Hillsdale
Apartments make up 87.8% of all dwellings here, one of the most concentrated high-density profiles in southeast Sydney, and that single fact shapes almost everything else. Separate houses are just 4.2% of stock, so the suburb runs at 10,340 residents per km2 across a tight 0.55 km2 footprint. More than half the population (54.3%) was born overseas, 32.7 points above the national figure, and 56.5% of households rent rather than own. The median age of 35 sits 5 years below national, reflecting a younger, mobile renter base drawn by a $780,000 median house price that undercuts most of inner Sydney.
Population
5,647
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,635/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$780K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $780,000 median house price is modest by Sydney standards, but the stock behind it is unusual: only 4.2% are separate houses while 87.8% are apartments, so a buyer here is almost always purchasing a unit rather than a freestanding home. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 58.3% and three-bedroom at 29.3%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 2.8%, which means families needing space have very few options. Prices were broadly flat over the latest period, moving from $770,000 in 2024 to $782,000 in 2025, a 1.6% rise. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.6%, just above the 30% stress threshold despite a median household income in the 56.5th percentile nationally. Outright owners are only 19.0% against 24.5% with a mortgage, so most resident-owners are still paying down debt.
For Buyers
The $780,000 median house price is modest by Sydney standards, but the stock behind it is unusual: only 4.2% are separate houses while 87.8% are apartments, so a buyer here is almost always purchasing a unit rather than a freestanding home. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 58.3% and three-bedroom at 29.3%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 2.8%, which means families needing space have very few options. Prices were broadly flat over the latest period, moving from $770,000 in 2024 to $782,000 in 2025, a 1.6% rise. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.6%, just above the 30% stress threshold despite a median household income in the 56.5th percentile nationally. Outright owners are only 19.0% against 24.5% with a mortgage, so most resident-owners are still paying down debt.
For Investors
A 56.5% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, and weekly rent of $450 against the $780,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.0%, stronger than the sub-1.5% yields typical of premium inner Sydney. The catch is a 9.2% vacancy rate, elevated because apartments are 87.8% of stock and competition for tenants is real. Demand support is genuine: net overseas migration adds roughly 302 residents a year and is the primary growth driver, while rent has climbed 59.7% over the measured period. Development activity is light at 16 applications in 12 months, mostly commercial and warehouse works rather than new residential supply, which limits future dilution. With annual population growth running at 2.12%, the investment case rests on a younger migrant renter base and rent escalation more than on capital growth, given prices rose only 1.6% year on year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
80
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-15.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 35 runs 5 years below the national figure, and the trajectory leans younger still, with the working-age share up 2.0 points while the senior share fell 1.3 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 54.3%, which is 32.7 points above national and makes migration the defining demographic feature. University qualifications sit at 42.4%, 12.3 points above national, consistent with the 564 Professionals who form the largest occupation group. Chinese (577) is the leading named ancestry after English (845), and the top non-English languages are Bengali (155), Portuguese (116) and Mandarin (93), a South Asian and Latin American mix less common in Sydney. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, fitting the apartment-heavy, couple-and-renter profile where 23.8% of families are couples with no children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
4.2%
Houses
8.0%
Townhouse
87.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure here is renter-led: 56.5% rent, 24.5% carry a mortgage and only 19.0% own outright, so resident wealth is held by far fewer households than in detached-house suburbs. The stock is 87.8% apartments and 8.0% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at just 4.2%, which is why two-bedroom units dominate at 58.3% of dwellings and three-bedroom at 29.3%. The median house price moved from $770,000 in 2024 to $782,000 in 2025, a 1.6% one-year rise that trails most Sydney markets. Mortgage-to-income at 30.6% nudges above the stress threshold while rent-to-income at 27.5% stays below it, a split that shows buying is harder than renting relative to the 56.5th-percentile household income. The 9.2% vacancy rate confirms that supply of rentable units is ample.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$862
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.2%
Unoccupied
232
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.6% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.8%
Couples, no children
4,277
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 17.9% (348 workers), followed by Construction at 10.4% (203), Education at 9.4% (183), Retail at 9.2% (179) and Transport at 9.1% (177), a service-and-trades mix rather than a finance hub. By occupation, Professionals (564) lead ahead of Clerical/Admin (374) and Community/Personal workers (342), which aligns with the IEO education-and-occupation score of decile 7. Unemployment is 6.8% and the full-time employment rate is 65.1%, with participation at 56.5% held down by 1,418 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA picture is mixed: IRSAD and IEO both read decile 7, but IER (economic resources) sits at decile 3, far lower, because the 56.5% renter base depresses aggregate household wealth measures even where education and occupation are strong.
