Hillarys
Household income places Hillarys at the 91.9th percentile nationally, a striking marker of established wealth in a 6.31 sq km suburb of 11,200 people. The median age is 44, 4 years above the national figure, and 68.2% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, reinforcing its family and downsizer profile. With 89.6% separate houses and only 2.1% apartments, Hillarys is more detached in feel than apartment-oriented areas. Buyers comparing nearby Sorrento or Kallaroo will find Hillarys stands out for high household income and an aging trajectory rather than rapid reinvention.
Population
11,200
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,465/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Homebuyers in Hillarys are choosing a predominantly detached market: 89.6% of dwellings are separate houses, while 68.2% contain 4 or more bedrooms. That mix suits established families and buyers seeking space, but it can limit entry-level choice compared with apartment-oriented locations. The mortgage figure is $2,400 a month and equals 22.5% of household income, with no mortgage-stress flag, so the burden sits below a typical stress threshold. Rent is $490 a week and only 13.6% of households rent, pointing to strong owner occupation. For buyers weighing Hillarys against nearby Sorrento or Kallaroo, compare land size, renovation needs and school catchments at the address level.
For Buyers
Homebuyers in Hillarys are choosing a predominantly detached market: 89.6% of dwellings are separate houses, while 68.2% contain 4 or more bedrooms. That mix suits established families and buyers seeking space, but it can limit entry-level choice compared with apartment-oriented locations. The mortgage figure is $2,400 a month and equals 22.5% of household income, with no mortgage-stress flag, so the burden sits below a typical stress threshold. Rent is $490 a week and only 13.6% of households rent, pointing to strong owner occupation. For buyers weighing Hillarys against nearby Sorrento or Kallaroo, compare land size, renovation needs and school catchments at the address level.
For Investors
Investors face an owner-occupier-led market, with only 13.6% of households renting, while 45.2% own outright and 40.8% hold a mortgage. The $490 weekly rent and 5.8% vacancy rate support a rental case, while rent growth of 16.7% signals recent momentum. However, a detached-heavy stock profile of 89.6% separate houses and 68.2% four-plus-bedroom homes can mean higher purchase and maintenance costs than smaller-unit markets, and no sale median is available for a clean yield calculation. Eight development applications in 12 months suggest incremental additions rather than a major supply wave. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which can broaden tenant demand, but investors should test yields, insurance and vacancy assumptions rather than rely on growth alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hillarys
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
HILLARYS COMMUNITY KINDERGARTEN
ST MARK'S ANGLICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL
HILLARYS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Demographics
Hillarys has an older profile than Australia overall: the median age is 44, or 4 years above the national comparison. University attainment reaches 42.5%, 12.4 percentage points higher than the national figure, while 35.4% of residents were born overseas, 13.8 points above national. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 4,945 people, followed by Irish at 1,262, Scottish at 1,203 and Italian at 714. Christianity accounts for 5,977 responses and no religion for 4,268, showing a substantial split in affiliation. Average household size is 2.8, 0.3 above national, and 48.5% of couples have children, helping explain continued demand for larger homes. The aging trajectory and overseas-born share give Hillarys a different mix from younger, more transient markets.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.6%
Houses
8.2%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Hillarys is defined by detached housing and long-term ownership. Separate houses account for 89.6% of dwellings, 4-plus-bedroom homes for 68.2%, and outright ownership for 45.2%, compared with just 2.1% apartments. A further 40.8% carry a mortgage, while renting is only 13.6%, so turnover may be lower than in renter-heavy or unit-led suburbs. The $490 weekly rent sits alongside a 22.5% mortgage-to-income ratio and a $2,400 monthly mortgage figure, with neither rent nor mortgage stress flagged. The 5.8% vacancy rate is a useful market signal, but sale pricing should be checked through recent settled transactions because a current median house price is unavailable. The mix favours larger homes, although 3-bedroom properties make up only 28.0%, limiting mid-market choice.
