Renting in Sydney: the suburbs that stack up
Short answer: on the data we can source, Petersham, Parramatta and Westmead come out on top. That is from suburbs renting at or below the Sydney median of $520/wk that still score at or above the city median for public transport — 208 of the 422 scored Sydney suburbs clear that bar — then ordered by the same percentile scores behind every ranking on this site. Nothing on this page is sponsored.
By Formada3D research · Updated 10 October 2026
What should renters read before using this list?
Rents here are ABS census medians for the whole suburb, across every dwelling size. A one-bedroom flat will sit well below the figure shown and a four-bedroom house well above it — use these to rank suburbs against each other, not to budget.
Which Sydney suburbs come out on top for renters? (top 5)
1. Petersham
$450/wk median rent — $70 below the Sydney median. Safety 25/100, transit 92/100, green space 28/100. Full Petersham profile.
2. Parramatta
$440/wk median rent — $80 below the Sydney median. Safety 1/100, transit 96/100, green space 75/100. Full Parramatta profile.
3. Westmead
$410/wk median rent — $110 below the Sydney median. Safety 19/100, transit 94/100, green space 40/100. Full Westmead profile.
4. Lilyfield
$520/wk median rent — exactly the Sydney median. Safety 24/100, transit 94/100, green space 88/100. Full Lilyfield profile.
5. Stanmore
$490/wk median rent — $30 below the Sydney median. Safety 37/100, transit 92/100, green space 32/100. Full Stanmore profile.
What else do people ask about Sydney for renters?
Which Sydney suburbs suit renters?
Petersham, Parramatta and Westmead lead on our scoring. The cut is suburbs renting at or below the Sydney median of $520/wk that still score at or above the city median for public transport, and 208 of 422 scored suburbs clear it. Full ranking: best suburbs for public transport in Sydney.
How is this worked out?
From the same open data behind every page here — official crime statistics, ABS census income and rent, OpenStreetMap parks, cafés, transit and schools — turned into per-suburb percentile scores. This page applies one extra filter on top, stated above, and changes nothing else. See how we rank suburbs.
What does this page not tell me?
Rents here are ABS census medians for the whole suburb, across every dwelling size. A one-bedroom flat will sit well below the figure shown and a four-bedroom house well above it — use these to rank suburbs against each other, not to budget.
Computed from 422 scored Sydney suburbs. Guidance only — visit a suburb before you move there. No suburb, agent or developer can pay for placement on this page or any ranking it links to. Sources and full method: how we rank suburbs.