Dulwich Hill
At 6,619.5 people per sq km, Dulwich Hill is a compact inner-west suburb where apartments account for 57.2% of dwellings and 33.7% of residents were born overseas. Its median age of 38 is 2 years below national, while university attainment at 56.1% sits 26 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby Marrickville, the suburb reads as more apartment-led and tightly settled. A population of 14,046, household income at the 79.3rd percentile and 9.4% vacancy point to a highly mobile housing market.
Population
14,046
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,095/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
109
Homebuyers are choosing a compact, apartment-heavy market rather than a detached-house suburb. Apartments make up 57.2% of dwellings, compared with 28.9% separate houses, and 2-bedroom homes alone represent 46.9%. That suits singles and smaller households because the average household has 2.2 people, 0.3 below national. A monthly mortgage of $2,500 equals 27.6% of household income, while 3-bedroom and 4-plus options account for only 24.8% and 11.6%, respectively. Check recent comparable sales by dwelling type, as the limited house share can make a headline median less useful than an apartment-specific benchmark.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a compact, apartment-heavy market rather than a detached-house suburb. Apartments make up 57.2% of dwellings, compared with 28.9% separate houses, and 2-bedroom homes alone represent 46.9%. That suits singles and smaller households because the average household has 2.2 people, 0.3 below national. A monthly mortgage of $2,500 equals 27.6% of household income, while 3-bedroom and 4-plus options account for only 24.8% and 11.6%, respectively. Check recent comparable sales by dwelling type, as the limited house share can make a headline median less useful than an apartment-specific benchmark.
For Investors
Rental demand has a substantial base: 46.5% of households rent, higher than the 25.1% owning outright and the 27.5% paying a mortgage. Weekly rent is $470, while the 9.4% vacancy rate signals more leasing competition than a tightly constrained market. That combination can suit investors targeting apartments, because 57.2% of dwellings are apartments, but returns need to allow for vacancy and strata costs. Development activity is material at 113 applications in 12 months, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Compared with an owner-led market, Dulwich Hill offers a larger tenant pool but also more exposure to apartment competition.
Development Activity
Total DAs
536
Last 12 Months
109
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Dulwich Hill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Dulwich Hill has a relatively young, highly educated inner-city profile: median age is 38, which is 2 years below national, and 56.1% of residents have university qualifications, 26 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 33.7%, 12.1 points above national, helping explain the presence of Greek, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian and Mandarin language groups. English ancestry is reported by 3,954 people, followed by Other at 2,582, Irish at 1,835 and Greek at 965. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 6,664, ahead of Christianity at 5,325. A 29.0% turnover rate means local services need to work for both established households and newer arrivals.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
28.9%
Houses
10.9%
Townhouse
57.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is apartment-dominant and comparatively compact. Apartments comprise 57.2% of dwellings vs 28.9% separate houses and 10.9% semi-detached homes. Two-bedroom properties account for 46.9%, well above the 24.8% share of three-bedroom homes, reflecting the average household size of 2.2 people, lower than national by 0.3. Renting at 46.5% is higher than outright ownership at 25.1% and mortgage ownership at 27.5%. For purchasers, the $2,500 monthly mortgage equals 27.6% of household income, while rent equals 22.4%, so affordability depends heavily on dwelling type and tenure. Compared with nearby Marrickville, buyers should make apartment-to-apartment comparisons rather than assume suburb-wide prices transfer across the inner west.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $470.
