A number of measures could be used to study changes in housing in a town or region. Such indicators would include rents, development approvals, house prices, and unit prices.  There is one list of housing indicators that includes 18 different factors, such as square metres per resident and other factors related to the quality of housing.  

This study employed rental costs for 3-bedroom houses and house sale prices. That is because detached houses - specifically, 3-bedroom houses - remain ‘typical’ for the towns studied. However, recent times have seen the construction of units, purpose-built and new housing, new accommodation facilities, and provision of dedicated, affordable housing.  

Indicators can be added to track the number, sale price, and rents of other forms of housing.  For now, though, we have started with a focus on median weekly rents for 3-bedroom houses and house sale figures - how much and how many houses were sold.