Housing affordability - Nelson 2nd behind auckland

But don't let figures fool you. Although Auckland homes are now slightly more affordable, it remains the least affordable region in the country.

The other is sun-drenched Nelson, where a "sunshine" subsidy sees people willing to take a lower salary in return for the less tangible but still real benefits of living there.

In the past year, Nelson has moved from seventh to second-least affordable place to live, bumping out Wellington into third place. Affordability in Nelson fell 14% in the latest quarter, and 50.6% during 2002. Nelson's median house price rose from $147,000 to $200,000 in the past year.

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