Least Affordable Suburbs in Australia

In 164 of 3,022 suburbs with 2,000 or more residents (5.4%), the median rent was at least 30% of the median household income at the 2021 Census. 97 of them are in NSW.

Suburbs where median rent is the largest share of median household income. Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021, suburbs and localities with at least 2,000 residents.

Method

Method: suburbs with at least 2,000 residents and positive median weekly rent and household income; divide rent by income and count shares of at least 30%. Exclude rent above income, including the Ravenhall prison locality.

Household income covers all households, including owners and retirees, so coastal retirement areas rank high. This is a rent-to-income indicator, not a measure of rental stress among renters.

Source: ABS Census 2021

Suburbs by state

How many of the top 100 suburbs are in each state and territory.

NSW 59

QLD 34

VIC 5

WA 1

SA 1

Top 20

Median rent as a share of median household income for the first 20 suburbs in the ranking.

Rent % of IncomeValid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS

Full top 100

#	Suburb	State	Population	Rent % of Income
1	Bayview	NSW	3,807	45.1%
2	Chain Valley Bay	NSW	2,773	42.7%
3	Laurieton	NSW	2,012	41.7%
4	Sandstone Point	QLD	4,094	41.5%
5	Tweed Heads South	NSW	7,941	40.0%
6	Morisset	NSW	4,078	39.6%
7	Harrington	NSW	3,381	38.5%
8	Twin Waters	QLD	2,966	38.5%
9	Byron Bay	NSW	6,330	38.4%
10	Coombabah	QLD	10,298	38.0%
11	Erina	NSW	5,205	37.6%
12	Burrum Heads	QLD	2,538	37.4%
13	Cooloola Cove	QLD	2,921	37.1%
14	The Entrance	NSW	4,244	37.1%
15	Mullumbimby	NSW	4,180	36.9%
16	Capel Sound	VIC	5,246	36.8%
17	Tea Gardens	NSW	3,288	36.8%
18	North Turramurra	NSW	4,194	36.8%
19	Caloundra	QLD	3,932	36.7%
20	Windang	NSW	2,610	36.6%
21	West Ballina	NSW	3,230	36.5%
22	Bongaree	QLD	8,162	36.3%
23	Tuncurry	NSW	6,376	36.3%
24	Ettalong Beach	NSW	5,161	36.2%
25	Bellara	QLD	3,278	36.2%
26	Yamba	NSW	6,405	36.2%
27	Urraween	QLD	7,951	35.7%
28	Eli Waters	QLD	3,758	35.6%
29	Tewantin	QLD	11,164	35.6%
30	Fern Bay	NSW	4,046	35.5%
31	Ballina	NSW	9,735	35.5%
32	Tin Can Bay	QLD	2,293	35.4%
33	Tweed Heads	NSW	9,176	35.4%
34	Noosaville	QLD	8,716	35.0%
35	Fairfield Heights	NSW	8,269	35.0%
36	Sussex Inlet	NSW	3,888	34.9%
37	Halekulani	NSW	2,677	34.9%
38	Pelican Waters	QLD	7,393	34.8%
39	Berry	NSW	3,098	34.8%
40	Banora Point	NSW	16,460	34.7%
41	Glenwood	QLD	2,137	34.7%
42	Golden Beach	QLD	5,646	34.7%
43	Suffolk Park	NSW	4,222	34.7%
44	Ocean Shores	NSW	5,777	34.5%
45	Macleay Island	QLD	3,193	34.4%
46	Russell Island	QLD	3,698	34.4%
47	Salamander Bay	NSW	4,991	34.3%
48	Banksia Beach	QLD	7,180	34.3%
49	Belrose	NSW	8,726	34.3%
50	Shoalhaven Heads	NSW	3,248	34.2%
51	Lake Haven	NSW	3,529	34.2%
52	Maclean	NSW	2,778	34.2%
53	Maleny	QLD	3,959	34.1%
54	Lemon Tree Passage	NSW	2,686	34.1%
55	Urangan	QLD	10,988	34.0%
56	Tweed Heads West	NSW	6,176	34.0%
57	Macksville	NSW	2,782	33.9%
58	Marshall	VIC	2,299	33.8%
59	Ulladulla	NSW	7,262	33.8%
60	Sanctuary Point	NSW	7,874	33.7%
61	Forster	NSW	14,187	33.7%
62	Haymarket	NSW	8,305	33.7%
63	Tanilba Bay	NSW	3,237	33.6%
64	Erskine	WA	5,429	33.4%
65	Fairfield	NSW	18,596	33.4%
66	Parrearra	QLD	4,661	33.4%
67	Clear Island Waters	QLD	4,395	33.4%
68	Nambucca Heads	NSW	6,675	33.4%
69	Cooroy	QLD	4,801	33.4%
70	East Killara	NSW	2,895	33.3%
71	Pialba	QLD	4,151	33.3%
72	Woy Woy	NSW	11,072	33.0%
73	South West Rocks	NSW	5,058	33.0%
74	Lake Munmorah	NSW	5,084	32.9%
75	North Boambee Valley	NSW	2,318	32.9%
76	Encounter Bay	SA	5,305	32.8%
77	Tura Beach	NSW	3,405	32.8%
78	Anna Bay	NSW	4,221	32.8%
79	Biggera Waters	QLD	9,973	32.7%
80	Torquay	QLD	6,533	32.7%
81	Coolaroo	VIC	3,193	32.7%
82	Bowral	NSW	10,764	32.6%
83	Toukley	NSW	4,557	32.6%
84	Chippendale	NSW	7,803	32.4%
85	Southport	QLD	36,786	32.3%
86	Cowes	VIC	6,593	32.3%
87	Kanahooka	NSW	5,698	32.2%
88	Scarness	QLD	3,646	32.2%
89	Pottsville	NSW	7,238	32.1%
90	Labrador	QLD	18,643	32.0%
91	Laidley	QLD	3,809	31.9%
92	Wyong	NSW	4,530	31.9%
93	Toogoom	QLD	2,596	31.9%
94	Bass Hill	NSW	10,230	31.9%
95	Swansea	NSW	5,044	31.8%
96	Urunga	NSW	3,185	31.7%
97	Narrabeen	NSW	8,255	31.7%
98	Beachmere	QLD	4,782	31.7%
99	Wonthaggi	VIC	5,215	31.7%
100	Bethania	QLD	6,333	31.7%

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Data: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL) level. Minimum population filter: 2,000.