Newcastle · NSW · 2289

You'll need $83,200/yr to live in Kotara South.

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

1BR median rent
$480/wk
Annual rent change
+11.9%
Rental stress (median income)
Yes
Bonds lodged
173

Location

Newcastle, NSW

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Rent trend

Quarterly median rent

Schools

11 primary, 2 secondary within 3km

Closest primary
Kotara South Public School0.6km · 1069
Garden Suburb Public School0.9km · 1045
Hillsborough Public School1.4km · 1020
Closest secondary
Kotara High School1.5km · 1066
Cardiff High School2km · 986
Whitebridge High School3km · 1022

Average ICSEA across nearby schools: 1045 (national mean = 1000).

Can you afford it on your salary?

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

Closest to the $83,200/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.

Rent details

1 BR
$480/wk
2 BR
$685/wk
3 BR
$778/wk
4+ BR
$1,000/wk
Annual change
+11.9%
Quarterly change
+5.6%

Suburb affordability ledger

ABS Census 2021 · rent vs household income

Median household income
$2,230/wk
Median age
37
Avg household size
2.8
Rent-to-income
34%

About renting in Kotara South

Kotara South is located in Newcastle, NSW. The median weekly rent is $750, meaning a single person needs to earn at least $83,200 per year to keep rent below 30% of income.

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.