Mortgage / mo
$2,400
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$490
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$983
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.8%
Unoccupied
241
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.5%
Couples with children
40.3%
Couples, no children
10.7%
Single parent
3,341
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hillarys combines high household earnings with a professional and service-based labour market. Household income is at the 91.9th percentile. Healthcare leads local employment at 16.5% or 686 workers, followed by Education at 13.8% or 576, Professional/Tech at 11.8% or 494, Construction at 10.3% or 430, and Mining at 7.8% or 325. Professionals number 1,673 and Managers 1,090, above Clerical/Admin at 829 and Trades at 695. This mix helps explain IER and IRSD decile 10, alongside IEO decile 8 and IRSAD decile 9. Participation is 66.4%, unemployment 4.2%, and full-time work 56.8%, pointing to a stronger base than a disadvantaged area. Reliance is spread across five industries rather than one dominant employer.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
6,110
Unemployed
258
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.8%
Part-time
38.7%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
5,852
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.5%
Postgraduate
9.3%
Born Overseas
35.4%
Dwellings
3,934
Transport to Work
Daily life in Hillarys is strongly car-oriented: 74.5% drive to work, compared with 4.0% using public transport, while 15.8% work from home and 1.4% walk or cycle. That pattern makes parking and direct road access more important than rail proximity. Families have 3 local education options spanning a government community kindergarten, a government primary school and a non-government Anglican community school; exact enrolment zones should be checked by address. The suburb covers 6.31 sq km at 1,776.4 people per sq km, giving it a settled suburban feel rather than a low-density fringe profile. IRSAD sits in decile 9, above the national midpoint, and volunteering reaches 18.1%. Safety decisions should use current police and council reports, as conditions can vary by street and time of day.
Drive
74.5%
Public Transport
4.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
15.8%
Population Forecast
+0.54%/yr
(+66 people/yr)
EstablishedHillarys is an established area with a measured growth profile rather than a rapid expansion cycle. The forecast trend is 0.54% annually, and population change across the wider area is 4.9% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, while the shift trajectory is labelled Aging. That direction is supported by a 9.6 percentage-point rise in senior share, a 2.3-point fall in young share and a 5.3-point fall in working share. Affordability improved from 53.0 in 2011 to 49.8 in 2021, while rent growth reached 16.7%. The gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying, so the outlook is steadier than a transition precinct. For owners, this implies demand tied more to established amenity, family housing and overseas inflows than to wholesale neighbourhood change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+182
Net Internal / yr
-72
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hillarys compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hillarys a good suburb to live in?
Hillarys suits buyers who value larger detached homes, established services and a settled suburban setting. The median age is 44, 68.2% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, and IRSAD is in decile 9, although car use is high at 74.5%.
What is the median house price in Hillarys?
Sale prices vary by dwelling and renovation, so confirm the current median through recent settled sales. Hillarys has 89.6% separate houses, 68.2% four-plus-bedroom homes and a $490 weekly median rent, providing useful context while sale prices move.
What schools are in Hillarys?
There are 3 local education options across government and non-government sectors: a community kindergarten, a government primary school and a non-government Anglican community school. Enrolment zones should be checked for the exact address.
Is Hillarys safe?
Use current police and council reports to assess safety at the street and time of day you care about. Hillarys has 11,200 residents, and 3.0% report needing assistance, but that figure measures support needs rather than crime.
Is Hillarys good for property investment?
Hillarys may suit investors seeking detached family rentals, but yield needs careful checking because no sale median is available. Median rent is $490 a week, vacancy is 5.8%, renting is 13.6%, and rent growth is 16.7%; 8 development applications suggest incremental supply.
How is Hillarys's population changing?
Hillarys has 11,200 residents today. Population change across the wider area is 4.9% over 10 years, with a 0.54% annual trend. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Aging, alongside a 9.6-point rise in senior share.
What languages are spoken in Hillarys?
With 35.4% of residents born overseas, Hillarys has several established language groups. Italian is recorded for 55 people, Afrikaans and Mandarin for 41 each, and Cantonese and German for 27 each. English ancestry is the largest ancestry response at 4,945.
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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