Denistone East
At 0.7 square kilometres, Denistone East fits one of the highest household income profiles in the country into an exceptionally compact footprint: household income sits at the 91.2nd percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 10 on IRSD, IRSAD and IEO, three of the four SEIFA indexes. The median house price of $2,268,000 reflects stock that is 75.5% freestanding houses and 46.5% four-plus bedroom dwellings, the profile of a suburb built for larger families. University qualifications reach 59.0%, which is 28.9 percentage points above the national figure, and 44.6% of residents were born overseas, 23.0 points above national, with Chinese ancestry (860 residents) the single largest group.
Population
2,292
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,424/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Median House
$2.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $2,268,000 positions Denistone East at the upper end of Sydney's middle-ring market. Prices dipped 3.5% from $2,290,000 in 2024 to $2,210,000 in 2025, a moderate correction rather than a structural retreat. The stock strongly favours large homes: 75.5% are freestanding houses and 46.5% have four or more bedrooms, compared to a much wider apartment share in surrounding suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,974 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.3%, just below the conventional 30% stress threshold, reflecting genuinely high household incomes at the 91.2nd percentile nationally. Outright ownership at 42.7% exceeds the mortgage cohort at 38.7%, a sign that much of the existing housing has been held long-term and does not turn over frequently.
For Buyers
The median house price of $2,268,000 positions Denistone East at the upper end of Sydney's middle-ring market. Prices dipped 3.5% from $2,290,000 in 2024 to $2,210,000 in 2025, a moderate correction rather than a structural retreat. The stock strongly favours large homes: 75.5% are freestanding houses and 46.5% have four or more bedrooms, compared to a much wider apartment share in surrounding suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,974 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 28.3%, just below the conventional 30% stress threshold, reflecting genuinely high household incomes at the 91.2nd percentile nationally. Outright ownership at 42.7% exceeds the mortgage cohort at 38.7%, a sign that much of the existing housing has been held long-term and does not turn over frequently.
For Investors
A renter share of 18.6% and weekly rent of $650 are both on the low side compared to broader Sydney, because Denistone East is an established owner-occupier suburb rather than a rental-supply market. The vacancy rate of 4.6% is elevated relative to metropolitan averages, signalling some softness in the rental segment. Overseas migration brings a net 114 residents per year, which is the primary demand driver and partially offsets a net internal outflow of 83 per year. Development activity reached 26 applications in the past 12 months, including dual-occupancy and subdivision works, suggesting medium-density infill is gradually occurring. The investment case is anchored to capital preservation at a premium price point rather than rental yield, given the $2,268,000 median and modest renter base.
Development Activity
Total DAs
179
Last 12 Months
28
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 41 is 1.0 year above the national figure, and the population is on an aging trajectory: the senior share rose 5.6 points while the working-age share fell 2.8 points over the decade. At 44.6% born overseas, the suburb sits 23.0 points above the national rate. Chinese ancestry (860 residents) is the largest single group, well ahead of English (373) and Italian (176). Mandarin is spoken by 244 residents and Cantonese by 97, reflecting the depth of the Chinese-heritage community. University qualifications reach 59.0%, which is 28.9 points above national, and average household size is 3.1, which is 0.6 above national, consistent with the dominance of couples-with-children families (1,009 out of 2,026 total families).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
75.5%
Houses
24.1%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Denistone East leans clearly toward ownership: 42.7% own outright, 38.7% carry a mortgage, and only 18.6% rent. That outright-ownership share is high and reflects long-holding, established residents rather than a market driven by recent first-home buyers. The stock is 75.5% separate houses and 24.1% semi-detached, with apartments at just 0.4%, making this one of the more detached-dominant pockets in the Ryde LGA. Bedrooms skew large: 46.5% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 44.5% have three, so two-bedroom and smaller stock accounts for under 10%. The median house price fell 3.5% from $2,290,000 to $2,210,000 across 2024-2025. Rent-to-income at 26.8% stays below the 30% stress threshold for tenants.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,974
Rent / wk
$650
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$879
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.9%
Couples, no children
2,026
