350	Toowoomba	Toowoomba	13,178	10,228	10,445	▲ +28.8%	▲ +26.2%
4	4207	Yatala	Logan	6,079	4,802	3,289	▲ +26.6%	▲ +84.8%
5	4152	Camp Hill	Brisbane	8,197	6,857	6,116	▲ +19.5%	▲ +34.0%
6	4034	Geebung	Brisbane	7,655	6,922	6,320	▲ +10.6%	▲ +21.1%
7	4305	Ipswich	Ipswich	6,832	6,302	7,036	▲ +8.4%	▼ -2.9%
8	4127	Daisy Hill	Logan	4,614	4,326	4,232	▲ +6.7%	▲ +9.0%
9	4352	Highfields	Toowoomba	5,639	5,694	4,691	▼ -1.0%	▲ +20.2%
10	4306	Pine Mountain	Brisbane	6,282	8,345	8,164	▼ -24.7%	▼ -23.1%

Perth & WA: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 6155 Canning Vale — +105% this quarter (2,448 → 5,028)

Perth and surrounding regions recorded the largest quarterly increase in mortgage stress of any market — a net 14,746 additional households in Q2 2026, concentrated in Perth’s southern and outer metropolitan suburbs. Nine of the region’s 10 ranked postcodes rose over the quarter.

Canning Vale (6155) recorded the region’s largest quarterly increase and the second-largest nationally, more than doubling from 2,448 to 5,028 (+105%). Armadale (6112) came next, up 64% for the quarter and 45% for the year, Perth’s strongest annual run. By volume, nothing in the west touches Wanneroo (6065): 13,442 stressed households.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	6155	Canning Vale	Canning	5,028	2,448	4,458	▲ +105.4%	▲ +12.8%
2	6112	Armadale	Armadale	7,170	4,362	4,956	▲ +64.4%	▲ +44.7%
3	6069	Ellenbrook	Swan	8,291	6,454	7,110	▲ +28.5%	▲ +16.6%
4	6122	Byford	Serpentine-Jarrahdale	4,943	3,992	3,795	▲ +23.8%	▲ +30.3%
5	6061	Balga	Stirling	6,082	4,926	5,097	▲ +23.5%	▲ +19.3%
6	6164	Success	Cockburn	7,197	5,878	6,054	▲ +22.4%	▲ +18.9%
7	6065	Wanneroo	Wanneroo	13,442	11,055	11,793	▲ +21.6%	▲ +14.0%
8	6030	Merriwa	Wanneroo	9,307	7,680	7,857	▲ +21.2%	▲ +18.5%
9	6018	Innaloo	Stirling	6,117	5,804	6,261	▲ +5.4%	▼ -2.3%
10	6230	Carey Park	Bunbury	5,805	6,037	5,543	▼ -3.8%	▲ +4.7%

Adelaide & SA: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 5158 Hallett Cove — +50% this quarter (2,875 → 4,312)

Adelaide remains comparatively more stable than the larger capitals, but pressure is building across both its northern and southern growth corridors: 8 of its 10 ranked postcodes recorded increases in Q2 2026. The top 10 now account for 42,072 stressed households after a net rise of 5,430.

Hallett Cove (5158) recorded Adelaide’s largest quarterly increase, up 50% from 2,875 to 4,312. Yattalunga (5114) was next at +41%. Paralowie (5108) carries Adelaide’s biggest count, 7,173 stressed households.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	5158	Hallett Cove	Marion	4,312	2,875	3,102	▲ +50.0%	▲ +39.0%
2	5114	Yattalunga	Playford	5,211	3,696	4,415	▲ +41.0%	▲ +18.0%
3	5125	Golden Grove	Tea Tree Gully	3,597	2,802	3,044	▲ +28.4%	▲ +18.2%
4	5169	Seaford Rise	Onkaparinga	3,360	2,894	3,531	▲ +16.1%	▼ -4.8%
5	5251	Mount Barker	Mount Barker	3,208	2,868	2,973	▲ +11.9%	▲ +7.9%
6	5108	Paralowie	Salisbury	7,173	6,424	6,474	▲ +11.7%	▲ +10.8%
7	5085	Clearview	Port Adelaide Enfield	3,975	3,583	3,205	▲ +10.9%	▲ +24.0%
8	5109	Salisbury East	Salisbury	3,828	3,623	2,744	▲ +5.7%	▲ +39.5%
9	5162	Morphett Vale	Onkaparinga	4,035	4,083	3,516	▼ -1.2%	▲ +14.8%
10	5118	Gawler East	Barossa	3,373	3,794	–	▼ -11.1%	n/a*

Hobart & TAS: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 7050 Kingston — +304% this quarter (525 → 2,123)

Hobart recorded the country’s sharpest postcode-level increase in mortgage stress during Q2 2026. Across Tasmania, 9 of the state’s 10 ranked postcodes rose, with the top 10 now home to 18,870 stressed households after a net increase of 3,431.

