The Best-Performing Property Markets of the Past 20 Years
The city you live in may be Australia's top-performing property market, but the results may surprise you. Australian property has long been seen as a reliable wealth generator.
However, few have ever quantified its total performance, capturing both price growth and income. Residential investment property ranks as Australia's third best-performing asset class over the past 20 years, with an annualised return of nearly 10%.
According to the Livewire Long Term Investing Report 2025, property markets across the country have delivered very different results. Using Cotality's Hedonic Total Return Index, which combines capital growth and reinvested rental income, we reveal how Australia's major housing markets performed.
The findings challenge conventional wisdom, showing the true compounding power of investment property.
Residential investment property ranks as Australia’s third best-performing asset class over the past 20 years
Author's summary: Australia's property market performance over 20 years revealed.