House prices in the ACT increased 2.5 per cent in the December quarter, while unit values were up 1.7 per cent, according to latest data from real estate analytics firm CoreLogic.

Canberra's median houses price ended the year at $691,550. The average unit is now valued at $439,500.

The data released on Thursday showed Canberra's housing market has recovered after a sluggish first half of the year.

House prices finished 2019 up 4 per cent, according to the latest data. They had been growing at less than two per cent in the 12 months to July, the "weakest" annual growth rate since 2014.

CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless described the state of the Canberra property market as "softly positive".

"We are seeing a rebound trend in the ACT, but not like we're seeing in Sydney or Melbourne," Mr Lawless.

"That's because prices didn't fall [in the ACT] like they didn't in those markets."

House prices in Melbourne, which plummeted more than 9 per cent in 2018, jumped 6.6 per cent in the final three months of 2019, according to the latest CoreLogic data.

It was a similar story in Sydney, where median house prices rose 7.1 per cent in the December quarter.

Overall, property values nationwide were up 4 per cent in the December quarter, the fastest rate of growth in any three-month period in the past decade.

The speed of growth did taper off as Christmas approached, which Mr Lawless attributed to the large number of properties on the market and "worsening housing affordability pressures".

He noted that while increases in property values were positive news for owners, they would have negative consequences for housing affordability.

"A nominal recovery in housing values implies home owners are becoming wealthier, which may also help to support household spending," he said.

"However, the flipside is that housing affordability is set to deteriorate even further as dwelling values outpace growth in household incomes, signaling a setback for those saving for a deposit."

Mr Lawless said the ACT's strong economic position and high income-earning population were underpinning the territory's relatively stable property market.

He expected those factors would continue to keep house prices rising in 2020.

However, Canberra apartment owners have some cause for concern.

The median value of units, which are being built in record numbers across the city, declined by 0.1 per cent in the past 12 months, according to the latest Core Logic data.

Mr Lawless said the drop in values suggested a possible oversupply of units in Canberra.

He speculated heightened public and media scrutiny on apartment building defects might have also put off some potential buyers.