‘Staggeringly high’: Australian renters need $130k income to afford average property, report shows

Advocates for renters say the government shouldn’t subsidise investors at the expense of renters on low and middle incomes. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Australian renters now need an annual income of $130,000 to comfortably rent an average unit, with even six-figure earners facing housing costs exceeding 30% of their income in capital cities and many regional areas, a new report has found.

The 2025 Priced Out report by national housing campaign Everybody’s Home showed a single person needs to earn at least $130,000 a year to comfortably afford the median national weekly rent for a unit ($566).