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in high-income sectors: Healthcare leads at 16.0% (126 workers), Professional/Tech at 14.3% (113), and Education at 13.8% (109), with Finance at 9.6% and Construction at 7.2%. By occupation, Professionals (412) and Managers (157) make up the two largest groups, consistent with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Full-time employment runs at 66.3% and unemployment sits at 4.4%, with 691 residents not in the labour force because of the suburb's aging profile and high proportion of retired or semi-retired owners. SEIFA scores are uniformly high: decile 10 on IRSAD and IEO and decile 9 on IER, with the IER score slightly lower because the low renter share reduces some aggregate wealth indicators. Real incomes grew 4.6% over the decade.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
4,168
Unemployed
82
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.3%
Part-time
29.3%
Participation
52.7%
Employed
918
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.0%
Postgraduate
22.1%
Born Overseas
44.6%
Dwellings
723
Transport to Work
Car dependency is pronounced: 82.6% of residents drive to work, above the national average, and public transport accounts for only 6.6%, with walking and cycling at 4.4%. The compact 0.7 square kilometre footprint sits within reach of Ryde and Meadowbank train and ferry connections, which explains why the suburb still functions well despite the low public-transport share. Denistone East scores decile 10 on IRSAD nationally, the highest advantage tier, with household income at the 91.2nd percentile. The need-assistance rate is 4.9% (109 residents), modest given a median age of 41. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families draw on nearby institutions. Volunteering participation reaches 16.1%, above the rate found in lower-SEIFA suburbs.
Drive
82.6%
Public Transport
6.6%
Walk / Cycle
4.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.19%/yr
(+14 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is slow and steady: annual growth of 0.19% adds roughly 14 residents per year, and the 10-year cumulative change is 6.0%. The suburb recovered from a COVID-era dip of 3.5% and now sits at 7,196 residents, above the pre-COVID level of 7,239 in the medium forecast trajectory through 2031. Overseas migration at 114 net per year is the sole growth driver, offsetting a net internal outflow of 83 per year. The gentrification score is low at 10, with the stage reading not gentrifying, which makes sense for a suburb already at the top decile across three SEIFA indexes with no further runway to climb. Rent growth of 22.0% over the period confirms real demand from new arrivals despite the small renter base. Affordability improved from 68.3% in 2011 to 64.8% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+114
Net Internal / yr
-83
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Denistone East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Denistone East a good suburb to live in?
Denistone East ranks decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top SEIFA advantage tier nationally. Household income sits at the 91.2nd percentile. The suburb is quiet, predominantly owner-occupied (81.4%), and dominated by large freestanding houses, making it particularly well suited to families. The main trade-off is a $2,268,000 median house price and limited public transport options.
What is the median house price in Denistone East?
The median house price is $2,268,000, based on 2024-2025 data. Prices were $2,290,000 in 2024 and dipped 3.5% to $2,210,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $650 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $2,974, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%.
What schools are in Denistone East?
No schools are recorded within the Denistone East boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in adjacent suburbs including Ryde and West Ryde. Despite this, the local population is highly educated: 59.0% hold university qualifications, which is 28.9 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Denistone East safe?
Crime statistics specific to Denistone East are not available in this dataset. As a proxy, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and household income ranks at the 91.2nd percentile. Only 4.9% of residents, or 109 people, require daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Denistone East good for property investment?
Rental yield is modest: $650 per week against a $2,268,000 median implies a gross yield under 1.5%. The 18.6% renter share is low by Sydney standards and the 4.6% vacancy rate is elevated. Net overseas migration of 114 residents per year supports medium-term demand, but returns depend on capital growth given the thin rental market.
How is Denistone East's population changing?
The suburb is growing slowly at 0.19% annually, adding about 14 residents per year. The 10-year cumulative growth is 6.0%, reaching 7,196 residents by 2025. Overseas migration is the sole driver at 114 net arrivals per year, offset by a net internal outflow of 83 per year. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.6 points over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Denistone East?
About 44.6% of residents were born overseas, which is 23.0 percentage points above the national rate. Mandarin is spoken by 244 residents and Cantonese by 97. Chinese ancestry (860 residents) is the largest single group in the suburb, followed by English (373) and Italian (176).
How much development is happening in Denistone East?
There were 26 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including dual-occupancy modifications and subdivision works. This is moderate activity for a 0.7 square kilometre suburb and reflects gradual infill rather than major new supply, consistent with the suburb's established, slow-growth character at 0.19% annual population growth.
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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