Sandringham
At a median age of 47, Sandringham sits 7.0 years above the national figure, making it one of Sydney's oldest-skewing coastal suburbs. Household income lands in the 79.6th percentile nationally, yet the SEIFA indexes tell a more nuanced story: IRSAD and IEO both score decile 1, pointing to low relative advantage despite solid earnings. The median house price reached $1,453,500 in 2025 after a 15.8% one-year rise from 2024, in a suburb covering just 0.5 square kilometres. Population has declined 6.6% over the decade, averaging minus 0.47% a year, signalling a settled community that is slowly contracting rather than growing.
Population
1,275
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,101/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$1.4M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,400,000 median house price reflects a compact suburb where 63.3% of dwellings are separate houses and supply is tight. Price history shows a strong 15.8% gain from $1,255,000 in 2024 to $1,453,500 in 2025, above most Sydney suburban averages. Three-bedroom homes account for 35.9% of stock, and four-plus bedroom homes match almost exactly at 35.2%, meaning the suburb skews toward family-sized housing rather than small apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,981, but the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 32.8%, above the 30% stress threshold, so buyers need to model debt serviceability carefully. Outright owners make up 46.2% of households, nearly double the mortgage-holder share of 29.8%, a pattern consistent with long-term residents who bought earlier at lower prices.
For Buyers
The $1,400,000 median house price reflects a compact suburb where 63.3% of dwellings are separate houses and supply is tight. Price history shows a strong 15.8% gain from $1,255,000 in 2024 to $1,453,500 in 2025, above most Sydney suburban averages. Three-bedroom homes account for 35.9% of stock, and four-plus bedroom homes match almost exactly at 35.2%, meaning the suburb skews toward family-sized housing rather than small apartments. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,981, but the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 32.8%, above the 30% stress threshold, so buyers need to model debt serviceability carefully. Outright owners make up 46.2% of households, nearly double the mortgage-holder share of 29.8%, a pattern consistent with long-term residents who bought earlier at lower prices.
For Investors
Rental demand in Sandringham is modest: only 24.1% of households rent, below the national average, and weekly rent stands at $550. Against a $1,400,000 median that implies a gross yield around 2.0%, low for an investor seeking income returns. The 6.7% vacancy rate sits above a tight-market threshold, suggesting limited competition among tenants. Development activity is light at 12 applications over 12 months in a 0.5 km2 suburb, so new supply is not a short-term risk. Migration is balanced, with internal net movement of 18 per year and overseas net of 10, but annual population decline of 0.47% means tenant demand is not expanding. The capital growth case is stronger than the yield case, given the 15.8% price gain from 2024 to 2025.
Development Activity
Total DAs
90
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+36.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above the national benchmark, and the trajectory reinforces this: the senior share grew 3.1 points while the working-age share fell 0.4 points over the decade. Greek ancestry leads at 281 residents, ahead of English at 275, and Greek is also the most spoken non-English language with 96 speakers. Overseas-born residents make up 29.6% of the population, 8.0 percentage points above the national rate. University qualifications reach 40.3%, which is 10.2 points above the national figure, indicating a well-educated resident base despite the low SEIFA decile scores. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national average, and 28.3% of families are couples with no children, consistent with the older age profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
63.3%
Houses
8.1%
Townhouse
27.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by outright ownership: 46.2% own without a mortgage, compared to 29.8% carrying one and 24.1% renting. This high outright-ownership rate, well above typical Sydney levels, reflects long-term holders rather than recent buyers stretching to enter the market. Separate houses make up 63.3% of stock, apartments 27.7% and semi-detached dwellings 8.1%. By bedroom count, three and four-plus bedroom homes each represent around 35% of dwellings, so the median house aligns with the typical family-sized product. Price moved from $1,255,000 in 2024 to $1,453,500 in 2025, a one-year gain of 15.8%. Rent-to-income at 26.2% stays below the 30% stress level for tenants, though mortgage-to-income at 32.8% crosses that threshold for recent buyers.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,981
Rent / wk
$550
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$978
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
34
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.8% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.3%
Couples, no children
1,027
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional/Tech is the largest employing industry at 14.4% of workers (57 people), followed closely by Construction at 13.1% (52) and Healthcare at 11.1% (44). Finance and Education each account for 8.8%. By occupation, Professionals (151) and Managers (129) form the two largest groups, consistent with an educated, upper-income workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.9% and full-time employment runs at 65.9%, healthy indicators relative to the national benchmark. Real income grew 10.0% over the decade, though the participation rate of 51.1% is low, because 406 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age structure. The SEIFA decile 1 IRSAD score sits in tension with 79.6th-percentile household income, likely driven by the asset-rich but income-survey-incomplete profile of retired outright owners.
