Australia Capital-City Rents Top 50% of $70,000 Worker Pay, Hitting 69% in Sydney
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 23
Australia Capital-City Rents Top 50% of $70,000 Worker Pay, Hitting 69% in Sydney
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 23
Summary
$70,000 earners now face housing stress in every Australian capital city, with median unit rents consuming more than half their take-home pay and 69% in Sydney, according to Everybody’s Home.
Sydney’s median rent reached about A$756 a week, up from 65% of pay in March 2025; even Adelaide, the cheapest capital at about A$550, still takes just over 50% of weekly income.
The advocacy group said rents were already rising before Labor’s tax reforms, with median rent up nearly A$50 since March 2025, pushing back on opposition claims the changes would lift rents 30%.
Regional markets are no longer a clear escape route: most regional centres now charge more than A$330 a week, above 30% of income for a A$70,000 worker.
Everybody’s Home and the ACTU are pressing Labor to shift housing policy toward renters, including limits on rent increases, minimum standards, longer leases and more social and public housing.