Macquarie Links
Household income sitting at the 97.9th percentile nationally makes Macquarie Links one of Sydney's most affluent small suburbs, yet only 1,455 residents occupy its 1.77 square kilometres. The dominant signal is the detached-house majority: 93.6% of dwellings are separate houses, with 82.4% having four or more bedrooms, well above the national average for family-sized homes. University qualifications reach 49.9%, which is 19.8 percentage points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 41.1% of the population, 19.5 points higher than nationally, reflecting a highly educated, internationally connected community that is gradually aging in place.
Population
1,455
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,135/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$1.5M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $1,490,000 based on PSI-derived data, and price history shows a sharp move from $947,500 in 2024 to $1,610,000 in 2025, a 69.9% single-year shift. With 93.6% of dwellings being separate houses and 82.4% having four or more bedrooms, the suburb caters almost exclusively to family buyers rather than apartment seekers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,800 at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household income is in the 97.9th percentile nationally. Outright owners (27.9%) are outnumbered by mortgage holders (58.0%), indicating a younger ownership cohort still building equity rather than established debt-free wealth.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,490,000 based on PSI-derived data, and price history shows a sharp move from $947,500 in 2024 to $1,610,000 in 2025, a 69.9% single-year shift. With 93.6% of dwellings being separate houses and 82.4% having four or more bedrooms, the suburb caters almost exclusively to family buyers rather than apartment seekers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,800 at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household income is in the 97.9th percentile nationally. Outright owners (27.9%) are outnumbered by mortgage holders (58.0%), indicating a younger ownership cohort still building equity rather than established debt-free wealth.
For Investors
Renters make up only 14.1% of occupied dwellings compared to the national average, which limits the tenant pool available to investors. Weekly rent of $580 against a $1,490,000 median implies a gross yield below 2%, low by Sydney standards. The vacancy rate of 4.6% is elevated, suggesting the rental stock already exceeds demand at current price levels. Development activity in the past 12 months totals just 3 applications, all for existing dwellings, so new supply is not a near-term risk. Net overseas migration averaging 46 per year provides underlying demand support, while internal migration shows a net outflow of 21 annually. The rent growth of 11.1% over the period is a positive, though it is largely offset by the thin renter base and low yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
3
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Overseas-born residents reach 41.1%, which is 19.5 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting strong migration-led growth since 2011. The top ancestries are English (266), Filipino (118), Indian (104) and Chinese (103), with Bengali the most spoken non-English language at 82 speakers, followed by Arabic (41) and Hindi (29). The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national median, though the suburb is on an aging trajectory with the senior share rising 3.3 percentage points over the decade. University qualifications at 49.9% run 19.8 percentage points above national, consistent with the Professionals (212) and Managers (158) who dominate the occupation mix. Average household size of 3.4 is 0.9 above the national figure, driven by the prevalence of couples with children (561 families).
