PropertyScout Research · Government Data Study

Australia's Renter Capitals (2026)

Our finding: renters make up the biggest share of households in Airds, NSW, at 96.2% of all dwellings.

Where do renters dominate? We ranked residential suburbs (population 3,000+) by the share of households that rent, from the ABS Census — surfacing Australia’s deepest rental markets. A high renter share is the tenant-demand signal investors watch: it points to consistent rental absorption, though often thinner capital growth.

# Suburb Renter Share Median Weekly Rent Population
1 Airds NSW 96.2% $600/wk 3,265
2 Waterloo NSW 92.2% $1,015/wk 16,379
3 Sydney Olympic Park NSW 91.9% $820/wk 4,848
4 Windale NSW 91.3% $575/wk 3,421
5 Zetland NSW 90.4% $1,015/wk 12,622
6 Wolli Creek NSW 89.8% $850/wk 10,654
7 Chippendale NSW 89.6% $849/wk 7,803
8 Tallawong NSW 89.1% $700/wk 6,570
9 Haymarket NSW 88.9% $650/wk 8,305
10 Rosehill NSW 88.3% $600/wk 4,047
11 Wentworth Point NSW 88.3% $820/wk 12,703
12 Harris Park NSW 88.1% $685/wk 5,043
13 Parramatta NSW 88.0% $685/wk 30,211
14 Bardia NSW 87.9% $630/wk 5,747
15 Westmead NSW 87.6% $663/wk 16,555
16 Homebush West NSW 87.5% $688/wk 9,108
17 Weir Views VIC 87.5% $501/wk 4,348
18 Cobblebank VIC 87.3% $527/wk 3,601
19 Macquarie Park NSW 86.7% $800/wk 11,071
20 Warwick Farm NSW 86.2% $600/wk 6,135
21 Collingwood VIC 85.6% $650/wk 9,179
22 Rhodes NSW 84.9% $930/wk 11,453
23 St Leonards NSW 84.8% $900/wk 7,212
24 Ultimo NSW 84.6% $529/wk 7,410
25 Carlton VIC 84.4% $620/wk 16,055
26 Sydney NSW 84.4% $769/wk 16,667
27 Woolloomooloo NSW 84.4% $745/wk 3,792
28 Homebush NSW 84.0% $688/wk 11,660
29 Thornhill Park VIC 83.6% $541/wk 3,066
30 North Melbourne VIC 82.8% $600/wk 14,953
31 Gosford NSW 82.7% $650/wk 4,873
32 Grantham Farm NSW 82.6% $820/wk 3,669
33 Surry Hills NSW 82.6% $850/wk 15,828
34 Munno Para West SA 82.5% $570/wk 7,577
35 Meadowbank NSW 82.1% $700/wk 5,089
36 Oran Park NSW 81.7% $750/wk 17,624
37 Jordan Springs NSW 81.5% $598/wk 11,772
38 Jesmond NSW 81.1% $385/wk 3,210
39 Kalkallo VIC 81.0% $570/wk 5,548
40 Miller NSW 80.9% $600/wk 3,374
41 St Kilda VIC 80.9% $560/wk 19,490
42 Camperdown NSW 80.8% $917/wk 9,381
43 Erskineville NSW 80.8% $900/wk 9,657
44 Redfern NSW 80.8% $799/wk 13,072
45 Alexandria NSW 80.7% $870/wk 9,649
46 Bondi Beach NSW 80.7% $1,100/wk 11,513
47 Flemington VIC 80.3% $570/wk 7,025
48 Liverpool NSW 80.2% $600/wk 31,078
49 Eastgardens NSW 80.0% $1,140/wk 4,086
50 Williams Landing VIC 79.9% $598/wk 9,448
📎 Cite this research

Journalists and writers are welcome to reference these rankings. Please attribute to PropertyScout AU with a link to this page.

Source: PropertyScout AU — Australia's Renter Capitals 2026: Where Most Rent (https://propertyscoutau.com.au/studies/renter-capitals-australia-2026)
Methodology & sources

Source: Australian government public data (state Valuer-General / land offices, ABS Census, official rental & crime statistics). Compiled by PropertyScout AU. Rankings cover 50 suburbs and exclude records flagged as anomalous, stale (pre-2022) or based on very small samples (population under 3,000). Figures are indicative and reflect the most recent published data per suburb. Not financial advice — always do your own due diligence.

❓ FAQs
How is the Australia's Renter Capitals 2026: Where Most Rent list compiled?
We rank suburbs directly from Australian government public data — state Valuer-General and land-office medians, ABS Census demographics, and official rental and crime statistics — applying quality filters to exclude anomalous or stale records.
How often is this updated?
The rankings regenerate automatically from our government data pipeline. Figures reflect the most recent published data for each suburb and can change as new data is released.
Can I use this data?
Yes — you're welcome to cite these rankings with attribution to PropertyScout AU (propertyscoutau.com.au). The underlying figures are public government data.
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