Bellevue Hill
At 10,590 residents across 2.37 square kilometres, Bellevue Hill combines exceptional household income with an apartment-led housing market: weekly household income is $3,315, at the 98.7th percentile, while apartments account for 61.5% of dwellings. Its median age of 39 is 1 year below national, yet the trajectory is aging as the senior share rose 5.2 percentage points. Overseas-born residents reach 37.8%, 16.2 points above national, and 67.2% hold university qualifications, 37.1 points above national. Compared with nearby Double Bay and Rose Bay, Bellevue Hill is denser at 4,462.5 people per square kilometre and more strongly shaped by professional households.
Population
10,590
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,315/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
235
Homebuyers are choosing between apartment convenience and scarce detached stock. Apartments make up 61.5% of dwellings, compared with 33.9% separate houses, while 33.5% of households rent and 35.8% own outright. The bedroom mix is concentrated in 2-bedroom homes at 33.5% and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 30.2%, so buyers should match strata costs and floor area to household plans. At $3,900 a month, mortgage repayments are substantial, but mortgage stress is not flagged because costs equal 27.2% of household income. Compared with Rose Bay or Double Bay, Bellevue Hill suits buyers prioritising established amenity and apartments, although the 10.3% vacancy rate can signal variable demand by building and address.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing between apartment convenience and scarce detached stock. Apartments make up 61.5% of dwellings, compared with 33.9% separate houses, while 33.5% of households rent and 35.8% own outright. The bedroom mix is concentrated in 2-bedroom homes at 33.5% and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 30.2%, so buyers should match strata costs and floor area to household plans. At $3,900 a month, mortgage repayments are substantial, but mortgage stress is not flagged because costs equal 27.2% of household income. Compared with Rose Bay or Double Bay, Bellevue Hill suits buyers prioritising established amenity and apartments, although the 10.3% vacancy rate can signal variable demand by building and address.
For Investors
Investors face a high-rent, high-vacancy profile rather than a simple scarcity story. Weekly rent is $650 and 33.5% of households rent, supporting a substantial tenant base, while vacancy is 10.3%, reinforcing a high-vacancy profile rather than a tightly constrained one. That vacancy can lengthen leasing periods or increase the premium on renovated apartments because tenants have more choice. Development activity reached 233 applications in 12 months, with recent examples mainly involving dwelling alterations and modifications rather than confirmed new dwelling supply. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, but annual forecast growth is -0.05%, so investors should prioritise building quality, strata costs and exit liquidity over speculative appreciation. Compared with lower-vacancy eastern suburbs, this is an asset-selection market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,297
Last 12 Months
235
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bellevue Hill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Bellevue Hill's social profile is highly educated, affluent and internationally connected. University qualifications reach 67.2%, 37.1 percentage points above national, while overseas-born residents are 37.8%, 16.2 points above national. English ancestry is reported by 3,067 people, followed by Irish at 1,083 and Chinese at 722; Mandarin is spoken by 161 residents and Cantonese by 70. Couples with children represent 44.7% of families, only slightly above couples without children at 42.7%, while average household size is 2.5, equal to the national comparison. At 39, the median age is 1 year below national, but the 5.2-point rise in senior share points to an older future profile. Nearby Rose Bay and Woollahra share international affluence, while Bellevue Hill is more concentrated in high-income households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
33.9%
Houses
4.2%
Townhouse
61.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Bellevue Hill is apartment-dominant but not apartment-only. Apartments account for 61.5% of dwellings, separate houses 33.9% and semi-detached homes 4.2%; the compact 2.37-square-kilometre suburb therefore supports 4,462.5 people per square kilometre. Tenure is split between 35.8% owned outright, 28.9% mortgaged and 33.5% rented, a more flexible pattern than a detached-house market. Two-bedroom homes form 33.5% of stock, while 30.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. Neither rent nor mortgage costs are flagged as housing stress: the ratios are 19.6% and 27.2% respectively. Compared with nearby Double Bay, the mix points to stronger apartment exposure and greater sensitivity to strata quality, views and building maintenance.
Mortgage / mo
$3,900
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $650.
