Randwick
Randwick is the institutional anchor of Sydney's eastern beaches, where UNSW (50,000+ students), Prince of Wales Hospital and the L2/L3 light rail terminus converge inside 5.31 sqkm. The 28,943 residents pack in at 5,453/sqkm, slightly denser than peer Maroubra (5,187) and roughly four times Bankstown or Liverpool. SEIFA scores reveal an unusual signature: IRSAD, IRSD and IEO all sit in decile 10 (top 10% nationally), yet IER decile is only 5, a 5-decile gap driven by the renter-and-student loading on income-resources. Household income reaches the 91.1st percentile, university qualification hits 61.3% (31.2pp above national vs Maroubra's 23.7pp), and 42.0% are born overseas. The market signal worth flagging: at $1.435M the house median sits 19.4% below Maroubra's $1.78M despite higher SEIFA on three of four indices, because 68.4% of Randwick's stock is apartments and only 13.8% are separate houses, so the freestanding-house comparable is genuinely scarce.
Population
28,943
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,422/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
203
Median House
$1.4M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Randwick's $1,435,000 house median rose just 3.4% from $1.40M (2024) to $1.45M peak (2025), a far quieter trajectory than Maroubra's 28.3% one-year jump. The structural constraint: only 13.8% of dwellings are separate houses, the lowest detached-share of any Randwick LGA suburb we've documented, and well below Maroubra's 29.6%. Buyers are effectively choosing between the 16.0% semi-detached slice or competing in the 68.4% apartment pool, where 50.4% of all dwellings are 2-bedroom and only 13.6% have 4+ bedrooms. Mortgage-to-income runs 28.6% (no stress flag), notably lower than Maroubra's 32.4% reading, because household incomes here ($2,422/week) carry the cost better than Maroubra's $2,141. For owner-occupiers, the realistic entry product is a 2-3 bed apartment near the light rail; freestanding stock above $2.5M is the rare outcome, not the typical one.
For Buyers
Randwick's $1,435,000 house median rose just 3.4% from $1.40M (2024) to $1.45M peak (2025), a far quieter trajectory than Maroubra's 28.3% one-year jump. The structural constraint: only 13.8% of dwellings are separate houses, the lowest detached-share of any Randwick LGA suburb we've documented, and well below Maroubra's 29.6%. Buyers are effectively choosing between the 16.0% semi-detached slice or competing in the 68.4% apartment pool, where 50.4% of all dwellings are 2-bedroom and only 13.6% have 4+ bedrooms. Mortgage-to-income runs 28.6% (no stress flag), notably lower than Maroubra's 32.4% reading, because household incomes here ($2,422/week) carry the cost better than Maroubra's $2,141. For owner-occupiers, the realistic entry product is a 2-3 bed apartment near the light rail; freestanding stock above $2.5M is the rare outcome, not the typical one.
