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MoneyBalance is a free personal finance toolkit built around New Zealand's own rules. No more trying to make another countries calculators work for your needs.

What Income It Takes to Buy a Home

Housing affordability varies enormously by city. Here's the approximate individual income needed to service a median-priced home, at a 20% deposit and 30-year term.

Cities where buyers need the most income

Queenstown
$140,000+
Auckland
$130,000+
Tauranga
$107,000
Wellington
$97,000

Cities where buyers need the least income

Invercargill
$45,000
Palmerston North
$63,000
Dunedin
$72,000
Hamilton
$87,000
Christchurch
$87,000

Figures are the approximate individual income needed to service a median-priced home with a 20% deposit at 5.55% over 30 years, based on RBNZ DTI restrictions (6× income cap). Indicative 2026 estimates from REINZ and CoreLogic data — see the full city-by-city house price and affordability breakdown.

Income Tax Brackets at a Glance

New Zealand's progressive tax system means higher rates only apply to the portion of income above each threshold. Here's how the 2025–26 brackets break down.

10.5% up to $15,600
17.5% $15,601–$53,500
30% $53,501–$78,100
33% $78,101–$180,000
39% above $180,000
$50,000 salary 15.32% effective tax rate
$75,000 salary 19.63% effective tax rate
$100,000 salary 22.88% effective tax rate

These are marginal rates — moving into a higher bracket only increases tax on the income above that threshold, not your whole salary. Add the 1.67% ACC earner levy for total deductions. See the full tax brackets guide.

How Many New Zealanders Earn Each Income Band?

IRD's 2025 tax data shows exactly how wage and salary income is spread across 2.87 million earners — see where the bulk of Kiwis actually sit, and where you fit in.

$59,908
Median individual income
$0–$20k
596k
$20k–$40k
376k
$40k–$60k
465k
$60k–$80k
518k
$80k–$100k
340k
$100k–$120k
215k
$120k–$150k
169k
$150k+
187k

Number of individual wage and salary earners by income band (thousands), year ended 31 March 2025 — official IRD tax data covering 2.87 million earners and $194.4 billion in total wage and salary income. See the full average salary breakdown.