You'll need $127,400/yr to live in Smeaton Grange.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Wollongong, NSW
Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
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Closest to the $127,400/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 Smeaton Grange
Smeaton Grange's median weekly rent is $735 a week, which lands in the upper half of the 165 Wollongong suburbs NestLedger tracks. Most of the surrounding market is cheaper, so renters here are paying a premium over the typical local asking rent.
Rents have climbed a moderate 5.0% 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 $127,400 a year to take on Smeaton Grange's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $735/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, Smeaton Grange sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
Rents in Smeaton Grange's immediate area sit right at its own level: nearby Currans Hill also asks $735/wk, so renters trading down generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is Smeaton Grange expensive to rent in?
Smeaton Grange's median weekly rent is $735/wk, above the middle of the 165 Wollongong suburbs NestLedger tracks (97 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Smeaton Grange?
About $127,400 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $735/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in Smeaton Grange going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +5.0%.
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.