Income
Household income after housing costs
Household income after housing costs is the median weekly disposable income that households have after housing costs have been deducted. Household income after deducting housing costs is a useful measure for understanding the real-life differences in ‘consumption possibilities’ for households, as it provides a picture of the actual living conditions that households experience [7].
With an adequate ‘residual income’, a household can better access essential services and items; such as food, health services, and transport, and can participate in social and recreational activities in the community. Having sufficient income is also associated with better educational and economic outcomes, as well as better health and wellbeing [6]. For households with similar income and similar other characteristics, the consumption possibilities are much greater for households with low housing costs than for those with high housing costs.
This indicator presents median equivalised disposable weekly household income after housing costs, for homeowners and renters (combined). Housing costs include combinations of rent, mortgage (principal and interest), insurance, rates, and other housing expenses not elsewhere classified but exclude repairs and maintenance.
The figure shows that median equivalised disposable weekly household income after housing costs for homeowners/renters has increased for those in greater Christchurch and for New Zealanders overall, since 2019 (an approximately $40 increase from 2019 to 2021 for greater Christchurch).
The figure shows a substantial overall income disparity between Māori and non-Māori ethnic groups in greater Christchurch for 2019–2021. In 2021, the median equivalised disposable weekly household income after housing costs in greater Christchurch for Māori was substantially below that of non-Māori ($613 for Māori and $666 for non-Māori; $53 difference).
The figure shows that median equivalised disposable weekly household income after housing costs for renters, has increased for those in greater Christchurch, between 2019 and 2021 (an approximately $40 increase from $490 in 2019 to $530 in 2021) but less so for homeowners (an approximately $7 increase from $705 to $712). For the period 2019 to 2021, equivalised disposable weekly household income after housing costs, for homeowners was substantially higher than for renters ($712 for owners; $530 for renters, in 2021).
Data Sources
Source: Statistics New Zealand.
Survey/data set: New Zealand Household Economic Survey. Custom data request for greater Christchurch region.
Source data frequency: Annually.