Meadowbank
Almost no detached houses survive here: 96.9% of dwellings are apartments and just 2.3% are separate houses, the clearest sign of how thoroughly Meadowbank has redeveloped into a high-density riverside pocket. The result is a renter-majority suburb where 60.5% lease their home, well above the typical Australian split, and turnover runs at 40.5% over five years. The median age of 34 sits 6.0 years below national, and 61.3% of residents were born overseas, 39.7 points above the national figure. University qualifications reach 68.0%, 37.9 points above national, and the area scores decile 9 on IRSAD, placing it near the top advantage tier despite a 12.4% apartment vacancy rate.
Population
5,089
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,993/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$685K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers face an almost entirely apartment market: 96.9% of dwellings are units and only 2.3% are separate houses, so a detached purchase is effectively unavailable. The median house price of $685,000 is modest by Sydney standards, and prices softened 4.3% from $700,000 in 2024 to $670,000 in 2025, giving patient buyers some room to negotiate. Stock skews small, with 52.9% two-bedroom and 30.1% one-bedroom or studio dwellings, while three-bedroom homes are only 15.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,148, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold thanks to household income in the 74.7th percentile. That affordability, paired with falling prices, makes Meadowbank one of the more accessible entry points to apartment living near the harbour.
For Buyers
Buyers face an almost entirely apartment market: 96.9% of dwellings are units and only 2.3% are separate houses, so a detached purchase is effectively unavailable. The median house price of $685,000 is modest by Sydney standards, and prices softened 4.3% from $700,000 in 2024 to $670,000 in 2025, giving patient buyers some room to negotiate. Stock skews small, with 52.9% two-bedroom and 30.1% one-bedroom or studio dwellings, while three-bedroom homes are only 15.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,148, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold thanks to household income in the 74.7th percentile. That affordability, paired with falling prices, makes Meadowbank one of the more accessible entry points to apartment living near the harbour.
For Investors
A 60.5% renter share and weekly rent of $430 give landlords one of the deepest tenant pools in the area, and against the $685,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 3.3%, stronger than premium harbourside suburbs. The catch is supply: a 12.4% vacancy rate signals real apartment oversupply, which makes sense given 96.9% of dwellings are units. Rent-to-income sits at a manageable 21.6%, so tenants are not stretched, but high vacancy limits pricing power. Development is light at 14 applications in 12 months, mostly commercial and signage rather than new dwellings, so fresh supply is slowing. With turnover at 40.5% over five years, tenant churn is high, which favours investors who can manage vacancy actively rather than those seeking passive, set-and-forget yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
54
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+23.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Meadowbank iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Italian Bilingual School
K-6 · 111 students
St Michael's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 420 students
Meadowbank Public School
K-6 · 642 students
Marsden High School
6-12 · 1298 students
Demographics
Meadowbank skews young and international. The median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national figure, and 61.3% of residents were born overseas, 39.7 points above national, among the highest you will find anywhere. Ancestry is led by Chinese (1,235) and Korean (512), with English (711) and Indian (361) following, and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (299), Korean (230) and Cantonese (147). University qualifications reach 68.0%, which is 37.9 points above national, reflecting a young professional intake drawn by transport and affordable apartments. Average household size is 2.0, half a person below national, consistent with the small-dwelling stock: 44.3% of families are couples with no children. Hinduism (411) and Buddhism (257) feature prominently alongside Christianity (1,811), underscoring the migrant-majority profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
2.3%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
96.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily rental: 60.5% rent, 26.3% carry a mortgage and only 13.2% own outright, the inverse of established owner-occupier suburbs. The stock is 96.9% apartments and just 2.3% separate houses, so the housing market is essentially a unit market. Dwellings are small, with 52.9% two-bedroom and 30.1% one-bedroom, leaving three-bedroom homes at 15.1% and four-plus at under 2%. The median house price slipped from $700,000 in 2024 to $670,000 in 2025, a 4.3% fall, while the reported median sits at $685,000. Mortgage-to-income at 24.9% and rent-to-income at 21.6% both stay below stress thresholds, so housing costs are manageable relative to the 74.7th-percentile household income, a rare combination of central location and affordability.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,148
Rent / wk
$430
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,184
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.4%
Unoccupied
346
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.3%
Couples, no children
3,613
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in knowledge sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 18.1% (476 workers), Healthcare follows at 13.4% (352) and Finance at 13.1% (343), with Education at 8.1% and Retail at 7.3%. By occupation, Professionals (1,337) and Managers (449) dominate, which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Full-time employment runs at 74.7% and participation at 67.3%, while unemployment sits at 5.3%, slightly elevated because the young, recently arrived migrant population includes new entrants still establishing careers. One anomaly stands out: the IER economic-resources score reads only decile 4 against decile 9 on IRSAD, because the 60.5% renter base and small apartments depress aggregate household-wealth measures even though incomes and education are high.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
74.7%
Part-time
20.0%
Participation
67.3%
Employed
2,856
Occupations
Top Industries
University
68.0%
Postgraduate
24.2%
Born Overseas
61.3%
Dwellings
2,439
Transport to Work
Transport is a core draw: 21.7% of residents commute by public transport, well above the national reliance, helped by the rail and ferry links, while 69.4% drive and 5.1% walk or cycle. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD and decile 8 on IRSD, both near the top advantage tier nationally, meaning relatively few residents face disadvantage. Only 2.4% (116 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the young median age of 34. Rent-to-income at 21.6% keeps tenants comfortable. No schools are recorded inside the 0.69 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a compact, high-density area built around apartments and transit rather than family housing.
Drive
69.4%
Public Transport
21.7%
Walk / Cycle
5.1%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Meadowbank compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meadowbank a good suburb to live in?
Meadowbank scores decile 9 on IRSAD and decile 8 on IRSD, both near the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 74.7th percentile. University qualifications reach 68.0%, 37.9 points above national, and public transport use of 21.7% suits commuters. The main trade-off is a 12.4% apartment vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Meadowbank?
The median house price is $685,000, modest by Sydney standards. Prices softened 4.3% from $700,000 in 2024 to $670,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $430 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,148, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Meadowbank?
No schools are recorded inside the 0.69 km2 Meadowbank boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 68.0%, which is 37.9 points above the national figure.
Is Meadowbank safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Meadowbank in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the top tier, and only 2.4% of its 5,089 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Meadowbank good for property investment?
Rent of $430 a week against a $685,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.3%, stronger than premium harbourside suburbs. A 60.5% renter share creates a deep tenant pool, but the 12.4% vacancy rate signals apartment oversupply, so active vacancy management matters more than passive yield.
How is Meadowbank's population changing?
Meadowbank holds 5,089 residents at a dense 7,424 per km2, with a young median age of 34, six years below national. Turnover of 40.5% over five years points to a transient renter base, where 60.5% lease, driven by migration and young professional inflow rather than family settlement.
What languages are spoken in Meadowbank?
About 61.3% of residents were born overseas, 39.7 points above national. English is the main language, with Mandarin (299 speakers), Korean (230), Cantonese (147) and Nepali (61) the most common other languages, reflecting a strongly international resident mix led by Chinese and Korean ancestry.
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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