Kingston (7050) more than quadrupled its stressed household count, up 304% quarter-on-quarter from roughly 525 to 2,123. No postcode in the index moved faster. Percentage moves in smaller postcodes can be volatile due to smaller household bases. New Norfolk (7140) still tops Tasmania at 2,211 stressed households.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	7050	Kingston	Kingborough	2,123	525	1,075	▲ +304.4%	▲ +97.5%
2	7140	New Norfolk	Central Highlands	2,211	1,659	2,029	▲ +33.3%	▲ +9.0%
3	7248	Newnham	Launceston	2,043	1,729	1,230	▲ +18.2%	▲ +66.1%
4	7173	Dodges Ferry	Sorell	1,693	1,443	1,346	▲ +17.3%	▲ +25.8%
5	7109	Huonville	Huon Valley	1,451	1,271	1,359	▲ +14.2%	▲ +6.8%
6	7009	Moonah	Glenorchy	2,048	1,802	1,878	▲ +13.7%	▲ +9.1%
7	7015	Geilston Bay	Clarence	1,517	1,379	1,221	▲ +10.0%	▲ +24.2%
8	7011	Berriedale	Glenorchy	2,037	1,860	1,982	▲ +9.5%	▲ +2.8%
9	7010	Rosetta	Glenorchy	2,078	1,976	2,118	▲ +5.2%	▼ -1.9%
10	7249	Youngtown	Launceston	1,669	1,795	1,378	▼ -7.0%	▲ +21.1%

Canberra & ACT: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 2617 Kaleen — +53% this quarter (1,459 → 2,234)

Canberra saw 8 of its 10 ranked postcodes rise in Q2 2026. While the ACT remains one of the smaller mortgage stress markets, its top 10 postcodes now hold 17,529 stressed households after a net increase of 1,316 — and the territory claims three of the nation’s 10 fastest annual increases.

Kaleen (2617) recorded the ACT’s largest quarterly increase, up 53% from 1,459 to 2,234. Reid (2612) was next, up 40%. Calwell (2905) recorded the country’s largest annual increase, up 113% over 12 months. Weston (2611) remains the largest hotspot at 2,510 despite a 36% quarterly decline.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	2617	Kaleen	Canberra	2,234	1,459	1,404	▲ +53.1%	▲ +59.1%
2	2612	Reid	Canberra	1,052	754	611	▲ +39.5%	▲ +72.2%
3	2904	Monash	Canberra	1,389	1,014	1,092	▲ +37.0%	▲ +27.2%
4	2913	Ngunnawal	Canberra	2,290	1,843	1,896	▲ +24.3%	▲ +20.8%
5	2905	Calwell	Canberra	2,241	1,836	1,054	▲ +22.1%	▲ +112.6%
6	2903	Wanniassa	Canberra	1,654	1,359	1,385	▲ +21.7%	▲ +19.4%
7	2604	Narrabundah	Canberra	1,191	1,034	973	▲ +15.2%	▲ +22.4%
8	2602	Ainslie	Canberra	1,465	1,431	1,870	▲ +2.4%	▼ -21.7%
9	2906	Banks	Canberra	1,503	1,561	1,392	▼ -3.7%	▲ +8.0%
10	2611	Weston	Canberra	2,510	3,922	3,038	▼ -36.0%	▼ -17.4%

Northern Territory: top 10 mortgage stress postcodes

Biggest riser: 0835 Virginia — +70% this quarter (142 → 242)

The NT’s mortgage stress base remains the smallest of any jurisdiction in this index, but it’s growing steadily: 8 of 10 ranked postcodes rose in Q2 2026, taking the top 10 total to 10,606 stressed households, a net increase of 1,378.

Virginia (0835) recorded the Territory’s largest quarterly increase, up 70% from 142 to 242. Humpty Doo (0836) was next at +52%. Stuart (0870) tops the Territory at 2,481 stressed households.

