You'll need $147,333/yr to live in Palmvale.
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 $147,333/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 Palmvale
Palmvale's median weekly rent is $850 a week, placing it in the most expensive quarter of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks. This is premium territory for the area, and budget-focused renters usually look at least one suburb further out.
Rents have climbed a moderate 3.7% over the past year. 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 $147,333 a year to take on Palmvale's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $850/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, Palmvale sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
Rents in Palmvale's immediate area sit right at its own level: nearby Reserve Creek also asks $850/wk, so renters trading down generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is Palmvale expensive to rent in?
Palmvale's median weekly rent is $850/wk, above the middle of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks (211 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Palmvale?
About $147,333 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $850/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in Palmvale going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +3.7%.
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.