Rosebery
At 7,019.6 residents per sq km, Rosebery is one of the denser inner south settings, packing 13,533 people into 1.93 sq km between Zetland, Mascot and Alexandria. The suburb skews young, with a median age of 33, which is 7 years below the national figure, and it is strongly apartment-led, with 71.1% of dwellings in apartments and 52.0% of homes rented. Incomes sit high at the 87.4th household income percentile, while 58.7% university attainment is 28.6 percentage points above national.
Population
13,533
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,274/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
113
Median House
$999K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Rosebery suits buyers comfortable with compact inner Sydney housing because 71.1% of dwellings are apartments, compared with 23.1% separate houses. The median house price is $999,000, while the latest tracked price reached $1,000,000 in 2025 after $980,000 in 2024, a 2.0% rise. Two-bedroom homes dominate at 45.4%, so couples and small households have more choice than larger families. Mortgage payments average $2,600 monthly and sit at 26.4% of income, below stress settings.
For Buyers
Rosebery suits buyers comfortable with compact inner Sydney housing because 71.1% of dwellings are apartments, compared with 23.1% separate houses. The median house price is $999,000, while the latest tracked price reached $1,000,000 in 2025 after $980,000 in 2024, a 2.0% rise. Two-bedroom homes dominate at 45.4%, so couples and small households have more choice than larger families. Mortgage payments average $2,600 monthly and sit at 26.4% of income, below stress settings.
For Investors
Rosebery has a renter-majority profile, with 52.0% of households renting and median rent at $580 per week, giving landlords a large tenant pool. The caution is vacancy: 10.7% is higher than a tight inner-city market would usually signal, likely reflecting the 71.1% apartment base and active new supply. Development activity is also heavy, with 102 applications over 12 months, so investors need to compare building quality, strata costs and position rather than rely on suburb-wide demand alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
552
Last 12 Months
113
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Rosebery iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
K-2 · 150 students
Gardeners Road Public School
K-6 · 393 students
Demographics
Rosebery's population is younger and more internationally connected than the national average. The median age is 33, which is 7 years below national, while 53.8% of residents were born overseas, 32.2 percentage points above national. Education levels are high, with 58.7% holding university qualifications, 28.6 points above national. Chinese ancestry counts 2,686 people, ahead of English at 2,350 and Greek at 1,111, while Mandarin has 724 speakers and Greek 370.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
23.1%
Houses
4.8%
Townhouse
71.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is tilted strongly toward apartments and renters rather than detached ownership. Apartments make up 71.1% of dwellings compared with 23.1% separate houses and 4.8% semi-detached homes, while tenure is 20.5% owned outright, 27.5% mortgaged and 52.0% rented. Prices have been steady rather than explosive: the median moved from $980,000 in 2024 to $1,000,000 in 2025, a 2.0% gain, with the latest price equal to the peak and 0.0% below it.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wk
$580
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,158
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.7%
Unoccupied
680
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.6%
Couples, no children
9,678
Total families
Economy & Employment
Rosebery's workforce leans toward higher income service industries, which helps explain its top decile IEO score of 1144 and IRSAD score of 1142. Professional and tech roles lead at 16.4%, followed by healthcare at 11.7%, finance at 9.6%, education at 9.3% and construction at 8.7%. Occupations reinforce this, with 2,705 professionals and 1,374 managers. The anomaly is the lower IER decile of 4, likely because 52.0% renting and dense apartments pull economic resources below the education and advantage ranks.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.2%
Part-time
22.2%
Participation
61.6%
Employed
6,988
Occupations
Top Industries
University
58.7%
Postgraduate
19.0%
Born Overseas
53.8%
Dwellings
5,647
Transport to Work
Rosebery's livability is built around inner-city access, schools and walkable density, though car use remains higher than the public transport share. Two local schools sit within an ICSEA range of 1058 to 1112: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is the higher ICSEA option at 1112 with 150 enrolments, while Gardeners Road Public School has 393 enrolments and ICSEA 1058. Commutes are mixed, with 11.4% using public transport, 12.8% walking or cycling and 68.5% driving. IRSAD decile 10 supports a high-advantage local base.
Drive
68.5%
Public Transport
11.4%
Walk / Cycle
12.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Rosebery compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rosebery a good suburb to live in?
Rosebery can suit people wanting inner south density, apartment choice and high education levels. It has 13,533 residents, a median age of 33 and 71.1% apartments, so it feels more urban than detached-house suburbs.
What is the median house price in Rosebery?
The median house price in Rosebery is $999,000. Recent tracked prices moved from $980,000 in 2024 to $1,000,000 in 2025, a 2.0% lift, with the latest figure equal to the recorded peak.
What schools are in Rosebery?
Rosebery has 2 local primary schools: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School with ICSEA 1112 and 150 enrolments, and Gardeners Road Public School with ICSEA 1058 and 393 enrolments.
Is Rosebery safe?
Rosebery should be assessed street by street rather than from a suburb crime rate, because no crime rate per 1,000 is recorded. Its 7,019.6 people per sq km means apartment security, lighting and main road exposure matter.
Is Rosebery good for property investment?
Rosebery has investor appeal through 52.0% renting and $580 weekly median rent, but vacancy of 10.7% is a risk. The 102 development applications in 12 months also mean supply and building quality need close checking.
How is Rosebery's population changing?
Rosebery is shaped by high-density apartment living, with 13,533 residents in 1.93 sq km and 71.1% apartments. A 52.0% renter share and 53.8% overseas-born population point to a mobile, internationally connected resident base.
What languages are spoken in Rosebery?
Rosebery has a strong multilingual profile, with 53.8% of residents born overseas. Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language with 724 speakers, followed by Greek with 370, Cantonese with 190, Portuguese with 122 and Russian with 115.
Is there much development in Rosebery?
Yes. Rosebery recorded 102 development applications over 12 months, including 2026 activity for dwelling alterations, retail premises and residential accommodation. That is consistent with an apartment-heavy suburb still being renewed.
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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