Renting a unit in any of Australia's capital cities now consumes more than half of a typical single worker's take-home pay, according to new modelling by the housing advocacy group Everybody's Home. The analysis, released in the group's latest “Priced Out” report, shows a person earning $70,000 – close to the median annual income – would need to spend two-thirds of their earnings to rent the median Sydney apartment.
Rent burden across capital cities
The report compared median rents in different cities against a range of income levels. In Sydney, the median unit rent of about $756 per week would cost 69% of a worker's weekly pay on a $70,000 salary, up from 65% in March 2025. Perth and Darwin, with rents around $669 per week, would consume 61% of such a worker's income, while Brisbane rents would take 59% and Melbourne 55%.
Adelaide emerged as the most affordable capital city, with rents of about $550 per week. However, that would still cost a worker on a pre-tax annual income of $70,000 more than 50% of their take-home pay, based on a weekly income of $1,097.
Housing stress and regional impact
People are considered to be in housing stress, with a greater risk of financial difficulty, if their household income falls in the bottom 40% but they spend over 30% of that on housing. The report shows a single person on $70,000 a year would fall into housing stress if they rented a flat in any of the capital cities.
Regional Australia is no longer an affordable alternative, with median rents in most regional centres surpassing $330 a week – more than 30% of income for a worker on $70,000. A person earning $40,000 a year, close to the full JobSeeker rate, would have to spend 80% or more of their weekly income for a typical rental in any capital city. Even someone on a $130,000 salary would have to spend 40% of their income for the median Sydney rental.
Advocates urge government action
Maiy Azize, a spokesperson for Everybody's Home, said rents had been rising well before the federal budget's reforms were revealed, with the median rent up nearly $50 since March 2025. “Our rental crisis isn't a new phenomenon or a policy shock,” Azize said. “Rents have been running away for years, with the pain spreading well beyond people on low incomes.”
The report urged the government to focus its next housing reform efforts on renters, calling for limits on rent increases and new minimum standards for rental properties. “The federal government has shown that it can take action to help people buy their first home; now it must help everyone afford to rent one,” Azize said. It also called for rapid construction of new social housing, with homes rented at a fixed proportion of the tenant's income.
The report follows the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) launching a campaign on Wednesday to double the standard rental lease to two years and build more public housing. The outgoing ACTU president, Michele O'Neil, said public housing should make up one in every 10 new homes built, up from current rates of just one in 50. “Our housing system should reflect the reality that millions of working people are renters,” O'Neil said.