For Investors
Renter share of 51.9% is the highest in any eastern beaches suburb we cover, well above Maroubra's 44.1% and structurally tied to UNSW and Prince of Wales staffing. But the cashflow math is thin: $572 weekly rent against the $1.435M house median pencils to roughly 2.1% gross yield, weak even by Sydney standards though slightly better than Maroubra's 1.6%. The vacancy rate is alarming at 11.3%, materially higher than Maroubra's 8.2% and far above Sydney metro norms, reflecting student-cycle turnover (34.8% mobility rate) plus apartment oversupply from the 187 development applications lodged in 12 months. Demand fundamentals are real: net overseas migration averages +476/year vs internal -330/year, and rent growth ran 25% over the decade. Compared with Bankstown's 3.5% yield play, Randwick is a capital-growth bet on the UNSW-hospital precinct rather than cashflow.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,151
Last 12 Months
203
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Randwick iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Claremont College
K-6 · 265 students
Emanuel School
K-12 · 849 students
Coogee Boys' Preparatory School
K-6 · 102 students
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 472 students
Randwick Public School
K-6 · 853 students
Demographics
Randwick's demographic signature is institution-shaped. Median age is 36 (4 years below national), university-qualified share hits 61.3% (31.2pp above national, materially higher than Maroubra's 53.8%), and 42.0% are born overseas (20.4pp above). Ancestry breaks 9,012 English / 5,142 Irish / 4,865 Other / 2,573 Scottish / 1,864 Chinese, an Anglo-Celtic skew that contrasts with Maroubra's Greek-Chinese concentration or Bankstown's Vietnamese-Lebanese-Chinese tri-cultural profile. Languages spoken at home are flatter: 284 Mandarin, 176 Greek, 175 Portuguese, 173 Russian, 171 French, with no single non-English language dominating. Religion shows 12,137 Christian, 1,423 Jewish (a meaningful cluster supporting Emanuel School locally), 493 Buddhist. Couples-with-children households number 8,296 vs 6,337 couples-no-kids (32.3% of families), a family share weaker than typical Sydney middle-ring suburbs and consistent with the apartment-dominant student-and-young-professional stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
13.8%
Houses
16.0%
Townhouse
68.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is the most apartment-skewed in Randwick LGA: 68.4% apartments, 16.0% semi-detached, only 13.8% separate houses. Tenure runs 23.9% owned outright, 24.2% mortgaged, 51.9% rented, a renter-majority structure closer to Pyrmont or Ultimo than to neighbouring Coogee or Clovelly. Bedrooms cluster heavily at 2-bed (50.4%) with 20.7% 3-bed and just 13.6% 4-bed-plus, a stock profile that reflects decades of medium-density infill around UNSW and the hospital. The $1.435M house median against $2,422/week household income works to a price-to-income ratio near 11.4x, above the 8x national benchmark but lower than Maroubra's 16x because higher Randwick incomes absorb more of the price. Affordability actually improved from 53.9 in 2011 to 45.7 in 2021, and outright ownership at 23.9% is below the Sydney metro average, consistent with a population that cycles in and out around study and career stages.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wk
$572
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,336
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.3%
Unoccupied
1,501
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.3%
Couples, no children
19,635
Total families
Economy & Employment
Randwick's workforce concentration tells the precinct story directly: Professional/Tech 17.4% (2,296 jobs), Healthcare 17.1% (2,257), Education 12.4% (1,643), Finance 9.9% and Construction 7.4%. The Healthcare-plus-Education combined share of 29.5% is unusually high and ties straight back to Prince of Wales Hospital and UNSW employing inside the suburb itself, not commuting out, which is why Maroubra's economic mix (Healthcare 15.0%, Education 12.0%) shows the same precinct echo at lower intensity. Occupations skew Professionals (6,911) and Managers (2,944), together 56% of all employed residents. Full-time employment runs 72.6%, unemployment is just 3.9%, and the 62.9% participation rate sits above Bankstown's 37.6% by a wide margin. The SEIFA pattern is the most distinctive in our database: IEO/IRSAD/IRSD all decile 10, but IER decile 5, a 5-decile spread that captures the gap between elite credentials and rental-loaded household resources.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
11,386
Unemployed
316
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
72.6%
Part-time
23.5%
Participation
62.9%
Employed
14,926
Occupations
Top Industries
University
61.3%
Postgraduate
19.6%
Born Overseas
42.0%
Dwellings
11,771
Transport to Work
Schools are deep and uniformly above-baseline: nine documented, all sitting above ICSEA 1000. Independent leaders include Claremont College (ICSEA 1201, 265 enrolled), Emanuel School (1186, 849), and Coogee Boys' Preparatory (1165, 102). The Catholic tier is led by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Primary (1160, 472), Brigidine College (1114, 851) and Marcellin College (1100, 964). Government primary options Randwick Public (1155, 853) and Rainbow Street Public (1122, 454) both sit well above the Sydney metro average, and Randwick High (1071, 1461) anchors the public secondary tier, forming a comprehensive school stack that Maroubra's seven schools partially replicates. Transport is unusually balanced: 60.6% drive, 23.6% walk or cycle (high for Sydney, reflecting compact density and UNSW commuting), and 11.7% take public transport via the L2/L3 light rail. IRSAD decile 10, with the L3 Kingsford line terminating inside the suburb, gives Randwick a walk-and-tram livability profile uncommon in Sydney.