$1,005
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $3,500 · units $1,000
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$1,575
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.3%
Unoccupied
467
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.7%
Couples with children
42.7%
Couples, no children
11.2%
Single parent
2,787
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional and knowledge industries dominate local employment. Professional/Tech accounts for 21.7% of jobs, Healthcare 15.2% and Finance 12.8%, followed by Education at 8.3% and Retail at 5.6%. Occupations reinforce that profile, with 2,397 Professionals and 1,301 Managers, compared with 578 Clerical/Admin workers. The labour force participation rate is 65.2%, unemployment is 3.2% and 60.5% of workers are full-time, supporting strong household earnings. Weekly household income of $3,315 ranks at the 98.7th percentile, while SEIFA IRSAD and IRSD sit in decile 10 and IEO is also decile 10, above most Australian suburbs. The 63.2% work-from-home rate is higher than the 27.9% car-driver share because many residents work in professional roles from home or nearby centres.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
5,715
Unemployed
181
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.5%
Part-time
30.9%
Participation
65.2%
Employed
5,534
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
67.2%
Postgraduate
19.7%
Born Overseas
37.8%
Dwellings
4,044
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for residents who value eastern-suburbs amenity, nearby services and home-based work. School access is anchored by 1 local government primary school in Bellevue Hill, and families should check enrolment zones because boundaries can cross suburb lines. The transport profile is unusually home-oriented: 63.2% work from home, compared with 27.9% driving and 2.5% using public transport for travel to work. Density reaches 4,462.5 people per square kilometre, so apartment outlook, lift access, parking and strata maintenance matter more than in lower-density suburbs. SEIFA IRSAD is in decile 10 and need for assistance is 2.4%, supporting a materially more advantaged profile than the national average. For safety decisions, check current street-level incident patterns and conditions at different times.
Drive
27.9%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
63.2%
Population Forecast
-0.05%/yr
(-7 people/yr)
EstablishedBellevue Hill is an established, slow-growth market. The forecast trend is -0.05% annually, while population change across the wider area is 0.9% over 10 years, pointing to stability rather than rapid expansion. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share increased 5.2 percentage points and the young share fell 0.8 points. The gentrification score is 20 with a stage of Early signs, while the shift classification is Not gentrifying with a score of 19. That contrast suggests selective renewal rather than broad displacement. Rents grew 22.2%, and the suburb recovered from a 5.1% COVID dip with 3.5% recovery growth. Compared with faster-growing parts of Sydney, Bellevue Hill's appeal is preservation of amenity and wealth, not large-scale population uplift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+339
Net Internal / yr
-247
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal outflow -247/yr, Strong overseas inflow +339/yr, COVID recovered (-5% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bellevue Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellevue Hill a good suburb to live in?
Bellevue Hill suits households seeking established eastern-suburbs amenity, high incomes and apartment choice. Household income is $3,315 a week at the 98.7th percentile, while 63.2% work from home. The trade-offs are a 10.3% vacancy rate, apartment-heavy stock at 61.5%, and the need to check current street-level safety conditions and individual building quality.
What is the median house price in Bellevue Hill?
Use recent settled sales rather than a single headline estimate, because Bellevue Hill's housing mix makes one suburb-wide figure less representative. Apartments account for 61.5% of dwellings and separate houses 33.9%. Buyers should compare like-for-like sales by dwelling type, bedroom count and condition before relying on a median house price.
What schools are in Bellevue Hill?
Bellevue Hill has 1 local government primary school, Bellevue Hill Public School. School choice should be assessed by exact address because enrolment zones can cross suburb boundaries. The suburb's household profile includes 44.7% couples with children and an average household size of 2.5, so primary catchment access may be important for family buyers.
Is Bellevue Hill safe?
A suburb-wide crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked using current incident information for the specific street, building and travel route. Also inspect lighting, entrances and late-night activity in person. Bellevue Hill is compact at 2.37 square kilometres and dense at 4,462.5 people per square kilometre, meaning conditions can vary between apartment buildings and quieter residential streets.
Is Bellevue Hill good for property investment?
It can suit investors targeting established eastern-suburbs demand, but the numbers favour careful asset selection over a blanket growth strategy. Weekly rent is $650, renter occupancy is 33.5% and vacancy is 10.3%, while forecast annual growth is -0.05%. Development activity reached 233 applications in 12 months, so review strata costs, building condition, leasing competition and resale appeal before buying.
How is Bellevue Hill's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is 0.9% over 10 years and the annual forecast trend is -0.05%, indicating a stable to slow-growth outlook. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 5.2 percentage points and the young share fell 0.8 points. Overseas migration is the primary driver, so change is more likely to come through household turnover and international arrivals than major expansion.
Is Bellevue Hill undergoing much development?
Recent development activity reached 233 applications over 12 months, but the examples are mainly dwelling alterations and modifications rather than confirmed new dwelling supply. Buyers should check approval status, construction scope and strata implications because a renovation pipeline can affect noise, outlook and maintenance expectations without materially changing the suburb's housing count.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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