Rate hikes plunge 74,000 more Vic households into stress

Victoria’s top 10 postcodes at risk of mortgage default are home to the most households in Australia in danger of losing their homes. Three rate hikes since the start of 2026 have added more than 74,000 Victorian households to the hundreds of thousands already struggling with mortgage stress. A new report has revealed 611,311 homeowners across the state were battling to keep their residence as of July, following Reserve Bank hikes in February, March and May, compared to 536,984 in January. Alarming figures from research firm Digital Financial Analytics also show Victoria’s top 10 postcodes at risk of mortgage default, dominated by Melbourne’s outer suburbs, lead Australia’s list of hotspots where people are in danger of losing their homes. RELATED: Housing affordability’s shock new low as loans take half family wage Melbourne suburbs where homeowners are being priced out of an upgrade Victorians skip vital medical care amid soaring housing cost stress It comes as experts warn that a Reserve Bank decision to raise rates when it meets next week could be a tipping point for many struggling families. The DFA report, produced for online comparison and research platform OurTop10, indicat...