Unemployment
9.7%
Labour Force
1,952
Unemployed
190
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.9%
Part-time
30.2%
Participation
51.1%
Employed
522
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.3%
Postgraduate
8.7%
Born Overseas
29.6%
Dwellings
480
Transport to Work
Car dependence is very high at 88.2% of commuters driving, compared to just 3.3% using public transport, which is low even by Sydney outer-suburb standards. The 0.5 km2 footprint and coastal setting mean walkability is likely limited to local errands. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. Crime data is not available for Sandringham. The IRSAD decile 1 score indicates low relative advantage nationally, which contrasts with the 79.6th-percentile household income, a divergence that may reflect how the index weights asset and occupational variables. Volunteering participation stands at 11.1% and 4.6% of residents (55 people) need daily assistance, a modest care load relative to the 47-year median age.
Drive
88.2%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.47%/yr
(-21 people/yr)
EstablishedSandringham is in a slow, sustained decline: population fell 6.6% over the decade and the annual trend sits at minus 0.47%, losing roughly 21 residents a year. Historical counts show 4,496 in 2023 and 4,471 in 2025, and medium forecasts project further decline to around 4,297 by 2031. Migration provides some offset, with net overseas inflow averaging 10 per year and net internal movement of 18, but neither driver is large enough to reverse the aging trajectory. The suburb scores zero on the gentrification index and is classified as not gentrifying, expected for a location already at high house-price levels. Rent grew 31.2% over the period, faster than real income growth of 10.0%, which narrows affordability for new renters despite the suburb sitting at 26.2% rent-to-income currently.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+10
Net Internal / yr
+18
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sandringham compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sandringham a good suburb to live in?
Sandringham suits established, car-owning households comfortable with a quiet, older-skewing community. Household income sits in the 79.6th percentile nationally and 40.3% of residents hold university qualifications, 10.2 points above the national rate. The main trade-offs are high car dependence at 88.2%, no recorded schools within the boundary and a SEIFA IRSAD decile 1 score despite solid incomes.
What is the median house price in Sandringham?
The median house price is $1,400,000, with recent data showing prices rose 15.8% from $1,255,000 in 2024 to $1,453,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $550 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $2,981, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.8%.
What schools are in Sandringham?
No schools are recorded within the Sandringham NSW boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs. The local population is well-educated, with 40.3% holding university qualifications, which is 10.2 percentage points above the national average.
Is Sandringham safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Sandringham NSW in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, 46.2% of residents own their home outright, community stability is high with 88.4% of residents remaining in the area between Census periods, and the suburb's low population of around 1,275 is consistent with a quiet residential setting.
Is Sandringham good for property investment?
Capital growth is the stronger case: prices rose 15.8% in one year from $1,255,000 to $1,453,500. Gross yield is low at around 2.0% based on $550 weekly rent against the $1,400,000 median. The 6.7% vacancy rate and a renter share of only 24.1% indicate modest rental demand, and annual population decline of 0.47% limits tenant pool growth.
How is Sandringham's population changing?
Population is declining, falling 6.6% over the past decade at a rate of minus 0.47% per year, equivalent to about 21 fewer residents annually. Historical counts fell from 4,496 in 2023 to 4,471 in 2025, and medium forecasts project around 4,297 by 2031. The suburb is aging, with the senior share rising 3.1 points over the decade.
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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