Cabarita
A suburb of 1,933 residents packed into just 0.5 square kilometres, Cabarita ranks in the top decile nationally on three of four SEIFA indexes, with household income in the 94.7th percentile. The most striking figure is the $3,125,000 median house price, placing it among Sydney's ultra-premium markets, yet only 42.8% of dwellings are separate houses, which keeps detached-home supply extremely tight. The median resident age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, and 55.6% of households own their home outright, pointing to established, long-held wealth rather than new-money speculation. University qualifications reach 53.9%, which is 23.8 percentage points above the national average.
Population
1,933
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,695/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$3.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $3,125,000 reflects a market with very limited separate-house supply: only 42.8% of dwellings are detached houses, compared to 41.4% apartments and 15.9% semi-detached. Prices rose from $2,931,550 in 2024 to $3,350,000 in 2025, a 14.3% annual gain, reaching their current level slightly below that peak. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.5% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 31.6%, suggesting most buyers here are purchasing substantial family-sized properties. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.0%, just at the stress threshold, despite household incomes in the 94.7th percentile nationally. The 55.6% outright-ownership rate means competition for available properties is often cash-driven rather than finance-dependent.
For Buyers
The median house price of $3,125,000 reflects a market with very limited separate-house supply: only 42.8% of dwellings are detached houses, compared to 41.4% apartments and 15.9% semi-detached. Prices rose from $2,931,550 in 2024 to $3,350,000 in 2025, a 14.3% annual gain, reaching their current level slightly below that peak. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.5% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 31.6%, suggesting most buyers here are purchasing substantial family-sized properties. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.0%, just at the stress threshold, despite household incomes in the 94.7th percentile nationally. The 55.6% outright-ownership rate means competition for available properties is often cash-driven rather than finance-dependent.
For Investors
The rental market in Cabarita is thin by design: only 18.6% of households rent, well below state averages, and weekly rent of $900 against a $3,125,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.5%. The 6.3% vacancy rate is elevated for a suburb with so few rentals in total, pointing to patchy demand in the apartment segment rather than broad oversupply. Development activity is modest at 15 applications in the past 12 months, mostly alterations and complying development certificates, confirming this is an established market with minimal new supply coming online. The 14.3% price growth recorded between 2024 and 2025 makes the investment case rest heavily on capital appreciation rather than rental yield, a pattern typical of ultra-premium waterfront suburbs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
77
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 50 sits 10 years above the national figure, one of the most pronounced age differentials in inner Sydney. Overseas-born residents make up 34.8% of the population, which is 13.2 percentage points above the national average, with English (463), Chinese (307) and Italian (289) as the three largest ancestry groups. University qualifications reach 53.9%, compared to a national average roughly 30 points lower, indicating a highly credentialled resident base. The top non-English languages spoken are Cantonese (47 speakers), Mandarin (46) and Italian (36), reflecting the suburb's European and East Asian communities. Average household size of 2.6 is marginally above national, and 35.0% of families are couples without children, consistent with the older demographic profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
42.8%
Houses
15.9%
Townhouse
41.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership is the defining characteristic of housing in Cabarita: 55.6% of households own their property outright, and only 25.9% carry a mortgage, while 18.6% rent. This concentration of debt-free ownership is unusually high and reflects the aging resident base with long tenure. The stock splits across 42.8% separate houses, 41.4% apartments and 15.9% semi-detached dwellings. Three-bedroom properties account for 60.5% of the market, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 31.6%, placing the suburb firmly in family-sized territory. The median house price moved from $2,931,550 in 2024 to $3,350,000 in 2025, a 14.3% gain in one year. With a rent-to-income ratio of 33.4%, the suburb sits above the 30% rental-stress threshold nationally, meaning renters in Cabarita are stretching to afford their housing despite the suburb's overall affluence.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,500
Rent / wk
$900
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,150
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.3%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.0%
Couples, no children
1,729
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads industry employment at 16.7% (109 workers), followed by Professional/Technical Services at 14.5% (95) and Finance at 12.5% (82). Education and Construction round out the top five at 10.4% and 8.6% respectively. By occupation, Professionals (303) and Managers (235) dominate, together representing a majority of the working population, consistent with the SEIFA decile 9 IEO score reflecting high education and occupational standing. The unemployment rate is 3.4% and the full-time employment rate is 65.0% among those in work. Personal weekly income averages $1,150 and family weekly income reaches $3,012, placing household earnings in the 94.7th percentile nationally. The participation rate of 50.2% is lower than might be expected, because the suburb's older median age of 50 means a large share of residents (681) are not in the labour force.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.0%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
50.2%
Employed
795
Occupations
Top Industries
University
53.9%
Postgraduate
17.8%
Born Overseas
34.8%
Dwellings
718
Transport to Work
Cabarita residents are heavily car-dependent: 89.6% commute as car drivers, compared to 1.9% who walk or cycle and just 0.8% using public transport. The area scores decile 9 on IRSD, placing it in the top 10% nationally for low disadvantage, and decile 10 on IRSAD, the highest advantage tier on the combined index. Only 4.6% of residents (86 people) need daily assistance, low in absolute terms but the suburb's older median age of 50 is worth noting for long-term planning. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families with children rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs. The volunteering rate of 15.8% indicates active community engagement. Crime data is not available for this suburb, though the top decile SEIFA standing and low-disadvantage classification are consistent with a secure residential environment.
Drive
89.6%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cabarita compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cabarita a good suburb to live in?
Cabarita ranks in decile 9 on IRSD and decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally. Household income sits in the 94.7th percentile and 55.6% of homes are owned outright. The trade-offs are a $3,125,000 median house price and very limited rental stock at just 18.6% of dwellings.
What is the median house price in Cabarita?
The median house price is $3,125,000. Prices rose 14.3% from $2,931,550 in 2024 to $3,350,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $900 and monthly mortgage repayments average $3,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.0%.
What schools are in Cabarita?
No schools are recorded inside the Cabarita suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Concord and Abbotsford. The local resident base is highly educated, with 53.9% holding university qualifications, which is 23.8 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Cabarita safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Cabarita in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 10 on IRSAD nationally, both reflecting very low disadvantage levels. Only 4.6% of the 1,933 residents need daily assistance.
Is Cabarita good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $900 against a $3,125,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.5%, which is low compared to broader Sydney benchmarks. The 6.3% vacancy rate and just 18.6% renter share limit yield-driven returns. The 14.3% price growth in 2024-2025 suggests the investment case relies on capital appreciation rather than rental income.
How is Cabarita's population changing?
Cabarita's population of 1,933 is concentrated in 0.5 square kilometres, leaving minimal room for expansion. The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, indicating an aging resident base. A resident turnover rate of only 15.4% confirms this is a stable, low-churn suburb with long-established owners.
What languages are spoken in Cabarita?
About 34.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 13.2 percentage points above the national average. The main non-English languages spoken are Cantonese (47 speakers), Mandarin (46), Italian (36) and Korean (23), reflecting the suburb's mix of European and East Asian communities.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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