However, the average weekly pay cheque after tax for people aged 30-34 in the Wellington region is now $883.21 - up from $809.86 in August last year.
Tim Fairbrother, of Rival Wealth in Masterton, said despite worsened affordability in the wider region, that wasn't the case locally and wages in Wairarapa had improved.
"The fact that businesses seem to be growing, that generally means that wages are going up. The region is doing well."
Tradespeople and small businesses especially seemed to have "a fair amount on" at the moment, he said.
"That translates through to people's earnings, then hopefully that means they've got more affordability as well."
Unlike other spots in the country, house prices were stable.
"We obviously don't have the issues people have in Auckland with the cost of the houses. The market here in terms of house prices hasn't really gone up in the last three or four years, if not longer."
Nationally, affordability improved for the third consecutive month as a slight rise in house prices was offset by lower interest rates and reduced mortgage payments.
Affordability improved from 61.8 per cent in July to 61.1 per cent in August, but had worsened compared with 55.9 per cent in August a year ago.
Regions where affordability improved included Auckland Central, Manukau, Waitakere, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Porirua and Queenstown.
However, it worsened in Auckland's North Shore, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Dunedin, Nelson and Napier.
According to Roost Home Loans, competition between banks in the fixed-term mortgage market lowered average two-year fixed mortgage rates to 6.13 per cent in August from 6.33 per cent the previous month.
Weekly mortgage payments dropped $4.48 to $505.38.
APNZ
