> Source: https://www.k-stra.com/insights/where-australians-rent/ > Updated: 2026-11-03 Insights · Housing # Where do Australians rent rather than own their home? Renting changes who lives in an area and how long they stay. Across the 231 councils with more than 20,000 residents, the Census shows three very different kinds of renters’ council. In short 33.6% of Australian homes were rented at the 2021 Census. Renting peaks in the centres of Melbourne (69.1%) and Sydney, and in mining councils such as Karratha (65.3%) and Isaac. It is lowest on the semi-rural fringes of the capitals, down to 7.3% in Golden Plains, west of Melbourne. [Open Darwin on the map](https://www.k-stra.com/a/?mv=130.887,-12.398,9.8,0,0&src=insights-where-australians-rent) Most renters ## Which councils have the highest share of rented homes? *[Image: K-Stra free area dashboard for the City of Darwin, Northern Territory: 90,035 residents, median age 34.9 and a consumption index of 117, with Australia at 100.]* Free area dashboard · Darwin Darwin: 53.0% of homes rentedThe free dashboard of the council; housing tenure is further down the same panel. Three groups share the top of the list. City centres, where apartments and students dominate; inner suburbs such as Yarra, Port Phillip and Waverley; and remote mining towns, where many workers live in housing provided by employers or stay only a few years. Darwin sits between the groups: a capital city council where 44.6% of homes are flats, 53.0% are rented and the median age is 34.9, against 38.5 for Australia. The 12 Australian councils with more than 20,000 residents with the highest share of rented homes, Census 2021 Council State Residents 2025 Homes rented Flats and apartments Median age Melbourne VIC 194,481 69.1% 92.2% 29.5 Sydney NSW 241,797 67.4% 87.4% 33.3 Perth WA 35,673 66.8% 94.4% 33.1 Karratha WA 25,429 65.3% 7.9% 33.0 Adelaide SA 30,173 62.8% 70.4% 31.7 Yarra VIC 101,356 57.6% 60.9% 34.6 Isaac QLD 23,186 57.5% 1.6% 35.2 Port Phillip VIC 114,434 54.3% 74.4% 38.0 North Sydney NSW 73,705 53.1% 83.1% 38.6 Darwin NT 90,035 53.0% 44.6% 34.9 Waverley NSW 73,345 50.5% 70.4% 35.0 Randwick NSW 146,484 50.2% 62.4% 34.6 Australia 27,613,654 33.6% 19.6% 38.5 ABS Census 2021 (homes rented, social housing, flats and apartments); rented includes social housing. ABS population by five-year age group at 30 June 2025; median age worked out from the age groups. Fewest renters ## Where do most households own their home? At the other end are the green fringes of the capitals: Golden Plains and Macedon Ranges near Melbourne, Nillumbik and the Yarra Ranges, the Adelaide Hills, Mundaring and Serpentine-Jarrahdale near Perth. Large blocks, family houses and almost no apartments. Across the 231 councils with more than 20,000 residents, the share of flats and the share of renting move together (correlation 0.66), and older councils rent less (correlation -0.58). Mining towns are the main exception: few flats, many renters. The eight Australian councils with more than 20,000 residents with the lowest share of rented homes, Census 2021 Council State Residents 2025 Homes rented Flats and apartments Median age Golden Plains VIC 26,620 7.3% 0.1% 40.3 Nillumbik VIC 63,797 9.5% 3.1% 43.4 Adelaide Hills SA 42,875 11.3% 1.5% 44.7 Mundaring WA 43,577 12.1% 0.2% 43.2 Serpentine-Jarrahdale WA 40,531 12.9% 0.4% 33.6 Macedon Ranges VIC 54,464 14.8% 0.3% 44.1 Yarra Ranges VIC 160,906 15.0% 0.6% 40.9 Joondalup WA 176,595 17.0% 3.4% 41.1 Correlation: Pearson coefficient across councils, from −1 to 1; 0 means no relationship. Social housing ## Where is social housing most common? Social housing, rented from a state housing authority or a community provider, is a separate pattern again. It is highest in Whyalla (14.8% of homes), a steel town built largely with public housing, and in parts of Adelaide, Hobart and Sydney with large public housing estates. For a business it signals a share of households on low incomes, but not always a poor area: in Whyalla, Alice Springs and Karratha high wages lift the income index above 100. The eight Australian councils with more than 20,000 residents with the highest share of social housing, Census 2021 Council State Residents 2025 Social housing All rented Income index Whyalla SA 21,720 14.8% 49.1% 104.7 Brighton TAS 20,527 12.9% 41.7% 94.0 Port Adelaide Enfield SA 143,022 9.7% 42.7% 94.9 Alice Springs NT 30,875 9.5% 49.4% 114.1 Devonport TAS 26,994 9.1% 38.4% 83.1 Karratha WA 25,429 8.8% 65.3% 156.9 Glenorchy TAS 50,450 8.3% 41.9% 93.5 Campbelltown (NSW) NSW 191,285 8.2% 39.8% 99.2 ABS Census 2021 (homes rented, social housing, flats and apartments). Income index from ABS Personal Income 2022–23 (tax data); consumption index derived from it; 100 = Australia. Reading the data ## Why does the share of renters matter for a business? Renters change address more often than owners, so a renters’ area replaces part of its customers every year: good for businesses that win new arrivals, harder for those that live on loyalty. An area of apartments also packs more customers into a short walk. The figures are from the 2021 Census, the latest count by small area; the 2026 Census results arrive from June 2027. Areas that grew fast since 2021, like the outer suburbs, may have more renters today than these numbers show. FAQ ## What else do people ask about housing? ### What share of Australian homes is rented? 33.6% at the 2021 Census, including social housing. The share is above half in twelve councils with more than 20,000 residents. ### Why are mining towns full of renters? Because many workers live in housing provided by their employer or stay only a few years. In Karratha and Isaac, in the Pilbara and the Bowen Basin, more than half of homes are rented. ### Is the data up to date? It is the latest available by small area: housing tenure comes from the Census, held every five years. The 2026 Census results start arriving in June 2027. ### Can I see renting for a postcode or suburb? Yes. The free dashboard of every council, postcode and suburb in K-Stra shows homes owned outright, owned with a mortgage, rented and rented as social housing. 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