You'll need $78,000/yr to live in North Arm.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Northern Rivers, NSW
Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
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Closest to the $78,000/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 North Arm
North Arm's 1-bedroom median rent is $450 a week, a little under the middle of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks, with 127 tracked suburbs coming in cheaper. It is not a bargain pocket, but renters get in below the local median.
Rents here have climbed hard, up 10.6% over the past year, well ahead of typical wage growth. Renters signing a new lease should budget for the current figure, not last year's.
Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $78,000 a year to take on North Arm's 1-bedroom median rent without overextending (based on the $450/wk 1BR median, single household). On the local median household income, North Arm sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
Rents in North Arm's immediate area sit right at its own level: nearby Crystal Creek also asks $450/wk, so renters trading down generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is North Arm expensive to rent in?
North Arm's 1-bedroom median rent is $450/wk, below the middle of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks (127 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in North Arm?
About $78,000 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $450/wk 1BR median, single household.
Is rent in North Arm going up?
Over the past year the 1-bedroom median rent moved +10.6%.
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.