Newcastle · NSW · 2284

You'll need $117,867/yr to live in Fennell Bay.

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

Median rent
$680/wk
Annual rent change
+9.7%
Rental stress (median income)
Yes
Bonds lodged
83

Location

Newcastle, NSW

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Rent trend

Quarterly median rent

Schools

6 primary, 1 secondary within 3km

Closest primary
Fennell Bay Public School1km · 889
Fassifern Public School1.3km · 947
Booragul Public School1.8km · 931
Closest secondary
Lake Macquarie High School1.9km · 925
Toronto High School3km · 961
Warners Bay High School5.6km · 1056

Average ICSEA across nearby schools: 924 (national mean = 1000).

Can you afford it on your salary?

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

Closest to the $117,867/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.

Rent details

2 BR
$580/wk
3 BR
$645/wk
4+ BR
$840/wk
Annual change
+9.7%
Quarterly change
+4.6%

Suburb affordability ledger

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

Household income (est. 2026)
$1,623/wk
Median age
45
Avg household size
2.4
Rent-to-income
42%

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 Fennell Bay

Fennell Bay is located in Newcastle, NSW. The median weekly rent is $680, meaning a single person needs to earn at least $117,867 per year to keep rent below 30% of income (based on the $680/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.