Northern Rivers · NSW · 2479

You'll need $190,667/yr to live in Eltham.

The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.

Median rent
$1,100/wk
Annual rent change
+22.2%
Rental stress (median income)
Yes
Bonds lodged

Location

Northern Rivers, NSW

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Rent trend

Quarterly median rent

Schools

1 primary, 0 secondary within 3km

Closest primary
Eltham Public School0.5km · 1075
Clunes Public School3.9km · 1056
Bexhill Public School6.1km · 995
Closest secondary
Alstonville High School9.2km · 990
The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus9.4km · 884

Average ICSEA across nearby schools: 1075 (national mean = 1000).

Can you afford it on your salary?

Pick your bracket — see weekly leftover, budget breakdown and cheaper alternatives in Eltham

Closest to the $190,667/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.

Rent details

4+ BR
$1,375/wk
Annual change
+22.2%
Quarterly change
+15.8%

Suburb affordability ledger

ABS Census 2021 (income WPI-indexed to 2026) · rent vs household income

Household income (est. 2026)
$2,334/wk
Median age
48
Avg household size
2.8
Rent-to-income
47%

Household income is the 2021 Census median indexed forward to 2026 by ABS wage growth; rent-to-income and stress compare current rent to that estimate.

About renting in Eltham

Eltham is located in Northern Rivers, NSW. The median weekly rent is $1,100, meaning a single person needs to earn at least $190,667 per year to keep rent below 30% of income (based on the $1,100/wk all-dwellings median, single household).

This suburb affordability view is one layer of your NestLedger — rent, salary and household cost context for Australian money decisions.

How is the salary needed calculated?

The salary needed uses the 30% rule: annual income required = (weekly rent x 52) / 0.3. This is a widely used affordability benchmark — spending more than 30% of gross income on rent is considered "rental stress".

Where does the rent data come from?

Rent data comes from government bond lodgement records — NSW DCJ, QLD RTA, and VIC DFFH. This covers actual bonds lodged, making it one of the most reliable rent data sources in Australia.