Cheltenham
With household income sitting in the 99.1st percentile nationally and a median house price of $2,820,000, Cheltenham ranks among the wealthiest suburbs in Australia. The suburb scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, and 90.1% of residents stayed put over the census period, a stability rate that reflects deep community roots rather than speculative churn. University qualifications reach 67.5%, which is 37.4 percentage points above the national average, and the median age of 46 is 6 years above national, pointing to an established, highly educated resident base that has largely paid off its mortgages: 50.6% own their home outright.
Population
2,166
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,573/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Median House
$2.8M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $2,820,000 places Cheltenham firmly in the upper tier of Sydney's property market, and the stock almost exclusively consists of separate houses: 96.1% of dwellings are detached, compared to the national norm where apartments and semis make up a much larger share. Most of those houses are large, with 67.4% having four or more bedrooms. Prices rose from $2,395,000 in 2024 to $2,875,000 in 2025, a 20% gain over one year. Despite the high sticker price, the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household incomes are among the highest in the country. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,612.
For Buyers
The median house price of $2,820,000 places Cheltenham firmly in the upper tier of Sydney's property market, and the stock almost exclusively consists of separate houses: 96.1% of dwellings are detached, compared to the national norm where apartments and semis make up a much larger share. Most of those houses are large, with 67.4% having four or more bedrooms. Prices rose from $2,395,000 in 2024 to $2,875,000 in 2025, a 20% gain over one year. Despite the high sticker price, the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household incomes are among the highest in the country. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,612.
For Investors
The investment profile of Cheltenham is defined by capital growth rather than yield. With only 8.7% of dwellings rented and weekly rent at $695, gross yield against the $2,820,000 median is well below 2%, lower than most comparable markets. The vacancy rate of 3.9% is moderate, reflecting the small renter pool. Development activity is low at 14 applications in 12 months, mostly alterations to existing dwellings, so new supply is not a concern. The 20% price rise from 2024 to 2025 signals strong demand relative to limited stock, and a turnover rate of just 9.9% means listings are rare, which tends to support prices when conditions stay firm.
Development Activity
Total DAs
120
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+26.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure and reflects a suburb that attracts and retains long-term family households rather than young renters. Overseas-born residents account for 34.5% of the population, which is 12.9 percentage points above the national average. The two largest ancestry groups are English (589 residents) and Chinese (529), making Cheltenham one of the more internationally mixed premium suburbs in the Hills district. Mandarin is spoken by 117 residents and Cantonese by 69, consistent with the Chinese ancestry count. Household size averages 3.1 persons, which is 0.6 above the national figure, pointing toward families with children as the dominant household type.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.1%
Houses
3.5%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Cheltenham's housing stock is almost entirely composed of large, separate family homes. Separate houses represent 96.1% of dwellings, and 67.4% have four or more bedrooms, well above national norms where smaller dwellings dominate. Tenure reflects deep established wealth: 50.6% of dwellings are owned outright, and 40.7% carry a mortgage, leaving only 8.7% renting, a far lower renter share than most Sydney suburbs. Prices moved from $2,395,000 in 2024 to $2,875,000 in 2025, a 20% rise in one year. Rent averages $695 per week. Mortgage-to-income of 23.3% and rent-to-income of 19.5% both sit below stress thresholds, because incomes are in the 99.1st percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,612
Rent / wk
$695
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,159
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.9%
Unoccupied
28
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.6%
Couples, no children
1,973
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in knowledge-intensive industries. Professional and technical services lead at 18.8% of employed residents (162 workers), Healthcare follows at 18.2% (157), and Education accounts for 13.8% (119). Finance contributes 10.3% (89 workers). By occupation, Professionals number 484 and Managers 202, together forming the dominant employment categories. The full-time employment rate is 65.6%, and unemployment stands at 4.0%. Participation at 58.6% is below average because 638 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age and the high share of outright homeowners who no longer need employment income. Cheltenham scores decile 10 on IEO, the index of education and occupation, reflecting this professional concentration.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
30.4%
Participation
58.6%
Employed
1,016
Occupations
Top Industries
University
67.5%
Postgraduate
24.6%
Born Overseas
34.5%
Dwellings
693
Transport to Work
Cheltenham scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, placing it in the top tier nationally for education, economic resources, and relative advantage. The 82.2% car reliance is high, reflecting the suburban character of the area compared to inner-city alternatives where 11.1% use public transport. Volunteering is notably high at 25.4% of residents, above typical suburban rates, which points to a socially engaged resident base. Only 2.4% of residents (51 people) need daily assistance, a low figure even accounting for the older median age of 46. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on institutions in neighbouring suburbs such as Beecroft and Pennant Hills.
Drive
82.2%
Public Transport
11.1%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cheltenham compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cheltenham a good suburb to live in?
Cheltenham scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, placing it in the top national tier for education, economic resources, and relative advantage. Household income sits in the 99.1st percentile nationally, and 90.1% of residents stayed put over the census period. The main trade-off is a $2,820,000 median house price and limited rental supply at 8.7% of dwellings.
What is the median house price in Cheltenham?
The median house price is $2,820,000. Prices rose 20% in one year, from $2,395,000 in 2024 to $2,875,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $695 and monthly mortgage repayments average $3,612, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.3%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Cheltenham?
No schools are recorded inside the Cheltenham boundary in this dataset. Families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs such as Beecroft and Pennant Hills. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 67.5%, which is 37.4 percentage points above the national average.
Is Cheltenham safe?
Detailed crime statistics for Cheltenham are not available in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and only 2.4% of its 2,166 residents require daily assistance, both consistent with a very low-disadvantage area.
Is Cheltenham good for property investment?
Cheltenham's investment case rests on capital growth: prices rose 20% in one year to $2,875,000, while gross rental yield against the median is well below 2% given rent of $695 per week and only 8.7% of dwellings rented. A turnover rate of just 9.9% keeps listings scarce, which tends to support prices when demand holds.
How is Cheltenham's population changing?
Cheltenham has a population of 2,166 across 1.65 km2. The community is highly stable: 90.1% of residents stayed in the same address over the census period, against a turnover rate of just 9.9%. The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, indicating an aging but established resident base.
What languages are spoken in Cheltenham?
About 34.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 12.9 percentage points above the national average. The top non-English languages are Mandarin (117 speakers) and Cantonese (69), consistent with the Chinese ancestry group of 529 residents, the second largest ancestry in the suburb after English at 589.
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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