Drive
60.6%
Public Transport
11.7%
Walk / Cycle
23.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.45%/yr
(+61 people/yr)
EstablishedRandwick's forecast growth runs a slow 0.45% annually (~61 persons/year), taking the SA2 from 13,672 (2025) to roughly 13,985 by 2031, just 2.3% over six years. Like Maroubra, Randwick is migration-fed: net overseas migration averages +476/year while net internal runs -330/year, the largest international-versus-domestic gap among eastern beaches suburbs we cover, driven by international student inflows tied to UNSW. COVID dipped population 4.9% before full recovery (5.6% rebound), and gentrification scores 24-39 (Early signs) with signals including population +11% since 2011, strong overseas inflow, and the post-COVID rebound. Real income growth ran 20% over a decade and rent growth hit 25%, both supportive of the lifestyle-premium thesis. Compared with Western Sydney corridor suburbs like Liverpool that grow on greenfield supply, Randwick is firmly supply-constrained, with incremental redevelopment dominating rather than expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+476
Net Internal / yr
-330
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +11% since 2011, Net internal outflow -330/yr, Strong overseas inflow +476/yr, COVID recovered (-5% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Randwick compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Randwick a good suburb to live in?
For households in the 91.1st income percentile prioritising apartment living near UNSW, Prince of Wales Hospital and the L2/L3 light rail, yes. SEIFA places Randwick in IRSAD/IRSD/IEO decile 10. The trade-off is 68.4% apartment stock and only 13.8% separate houses, so freestanding-house buyers face thin supply.
What is the median house price in Randwick?
$1,435,000 (2024-2025 PSI-derived), up just 3.4% from $1.40M in 2024 to $1.45M peak in 2025, a much quieter trajectory than Maroubra's 28.3% one-year jump. Mortgage-to-income runs 28.6%, below the 30% stress threshold and lower than Maroubra's 32.4%.
What schools are in Randwick?
Nine schools all above ICSEA 1000: Claremont College (1201, 265), Emanuel School (1186, 849), Coogee Boys' Prep (1165, 102), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (1160, 472), Randwick Public (1155, 853), Rainbow Street Public (1122, 454), Brigidine College (1114, 851), Marcellin College (1100, 964), Randwick High (1071, 1461).
Is Randwick safe?
BOCSAR crime-rate data is not in our brief, but SEIFA proxies suggest low risk: IRSAD decile 10 (top 10% nationally), IRSD decile 10 and IEO decile 10. Unlike Maroubra (1-decile IRSAD-IRSD gap), Randwick shows uniform decile 10 across all three advantage indices.
Is Randwick good for property investment?
Mixed. Renter share is high at 51.9% (above Maroubra's 44.1%) and overseas migration adds +476/year, but $572/week rent against $1.435M is roughly 2.1% gross yield. Vacancy rate of 11.3% is alarming, reflecting UNSW student-cycle turnover. It is a capital-growth bet, not cashflow.
How is Randwick's population changing?
Slow growth at 0.45% annually (~61 persons/year), forecast to reach 13,985 by 2031 from 13,672 in 2025. Internal migration runs -330/year but overseas migration adds +476/year, so the suburb is internationalising on UNSW-driven student and skilled inflows even as net Australian-born flows leave.
What languages are spoken in Randwick?
42.0% of residents are born overseas (20.4pp above national). Top home languages are flat: Mandarin (284), Greek (176), Portuguese (175), Russian (173), French (171). Unlike Maroubra's Greek-Chinese concentration, no single non-English language dominates Randwick.
How much development is happening in Randwick?
187 development applications lodged in the past 12 months across 5.31 sqkm, a moderate pipeline below Maroubra's 320 DAs. Recent samples include dual occupancy applications, dwelling-house alterations, and Complying Development Certificates, dominated by infill rather than greenfield activity.
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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