New Zealand ’ s ‘ Carrie Bradshaw ’ Index
Atom Go Tian Senior Data Analyst Ray White Group
Leading weekly publication , ‘ The Economist ’ recently explored where individuals can afford to rent alone , dubbing the analysis the ‘ Carrie Bradshaw Index ’ – a nod to the iconic ‘ Sex and the City ’ character who famously lived solo in New York .
The study compared city incomes with studio apartment rental costs , defining affordability as spending 30 per cent or less of income on rent .
At Ray White , we were intrigued by the study and sought to analyse the rental landscape for solo renters in New Zealand using Statistics New Zealand data on median incomes for on-person households and unit rents . Immediately , we were challenged by the scarcity of studio apartments in New Zealand , which makes pinpointing specific affordability for this type of property difficult .
The results paint a concerning picture , as no single region in New Zealand meets the affordability threshold for single renters .
Source : Ray White Economics
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