Chart 1: The rental squeeze did not start evenly

Median rents are higher everywhere than before the pandemic

Selected points from the ABS monthly median rent table, June 2018 to April 2025.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Latest insights into the rental market.

Every state and territory shown here had a higher median weekly rent in April 2025 than in the pre-pandemic period. The important story is not only that rents rose, but that the slope and level differ across places.

Chart 2: Western Australia had the sharpest jump, but high-rent states stayed expensive

Six years changed the rental map

Median weekly rent in April 2019 compared with April 2025.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Latest insights into the rental market.

The red point shows April 2025 and the dark point shows April 2019. The longer the connecting line, the larger the rent increase. This makes change visible without requiring readers to compare two separate bar charts.

Chart 3: The fastest growth was not always where rents were highest

Rent growth was steepest outside the usual high-rent leaders

Percentage growth in median weekly rent from April 2019 to April 2025.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Latest insights into the rental market.

This chart reframes the story from rent level to rent growth. It helps show how lower-cost markets can become pressure points quickly when growth is steep.

Chart 4: Rent pressure looks different when compared with household income

Some places look more exposed once income is considered

April 2025 median rent compared with 2021 median weekly household income. Interpret this as a simple pressure proxy.

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics rental market insights; ABS 2021 Census income and work.

This is a proxy, not a formal rental stress measure, because 2025 rents are compared with 2021 Census income. It is still useful for storytelling because it shows why rent levels alone are not enough: income changes the burden.

Chart 5: The sharpest pressure combines growth and affordability

Fast rent growth meets high rent burden

Growth, current rent level and rent-to-income pressure compared.

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics rental market insights; ABS 2021 Census income and work.

The final chart combines the story into one multivariate view: growth on the x-axis, rent burden on the y-axis, and current rent level shown by point size. Red points are at or above the 30% benchmark. Green points are below it.