School costs rise
Secondary school brings devices, tutoring and bigger activity costs.
SourceDepartment of Education
Stormy Weather row · ages 42 to 51
Secondary school brings devices, tutoring and bigger activity costs.
The family car is often replaced, which is a major unplanned expense.
Helping ageing parents becomes a real time and money question.
More income means higher marginal rates. Deductions matter more.
Bigger holidays compete with other goals.
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Figures from published research for the age groups that cover 42–43. Sources often publish wider age groups, so the group shown is the one that includes these ages. They describe groups of people, not any one person. Checked 23 October 2026.
Income for July 2020 to June 2021. Census 2021 linked with tax and payment records. The ABS cautions that incomes for older age groups are likely under-recorded.
30 June 2024. Per account, not per person, because many people hold more than one account. Median is the middle account; average is pulled up by large balances.
2019–20 financial year. By age of the household's reference person, as shown in the ABS graph. The ABS page does not say whether the values are averages or medians, so treat them as indicative.
2019–20. Share of all recent first home buyers in this age group (age of the household reference person). It is not the share of the age group who buy.
Census 2021. Share of people in the age group who lived alone.
2024. Births per 1,000 women in the age group.
2025. Median age of people who divorced in the year.
2022. Share of people in the age group who provide informal care. About 11.9% of all Australians living in households (3.0 million) were carers.
2022. Share of people in the age group with disability. Overall 21.4% of Australians (5.5 million) had disability in 2022.
Dollar figures are in the dollars of the year shown. Average and median are not the same: the median is the middle value. Not financial advice.
Illustrative gross incomes: lower about $50,000, middle about $100,000, higher about $200,000 a year. For ages under 18, read these as household incomes. For retirement ages, read them as lower, middle and higher income and savings. They are examples, not official brackets.
Teenage costs rise faster than pay. Cost-of-living support and cheaper activities help stretch the budget.
Two incomes keep things steady. The family car and holiday are balanced with saving for retirement.
Private school fees may be the largest single cost, alongside investing and holidays.