Housing affordability is one of the key national talking points ahead of the federal election, but how important will it be on election day? Who holds the electorates which are experiencing the most severe housing stress, and who stands to gain the most from talking up a solution?

The answer is that housing stress is all things to all people, and stands to either hurt or benefit both major parties. The following table shows the nation’s marginal electorates and their relative levels of housing stress. Of the 47 electorates listed below, there are 23 currently in Coalition hands, and 23 with the ALP. One resides with the Country Liberal Party.

To put the following figures into context, 16.3% of Australian households are experiencing housing stress*.

Electorate

HHlds

HousSt
%

HousSt
#

Party

Vote

1

Hindmarsh

56602

13.0

6894

ALP

50.06

2

Kingston

52337

15.6

7498

LP

50.07

3

Swan

51847

16.2

7715

ALP

50.08

4

Richmond

48542

22.0

9846

ALP

50.19

5

Bonner

46953

14.6

6329

LP

50.51

6

Greenway

42614

23.0

8844

LP

50.58

7

Wakefield

52290

15.0

7235

LP

50.67

8

Parramatta

50305

18.4

8591

ALP

50.77

9

Cowan

45624

15.9

6503

ALP

50.78

10

Makin

48932

12.6

5673

LP

50.93

11

Bendigo

50343

14.2

6622

ALP

50.96

12

Banks

44699

17.7

7349

ALP

51.06

13

Calare

47098

11.3

4901

LP

51.10

14

Braddon

36854

10.5

3581

LP

51.13

15

Adelaide

57044

15.3

8066

ALP

51.33

16

Isaacs

51063

18.1

8459

ALP

51.48

17

Holt

51481

22.2

10261

ALP

51.51

18

Hasluck

44331

14.9

5940

LP

51.82

19

Stirling

51748

15.5

7364

LP

52.04

20

Eden-Monaro

47660

13.9

6113

LP

52.14

21

Ballarat

47696

14.4

6319

ALP

52.23

22

Bass

36424

13.3

4508

LP

52.63

23

Chisholm

47742

15.5

6832

ALP

52.65

24

Solomon

30674

13.6

3721

CLP

52.81

25

Rankin

48226

18.7

8157

ALP

53.23

26

Lowe

46379

20.0

8610

ALP

53.30

27

Bruce

45093

15.8

6553

ALP

53.48

28

Lyons

34871

11.2

3602

ALP

53.68

29

Melbourne Ports

59987

19.0

10423

ALP

53.74

30

Brisbane

51864

17.1

8144

ALP

53.9

31

Moreton

46527

16.7

7094

LP

54.17

32

Page

50439

17.3

8084

NP

54.23

33

Bennelong

50177

18.2

8447

LP

54.33

34

Jagajaga

46125

12.2

5201

ALP

54.4

35

Brand

49373

16.8

7376

ALP

54.64

36

Hinkler

47147

16.7

7284

NP

54.81

37

Deakin

46485

13.7

5934

LP

54.97

38

McMillan

43813

13.7

5519

LP

54.99

39

Capricornia

48022

11.4

4913

ALP

55.14

40

Lindsay

46440

21.1

8952

LP

55.26

41

Lilley

51878

16.2

7776

ALP

55.27

42

Corangamite

47040

13.5

5811

LP

55.32

43

Boothby

50786

11.5

5417

LP

55.37

44

Wentworth

58877

22.5

12039

LP

55.48

45

Corio

47984

14.4

6375

ALP

55.64

46

La Trobe

45571

16.8

6941

LP

55.83

47

Dobell

46833

20.9

8948

LP

55.9

* In excess of 30% of household income going to cover housing costs, either rent or mortgage payments. Source: All figures are from the ABS