#	Postcode	Suburb	LGA	Stressed now	3 mos ago	12 mos ago	Qtr change	Annual change
1	0835	Virginia	Litchfield	242	142	185	▲ +70.4%	▲ +30.8%
2	0836	Humpty Doo	Litchfield	681	447	524	▲ +52.3%	▲ +30.0%
3	0812	Leanyer	Darwin	1,708	1,243	1,087	▲ +37.4%	▲ +57.1%
4	0850	Katherine East	Katherine	832	624	763	▲ +33.3%	▲ +9.0%
5	0830	Marlow Lagoon	Palmerston	1,471	1,137	1,046	▲ +29.4%	▲ +40.6%
6	0810	Nakara	Darwin	1,002	864	1,040	▲ +16.0%	▼ -3.7%
7	0820	Larrakeyah	Darwin	300	264	243	▲ +13.6%	▲ +23.5%
8	0870	Stuart	Alice Springs	2,481	2,457	2,420	▲ +1.0%	▲ +2.5%
9	0832	Bakewell	Palmerston	1,663	1,733	1,300	▼ -4.0%	▲ +27.9%
10	0875	Larapinta	Alice Springs	226	317	414	▼ -28.7%	▼ -45.4%

Severe stress: the blue-chip squeeze

Severe mortgage stress captures households whose cash flow runs deeply and persistently negative, month after month. In Q2 2026 the fastest-growing severe stress postcodes are mostly affluent, established suburbs, not the outer growth corridors.

Sydney’s Northern Beaches postcode of Bilgola (2107) recorded a +515% quarterly surge in severely stressed households, from around 280 to roughly 1,720. North Fremantle (+325%) and Melbourne’s bayside Hampton (+278%) followed. Lane Cove (2066), whose 208% surge made headlines last quarter, rose a further 69% and is now the largest severe-stress hotspot in the country with around 3,900 households.

Nine of the ten fastest severe-stress risers are in premium coastal or leafy inner suburbs — Bilgola, North Fremantle, Hampton, Mosman Park, Dee Why, Castlecrag, Camberwell, Balwyn North and Brighton.

#	Postcode	Suburb	Market	Severe now	3 mos ago	Qtr change
1	2107	Bilgola	Sydney/NSW	1,715	279	▲ +515%
2	6159	North Fremantle	Perth/WA	603	142	▲ +325%
3	3188	Hampton	Melbourne/VIC	753	199	▲ +278%
4	6012	Mosman Park	Perth/WA	703	305	▲ +130%
5	2099	Dee Why	Sydney/NSW	2,586	1,335	▲ +94%
6	2068	Castlecrag	Sydney/NSW	1,635	845	▲ +93%
7	3124	Camberwell	Melbourne/VIC	1,118	587	▲ +90%
8	3104	Balwyn North	Melbourne/VIC	2,865	1,622	▲ +77%
9	6152	Karawara (South Perth)	Perth/WA	755	434	▲ +74%
10	3186	Brighton	Melbourne/VIC	2,653	1,533	▲ +73%

Ranked by quarterly percentage change in severely stressed households. Postcodes with no prior-quarter severe-stress reading are excluded from percentage rankings; movements off small bases can be volatile.

These are households with large mortgages — and often multiple investment properties now negative in cash-flow terms — where strong incomes are no longer covering rising repayments and living costs.

Who is under pressure

Recent first home buyers. Buyers who entered with small deposits (including users of the Government’s 5% deposit scheme) carry large mortgages relative to income. DFA’s ‘young growing families’ segment is especially exposed.

Urban-fringe households. Families in newer outer-suburban estates face higher basic living costs from longer commutes, higher transport costs and multiple vehicles.

Affluent, heavily leveraged households. Stress is appearing in wealthier suburbs where large mortgages sit alongside investment properties that are losing money month to month.

Now live: the OurTop10 Default Loan Report

DFA’s modelling points to a small but notable inflection in expected mortgage defaults over the next 12 months. Full postcode-level analysis is now live: read the Default Loan Report – Q2 2026. Media pre-briefings: [email protected]

Methodology

The data comes from research by Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) and is based on a simple idea: what matters isn’t how much of your income goes to your mortgage — it’s whether you have any money left at the end of the month.

Mortgage stress refers to owner-occupier households in negative monthly cash flow, where regular expenses — including utilities, insurance, transport and day-to-day living costs — exceed income. That’s a different lens to the usual ‘30% of income’ rule, and it tends to reflect real pressure more accurately.

