Haberfield
Detached houses make up 80.0% of dwellings here, an unusually high share for an inner-west Sydney suburb where apartments dominate, and that scarcity of land helps explain a $2,637,500 median house price. Household income sits in the 95.9th percentile nationally and the suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier. The resident base is older and settled: the median age of 46 runs 6.0 years above national, half the households (50.7%) own outright, and turnover is low at 16.4%. University qualifications reach 54.2%, which is 24.1 points above the national figure, while Italian ancestry leads at 1,969 residents, a marker of the suburb's long-standing migrant heritage.
Population
6,480
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,761/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
145
Median House
$2.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $2,637,500 median places Haberfield among Sydney's premium markets, though prices softened over the last year, falling 11.2% from a $2,852,500 peak in 2024 to $2,532,500 in 2025. Buyers are competing for genuine houses: separate dwellings account for 80.0% of stock, with apartments just 7.1% and semi-detached terraces 12.4%. The homes also run large, as 41.7% have four or more bedrooms and another 40.7% have three, so two-bedroom options are scarce at 14.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,674, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%, just above the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 95.9th percentile. Outright owners at 50.7% far outnumber the 31.8% carrying a mortgage, which signals a market held largely by established, debt-free owners rather than recent purchasers.
For Buyers
The $2,637,500 median places Haberfield among Sydney's premium markets, though prices softened over the last year, falling 11.2% from a $2,852,500 peak in 2024 to $2,532,500 in 2025. Buyers are competing for genuine houses: separate dwellings account for 80.0% of stock, with apartments just 7.1% and semi-detached terraces 12.4%. The homes also run large, as 41.7% have four or more bedrooms and another 40.7% have three, so two-bedroom options are scarce at 14.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,674, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%, just above the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 95.9th percentile. Outright owners at 50.7% far outnumber the 31.8% carrying a mortgage, which signals a market held largely by established, debt-free owners rather than recent purchasers.
For Investors
Renters make up only 17.5% of households, a shallow tenant pool that reflects how owner-occupied this market is. Weekly rent of $530 against the $2,637,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.0%, very low even by inner-Sydney standards, so the case rests on capital growth rather than income. The 4.7% vacancy rate is moderate, and rent has grown 27.0% over the period, which supports holding for escalation. Demand is underpinned by overseas migration, the primary driver at a net 198 residents a year, while internal migration removes a net 61. Development is active at 135 applications in 12 months, but the samples are dominated by alterations, pools and complying-development works on existing houses rather than new supply, so stock stays tight and turnover remains the constraint.
Development Activity
Total DAs
595
Last 12 Months
145
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Haberfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Dobroyd Point Public School
K-6 · 116 students
Haberfield Public School
K-6 · 542 students
St Joan of Arc Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 110 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is gently aging, with the senior share up 1.8 points and the working-age share down 0.7 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 28.7%, which is 7.1 points above national. Ancestry is strongly Italian, led by 1,969 residents, ahead of English at 1,654 and Irish at 801, and Italian is also the leading non-English language with 462 speakers, well above Greek at 59. University qualifications at 54.2% run 24.1 points above national. Average household size is 2.8, which is 0.3 above national and consistent with the family profile, as couples with children make up 2,223 families against 1,108 couples without children. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 3,862 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.0%
Houses
12.4%
Townhouse
7.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure skews heavily toward ownership: 50.7% own outright, 31.8% carry a mortgage and only 17.5% rent, so outright owners alone outnumber mortgaged and renting households combined. That depth of debt-free ownership points to long-held family wealth rather than buyer churn. The stock is 80.0% separate houses, with semi-detached at 12.4% and apartments just 7.1%, and the homes are large: 41.7% carry four or more bedrooms and 40.7% have three. The median house price fell 11.2% from a $2,852,500 peak in 2024 to $2,532,500 in 2025, a notable one-year correction off elevated levels. Mortgage-to-income at 30.7% sits just above the stress threshold while rent-to-income stays comfortable at 19.2%, a gap that shows how steep purchase prices are even against incomes in the 95.9th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,674
Rent / wk
$530
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$996
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
109
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.2%
Couples, no children
5,474
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in knowledge sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 18.4% with 437 workers, followed by Education at 13.4% and Healthcare at 13.2%, with Finance at 8.7% and Construction at 7.7%. By occupation, Professionals number 1,182 and Managers 626, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.7%, though the full-time rate of 63.4% and participation of 54.7% sit below what the income would suggest, because the older profile leaves 1,983 residents outside the labour force. Real incomes grew 29.7% over the decade. One anomaly stands out: the IER economic-resources score sits at decile 7 against decile 10 on IRSAD, a gap that reflects how an asset-rich but retiree-heavy population can show lower current-income measures despite high wealth.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
8,690
Unemployed
317
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.4%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
54.7%
Employed
2,848
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.2%
Postgraduate
17.1%
Born Overseas
28.7%
Dwellings
2,217
Transport to Work
Travel patterns lean on the car, with 77.5% driving to work against only 6.1% using public transport and 9.6% walking or cycling, a higher car reliance than denser inner suburbs. The suburb earns decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 9 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 16.4%, and 8.3% of residents, about 524 people, need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 46. No schools are recorded inside the 2.39 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in a low-density, family-oriented area at 2,716 residents per km2.
Drive
77.5%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
9.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.06%/yr
(+8 people/yr)
EstablishedHaberfield is effectively flat in population terms: annual growth registers just 0.06%, roughly 8 people a year, and the 10-year change of 2.1% sits well below the pace of greenfield Sydney suburbs, classifying it as established and slow-growth. Overseas migration is the sole positive driver at a net 198 residents a year, offset by a net internal outflow of 61. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 30, supported by 29.7% real income growth and affordability improving from 49.6% in 2011 to 39.5% in 2021. Medium forecasts hold the local population near flat through 2031, consistent with a built-out, detached-house suburb that recovered from a 3.1% COVID dip and has little land left for new dwellings.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+198
Net Internal / yr
-61
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Haberfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Haberfield a good suburb to live in?
Haberfield scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 95.9th percentile. University qualifications reach 54.2%, 24.1 points above national, and half of households own outright at 50.7%. The main trade-off is a high $2,637,500 median house price.
What is the median house price in Haberfield?
The median house price is $2,637,500, among Sydney's premium markets. Prices fell 11.2% from a $2,852,500 peak in 2024 to $2,532,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $530 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $3,674, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%.
What schools are in Haberfield?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.39 km2 Haberfield boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 54.2%, which is 24.1 points above the national figure.
Is Haberfield safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Haberfield in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a high tier, and only 8.3% of residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Haberfield good for property investment?
Rent of $530 a week against a $2,637,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.0%, very low, and only 17.5% of households rent. Net overseas migration of 198 a year supports demand, but with 0.06% population growth, returns depend on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Haberfield's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.06% annually, about 8 people a year, with a 2.1% rise over 10 years. The profile is gently aging, with the senior share up 1.8 points over the decade. Overseas migration of a net 198 a year is the only positive driver, against a net internal outflow of 61.
How much development is happening in Haberfield?
There were 135 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are alterations, swimming pools or complying-development works on existing houses rather than new supply, consistent with a built-out, detached-house suburb where 80.0% of dwellings are separate houses.
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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