Unemployment
6.5%
Labour Force
8,440
Unemployed
550
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.1%
Part-time
28.1%
Participation
56.5%
Employed
2,474
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.4%
Postgraduate
12.1%
Born Overseas
54.3%
Dwellings
2,289
Transport to Work
Car use is the norm at 73.2% of commuters, higher than inner suburbs better served by rail, while 9.6% take public transport and 9.2% walk or cycle. The suburb scores decile 7 on IRSAD, an above-average advantage tier, though the IRSD relative-disadvantage index reads decile 4, lower, reflecting the mixed economic profile of a renter-majority area. Volunteering is modest at 7.5% and 4.6% of residents (242 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 0.55 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the compact, high-density setting at 10,340 residents per km2. Crime statistics are not available for the suburb in this dataset.
Drive
73.2%
Public Transport
9.6%
Walk / Cycle
9.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.12%/yr
(+354 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is growing at 2.12% a year, well above the flat trajectories of established inner suburbs, and the 10-year change of 39.4% confirms genuine expansion. Overseas migration is the primary engine, adding about 302 residents annually against net internal migration of roughly 48, so almost all growth is imported rather than local. The gentrification stage reads Active with a score of 41, accelerating from a 6% baseline, signalled by the rise in population since 2011 and the strong overseas inflow. Affordability improved from 60.3% in 2011 to 56.2% in 2021, though it remains high relative to most markets. Real incomes grew 39.4% over the decade, but with house prices up only 1.6% year on year, the suburb is densifying and adding people faster than it is repricing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+302
Net Internal / yr
+48
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +49% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +302/yr, Accelerating: 6% → 41%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hillsdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hillsdale a good suburb to live in?
Hillsdale scores decile 7 on the IRSAD advantage index, above the national midpoint, and offers a $780,000 median house price that undercuts most of inner Sydney. University qualifications reach 42.4%, 12.3 points above national. The main trade-offs are an apartment-dominant stock at 87.8% of dwellings and 73.2% car dependence.
What is the median house price in Hillsdale?
The median house price is $780,000, modest for Sydney. Prices rose 1.6% from $770,000 in 2024 to $782,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $450 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.6%, just above the stress threshold.
What schools are in Hillsdale?
No schools are recorded inside the 0.55 km2 Hillsdale boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is well educated, with university qualifications at 42.4%, which is 12.3 points above the national figure.
Is Hillsdale safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Hillsdale in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 7 on IRSAD, and only 4.6% of its residents (242 people) need daily assistance.
Is Hillsdale good for property investment?
Rent of $450 a week against a $780,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.0%, stronger than sub-1.5% inner-Sydney yields. Net overseas migration of about 302 a year supports tenant demand, but a 9.2% vacancy rate and apartments at 87.8% of stock mean returns lean on rent rather than capital growth.
How is Hillsdale's population changing?
Population is growing 2.12% annually with a 39.4% rise over 10 years, well above established inner suburbs. Overseas migration drives almost all of it, adding about 302 residents a year against net internal migration near 48, and the gentrification stage reads Active at a score of 41.
What languages are spoken in Hillsdale?
About 54.3% of residents were born overseas, 32.7 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Bengali (155 speakers), Portuguese (116), Mandarin (93) and Cantonese (77) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong South Asian and Latin American mix.
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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