Data is captured from a rolling survey of around 4,500 households each month, scaled to the broader population and aligned with Census and lending data. Analysis is at postcode level; smaller areas can be less reliable, and percentage moves off small bases can be volatile. Figures reflect each state/territory’s top 10 ranked postcodes, which extend beyond strict metro boundaries in several cases.

* Postcode 5118 (Gawler East) has no year-earlier figure available for comparison.

Suburb and LGA pairings are representative localities. DFA’s geographic mapping is derived from detailed ABS statistical zones (around 28,000 nationally), which split across adjacent postcodes — postcodes and LGAs are not a 1:1 match.

FAQs

Why might DFA mortgage stress results differ from other datasets?

DFA’s model measures household financial pressure at a cash-flow level — whether regular income covers all ongoing expenses, not just mortgage repayments. Unlike the common ‘30% of gross income’ rule, it identifies households genuinely running at a cash-flow deficit after all major living costs, which can produce different results to narrower surveys.

Is the data based on actual household data, modelling, or both?

Both. Around 4,500 households are surveyed each month (roughly a 0.5% national sample), optimised against Census data, migration trends and postcode-level demographics, then scaled to Australia’s roughly 10 million households and benchmarked against Census and RBA lending exposure data.

How reliable is the data at postcode versus suburb level?

Data is reported at postcode level because it provides a statistically more reliable sample size. Suburb-level samples would often be too small for dependable results or trend analysis.

What is mortgage stress?

Mortgage stress refers to owner-occupier households in negative monthly cash flow — where regular expenses, including mortgage repayments, exceed income.

Why do some postcodes show close to 100% of mortgaged households in stress?

As a postcode approaches the upper bound, the model reports approximately 100% (with a margin of roughly ±2% depending on sample size). In real terms it is possible for nearly all mortgaged households in an area to be cash-flow negative, though with varying severity. The trend is the significant issue: on average it takes three to five years from sustained cash-flow pressure to default, which makes cash-flow stress a strong leading indicator.

Use our charts & data

Journalists and publishers are welcome to republish the charts, tables and data below. Attribution to “the OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report, powered by Digital Finance Analytics” with a link to this page is required.

Full dataset

All markets — every top 10 tableExcel (XLSX) · CSV

Severe mortgage stress — all postcodesTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

10 biggest quarterly movers — nationalTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

City tables & data

Sydney/NSWTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Melbourne/VICTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Brisbane/QLDTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Perth/WATable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Adelaide/SATable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Hobart/TASTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

Canberra/ACTTable image (PNG) · Data (CSV)

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Net new stressed households by market, Q2 2026

<a href="https://ourtop10.com.au/reports/mortgage-stress-q2-2026/"><img src="https://ourtop10.com.au/wp-content/uploads/ourtop10-chart-net-new-stressed-households-q2-2026.png" alt="Net new stressed households by market, Q2 2026 - OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report" style="max-width:100%"/></a><p>Source: <a href="https://ourtop10.com.au/reports/mortgage-stress-q2-2026/">OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report Q2 2026, powered by Digital Finance Analytics</a></p>

Total stressed households, Q1 vs Q2 2026

<a href="https://ourtop10.com.au/reports/mortgage-stress-q2-2026/"><img src="https://ourtop10.com.au/wp-content/uploads/ourtop10-chart-total-stressed-q1-vs-q2-2026.png" alt="Total stressed households in ranked postcodes, Q1 vs Q2 2026 - OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report" style="max-width:100%"/></a><p>Source: <a href="https://ourtop10.com.au/reports/mortgage-stress-q2-2026/">OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report Q2 2026, powered by Digital Finance Analytics</a></p>

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All data in this report was produced by Digital Finance Analytics and is reproduced with permission. When reporting on these findings, please attribute to “the OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report, powered by Digital Finance Analytics” and link to this page.

Download the full report (PDF) Media kit — city one-pagers

Media contact: Mansour Soltani · 0405 500 981 · [email protected]

Where this report has been covered

Journalists and editors who have reported on this release. Charts, tables and postcode-level data are free to republish with attribution to OurTop10 and Digital Finance Analytics. To be pre-briefed before the next quarterly release, email [email protected].

Previous releases: Mortgage Stress Report — Q1 2026

Mortgage Stress Report