Age Distribution
Dwelling Structure
93.6%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is almost entirely detached houses, with 93.6% in that category, well above the state and national averages for urban suburbs. Four-plus bedroom homes represent 82.4% of all dwellings and three-bedroom homes account for the remaining 17.6%, leaving virtually no smaller stock. Price history shows the median jumped from $947,500 in 2024 to $1,610,000 in 2025, equating to a 69.9% one-year change, though the $1,490,000 median used for ongoing benchmarking may reflect a different sample. Mortgage holders at 58.0% outnumber outright owners at 27.9%, with only 14.1% renting, indicating the suburb is firmly owner-occupier territory. Mortgage-to-income at 20.6% and rent-to-income at 18.5% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds relative to the 97.9th-percentile household income.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,800
Rent / wk
$580
HH Size
3.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,047
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
20
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.0%
Couples, no children
1,357
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 14.2% of workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 11.8% and Education at 10.1%, a knowledge-economy mix that aligns with the suburb's above-national university qualification rate. By occupation, Professionals (212) and Managers (158) are the two largest groups, representing over half of the employed workforce. Full-time employment runs at 70.5% and the unemployment rate is 4.4%, with a participation rate of 60.7% held down by 356 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA IEO score of 1,100 places the suburb in decile 9 for education and occupation advantage, and the IRSAD sits at decile 8, above average nationally. One structural nuance: the IER decile of 4 is lower than the other indexes because economic resources measures weigh dwelling values and assets, where the 58.0% mortgage-holder proportion and relatively small total population constrain the aggregate score.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
1,780
Unemployed
102
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.5%
Part-time
25.1%
Participation
60.7%
Employed
688
Occupations
Top Industries
University
49.9%
Postgraduate
13.6%
Born Overseas
41.1%
Dwellings
419
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high, with 90.4% of residents driving to work compared to the national average, because the suburb's footprint and gated-estate layout limit public transport options, with only 4.9% using transit. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, meaning families rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs. The IRSAD decile of 8 places the suburb above average nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and only 4.1% of residents (58 people) need assistance with daily activities. Volunteering participation sits at 11.0% of the population. Housing stress is absent on both measures: mortgage repayments at 20.6% of income and rent at 18.5% both clear the conventional 30% stress threshold with margin. Residential stability is high, with 82.0% of residents remaining in the same address over the measurement period against an 18.0% turnover rate.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
4.9%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.24%/yr
(+40 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 21.6% over the decade to 2021, and the current trajectory adds roughly 40 persons per year at 1.24% annually, with medium forecasts projecting 3,451 residents by 2031 compared to today's 3,231. Overseas migration is the primary engine, averaging 46 net arrivals per year, while internal migration removes 21 residents annually on a net basis. The gentrification score of 22 places the suburb in the early signs stage, supported by two signals: population growth above 20% since 2011 and an accelerating university-qualified share moving from 4% toward 17%. Real income growth of 11.6% over the period and rent growth of 11.1% confirm the suburb is moving up the income ladder rather than plateauing. No COVID population dip occurred, suggesting the owner-occupier family profile remained stable through the pandemic.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+46
Net Internal / yr
-21
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +22% since 2011, Accelerating: 4% → 17%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Macquarie Links compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Macquarie Links a good suburb to live in?
Macquarie Links scores decile 9 on the IEO index and decile 8 on IRSAD, placing it in the top tier nationally for education, occupation and socioeconomic advantage. Household income sits at the 97.9th percentile. The trade-offs are strong car dependency (90.4% drive to work), no schools recorded within the suburb, and a $1,490,000 median house price.
What is the median house price in Macquarie Links?
The median house price is $1,490,000 based on PSI-derived data. Price history shows a jump from $947,500 in 2024 to $1,610,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,800, which equates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.6%, below the stress threshold given the suburb's high income base.
What schools are in Macquarie Links?
No schools are recorded inside the Macquarie Links suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, 49.9% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 19.8 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting a highly educated community that seeks quality education nearby.
Is Macquarie Links safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Macquarie Links in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSAD socioeconomic advantage index, above the national average, and only 4.1% of its 1,455 residents (58 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage residential area.
Is Macquarie Links good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $580 against a $1,490,000 median implies a gross yield below 2%, lower than most Sydney benchmarks. The vacancy rate of 4.6% is elevated, and renters make up only 14.1% of dwellings, limiting the tenant pool. The investment case rests on capital growth, supported by 21.6% population increase over the decade and overseas migration averaging 46 net arrivals a year.
How is Macquarie Links's population changing?
The suburb grew 21.6% over the decade to 2021, with annual growth currently at 1.24% adding roughly 40 people per year. Medium forecasts project 3,451 residents by 2031, up from 3,231 today. Overseas migration averaging 46 net arrivals annually is the primary driver, while internal migration shows a net outflow of 21 per year.
What languages are spoken in Macquarie Links?
About 41.1% of residents were born overseas, which is 19.5 percentage points above the national figure. Bengali is the most spoken non-English language with 82 speakers, followed by Arabic (41), Hindi (29), Urdu (20) and Greek (18), reflecting the suburb's strong South Asian and Middle Eastern migrant community.
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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