Kingston records biggest mortgage stress jump of any postcode in Australia
The suburb of Kingston in Tasmania has seen a 304% surge in mortgage stress over the last quarter, the highest in Australia. Rising living costs and high interest rates are cited as the primary drivers for this financial strain on households.
Why it matters
This data highlights the growing economic vulnerability of regional Australian housing markets as cost-of-living pressures intensify.
Kingston has recorded the biggest quarterly jump in mortgage stress of any postcode in Australia, with the number of stressed households surging 304% in just three months.
The suburb’s figure rose from 525 households to 2,123 during the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest OurTop10 Mortgage Stress Report, compiled by Digital Finance Analytics.
The report measures mortgage stress by comparing household cash flow, with households considered stressed when regular expenses, including mortgage repayments, exceed monthly income.
That increase was almost three times the rise recorded in the next fastest-growing postcode, Canning Vale in Perth at 105%.
Kingston has been a major growth area in Hobart’s south, with significant residential development over the past decade.
PropTrack data shows Kingston’s median house price is now about $775,500.
OurTop10 director Mansour Soltani said the Kingston result stood out nationally.
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