You'll need $80,600/yr to live in Emu Park.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Rockhampton, QLD
Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
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Closest to the $80,600/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.
Rent details
Suburb affordability ledger
ABS Census 2021 (income WPI-indexed to 2026) · rent vs household income
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.
Nearby suburbs
About renting in Emu Park
Emu Park's median weekly rent is $465 a week, which puts it in the cheapest quarter of the 20 Rockhampton suburbs NestLedger tracks. Only 3 tracked suburbs ask less, so for renters working to a tight budget it is one of the area's genuine value options.
Rents have climbed a moderate 3.3% over the past year. Bond-lodgement medians go from $400 in 2024-Q2 to $465 in 2026-Q1. That is a steady drift upward rather than a spike, but it still compounds against a flat salary.
Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $80,600 a year to take on Emu Park's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $465/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, Emu Park sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
Within its immediate area, Emu Park is already one of the cheaper picks: nearby Lammermoor asks $700/wk. Renters trading down from here generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is Emu Park expensive to rent in?
Emu Park's median weekly rent is $465/wk, below the middle of the 20 Rockhampton suburbs NestLedger tracks (3 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Emu Park?
About $80,600 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $465/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in Emu Park going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +3.3%, from $400 in 2024-Q2 to $465 in 2026-Q1.
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, VIC DFFH, SA Consumer and Business Services via SA Housing Authority, and Tasmania Department of Justice rental bond data. This covers actual bonds lodged, making it one of the most reliable rent data sources in Australia.