You'll need $88,400/yr to live in The Freshwater.
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 $88,400/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 The Freshwater
The Freshwater's median weekly rent is $510 a week, a little under the middle of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks, with 74 tracked suburbs coming in cheaper. It is not a bargain pocket, but renters get in below the local median.
Rents have climbed a moderate 7.4% 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 $88,400 a year to take on The Freshwater's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $510/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, The Freshwater stays under the 30% line: the typical household here is not in rental stress.
Within its immediate area, The Freshwater is already one of the cheaper picks: nearby Micalo Island asks $630/wk. Renters trading down from here generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is The Freshwater expensive to rent in?
The Freshwater's median weekly rent is $510/wk, below the middle of the 263 Northern Rivers suburbs NestLedger tracks (74 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in The Freshwater?
About $88,400 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $510/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in The Freshwater going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +7.4%.
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.