Newcastle · NSW · 2320

You'll need $78,000/yr to live in Rutherford.

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

1BR median rent
$450/wk
Annual rent change
Rental stress (median income)
Yes
Bonds lodged
357

Location

Newcastle, NSW

Rent trend

Quarterly median rent

Can you afford it on your salary?

Pick your bracket to see weekly leftover, budget breakdown and cheaper alternatives in Rutherford

Closest to the $78,000/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.

Rent details

1 BR
$450/wk
2 BR
$500/wk
3 BR
$600/wk
4+ BR
$700/wk
Annual change
Quarterly change
-1.6%

Suburb affordability ledger

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

Household income (est. 2026)
$1,741/wk
Median age
35
Avg household size
2.6
Rent-to-income
34%

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 Rutherford

Rutherford's 1-bedroom median rent is $450 a week, a little under the middle of the 295 Newcastle suburbs NestLedger tracks, with 91 tracked suburbs coming in cheaper. It is not a bargain pocket, but renters get in below the local median.

There is not yet enough quarterly history in the bond data to describe a rent trend for Rutherford, so the current median is the figure to work from.

Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $78,000 a year to take on Rutherford's 1-bedroom median rent without overextending (based on the $450/wk 1BR median, single household). On the local median household income, Rutherford sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.

Rents in Rutherford's immediate area sit right at its own level: nearby Aberglasslyn also asks $450/wk, so renters trading down generally need to change area rather than suburb.

Is Rutherford expensive to rent in?

Rutherford's 1-bedroom median rent is $450/wk, below the middle of the 295 Newcastle suburbs NestLedger tracks (91 tracked suburbs are cheaper).

What salary do I need to rent in Rutherford?

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 Rutherford going up?

There is not yet enough quarterly bond data to describe a trend for Rutherford.

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.