Sydney · NSW · 2049

You'll need $104,000/yr to live in Petersham.

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

1BR median rent
$600/wk
Annual rent change
-8.8%
Rental stress (median income)
No
Bonds lodged
199

Location

Sydney, NSW

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Rent trend

Quarterly median rent

Schools

27 primary, 8 secondary within 3km

Closest primary
Petersham Public School0.5km · 1137
Taverners Hill Infants School0.7km · 1129
Wilkins Public School0.8km · 1135
Closest secondary
NSW School of Languages0.5km
Fort Street High School0.6km · 1176
Marrickville High School1.2km · 1052

Average ICSEA across nearby schools: 1134 (national mean = 1000).

Can you afford it on your salary?

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

Closest to the $104,000/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.

Rent details

1 BR
$600/wk
2 BR
$780/wk
3 BR
$1,100/wk
Annual change
-8.8%
Quarterly change
-0.7%

Suburb affordability ledger

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

Household income (est. 2026)
$2,616/wk
Median age
36
Avg household size
2.2
Rent-to-income
26%

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 Petersham

Petersham is located in Sydney, NSW. The 1BR median weekly rent is $600, meaning a single person needs to earn at least $104,000 per year to keep rent below 30% of income (based on the $600/wk 1BR 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.