$720
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $1,050 · units $700
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,157
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.4%
Unoccupied
625
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.3%
Couples with children
42.0%
Couples, no children
16.6%
Single parent
3,598
Total families
Economy & Employment
Dulwich Hill's employment base leans toward knowledge and public-facing services. Professional/Tech is the largest industry at 16.0% with 997 workers, followed by Education at 14.0% and 874, Healthcare at 13.6% and 848, Public Admin at 8.3% and 517, and Finance at 7.5% and 469. Professionals number 3,081 and managers 1,358, reinforcing that mix. Labour-force participation is 67.5%, unemployment 4.3% and full-time employment 64.5%. Socio-economic results are above national norms in several respects: IEO sits in decile 10, IRSAD in decile 9 and IRSD in decile 8, while IER is lower at decile 4. That gap suggests educational advantage is stronger than broad household economic resources.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
8,144
Unemployed
353
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.5%
Part-time
26.2%
Participation
67.5%
Employed
7,791
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
56.1%
Postgraduate
16.8%
Born Overseas
33.7%
Dwellings
5,984
Transport to Work
Daily life is shaped by density, apartment living and a strong work-from-home pattern. Dulwich Hill has 6,619.5 people per sq km, 61.5% working from home, 27.5% driving to work and 5.6% using public transport, so household routines may be less car-dependent than in lower-density suburbs. Walking and cycling account for 3.5%. Two local government schools provide a primary and secondary option: Dulwich Hill Public School and Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design. Check enrolment zones and travel times against the exact address, since school access varies across the suburb. The IRSAD decile is 9, above the national midpoint, indicating relatively advantaged socio-economic conditions. Safety is best assessed using current local incidents and an address visit at different times.
Drive
27.5%
Public Transport
5.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
61.5%
Population Forecast
+0.73%/yr
(+137 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, with an annual trend of 0.73% and population change across the wider area of 12.8% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which aligns with the suburb's 33.7% overseas-born share. The trajectory is labelled Declining young: the young share fell 2.8 points while the senior share rose 1.6 points. Rents increased 33.3%, and the affordability trend is marked Improving from 46.6 in 2011 to 40.1 in 2021. Compared with the 2.0% COVID dip, the area recovered by 3.5%, supporting an established market with early-signs gentrification and a score of 24.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+282
Net Internal / yr
-196
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +12% since 2011, Net internal outflow -196/yr, Strong overseas inflow +282/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Dulwich Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dulwich Hill a good suburb to live in?
Dulwich Hill suits people seeking compact inner-west living, especially apartment buyers and renters. The suburb has 14,046 residents, a median age of 38 and 57.2% apartments. University attainment is 56.1%, which is 26 percentage points above national, although households average only 2.2 people.
What is the median house price in Dulwich Hill?
A current median house price should be checked against recent settled sales because houses represent only 28.9% of dwellings, while apartments make up 57.2%. Comparing like with like matters: a house result can sit well away from an apartment result in a suburb where 46.9% of homes have 2 bedrooms.
What schools are in Dulwich Hill?
Dulwich Hill has Dulwich Hill Public School, a government primary school, and Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design, a government secondary school. There are 2 named local schools, so check the exact enrolment zone and transport route before committing to an address.
Is Dulwich Hill safe?
Check recent NSW Police incident information and visit the exact address at different times before deciding. Dulwich Hill's density is 6,619.5 people per sq km and apartments account for 57.2% of dwellings, so noise, foot traffic and building conditions can vary between streets and complexes.
Is Dulwich Hill good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking a renter-heavy apartment market, but vacancy needs attention. Renting is 46.5%, weekly rent is $470 and vacancy is 9.4%, while 113 development applications were recorded in 12 months. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, though apartment competition should be assessed.
How is Dulwich Hill's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is 12.8% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 0.73%. Overseas migration is the primary driver. The trajectory is Declining young, with the young share down 2.8 points and the senior share up 1.6 points, so growth is occurring alongside an aging age profile.
What languages are spoken in Dulwich Hill?
Greek is the most common reported non-English language at 308 speakers, followed by Arabic at 218, Portuguese at 134, Italian at 107 and Mandarin at 89. Overseas-born residents are 33.7%, 12.1 percentage points above national, so local services and buyers should expect a multilingual setting.
Is Dulwich Hill undergoing a lot of development?
Development activity is substantial, with 113 applications in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a dwelling house and swimming pool certificates. Buyers and investors should check project status, construction timing and likely effects on parking, privacy or amenity before purchasing near an active site.
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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