Summer Hill
At 6,057.7 people per square kilometre, Summer Hill is a compact inner-west suburb where 63.2% of dwellings are apartments and the population is 7,288. Compared with nearby Ashfield and Petersham, its 1.2 sq km footprint creates a more concentrated, apartment-led setting. Residents are relatively young, with a median age of 36, while university attainment reaches 63.6%, or 33.5 percentage points above the national level. Household income sits at the 87.1 percentile, reflecting a professional workforce, but the 49.8% renting share and 10.8% vacancy rate create a fluid housing market. Overseas-born residents account for 33.5%, adding to the suburb's international character.
Population
7,288
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,260/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
62
Summer Hill suits buyers who value an established, compact address and are comfortable choosing between apartments, semi-detached homes and a smaller pool of detached houses. Apartments account for 63.2% of dwellings, while separate houses represent 19.6%, so buyers should compare buildings, strata costs and renovation potential rather than treating the suburb as one uniform market. The typical household pays $2,708 per month in mortgage costs, with mortgage payments equal to 27.7% of household income, below the level usually associated with severe repayment stress. Compared with a house-led suburb, the 49.3% share of two-bedroom homes provides more entry-level choice, while only 11.9% have four or more bedrooms.
For Buyers
Summer Hill suits buyers who value an established, compact address and are comfortable choosing between apartments, semi-detached homes and a smaller pool of detached houses. Apartments account for 63.2% of dwellings, while separate houses represent 19.6%, so buyers should compare buildings, strata costs and renovation potential rather than treating the suburb as one uniform market. The typical household pays $2,708 per month in mortgage costs, with mortgage payments equal to 27.7% of household income, below the level usually associated with severe repayment stress. Compared with a house-led suburb, the 49.3% share of two-bedroom homes provides more entry-level choice, while only 11.9% have four or more bedrooms.
For Investors
Summer Hill has a large tenant base, with 49.8% of residents renting and weekly rent at $460. That supports ongoing rental demand, although the 10.8% vacancy rate is high compared with a tightly supplied market and may increase competition between landlords. Development activity is also notable, with 64 applications recorded over 12 months, creating a flow of alterations, additions and small-scale dwelling work rather than a simple shortage-only story. Growth is slow at 0.06% annually, while overseas migration is the primary forecast driver. Compared with a high-growth development corridor, investors should place more weight on tenant appeal, building quality and vacancy management than on rapid capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
364
Last 12 Months
62
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-21.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Summer Hill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Summer Hill has a median age of 36, which is 4 years below the national figure, and an average household size of 2.1, or 0.4 below the national average. The profile is highly educated, with 63.6% holding university qualifications, 33.5 percentage points above the national share. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry are prominent at 2,100, 1,030 and 743 people, alongside Chinese ancestry at 752. No religion is recorded for 3,850 residents, compared with 2,392 identifying with Christianity. Overseas-born residents make up 33.5%, 11.9 percentage points above the national level, while 67.7% stayed at the same address and 32.3% moved, indicating both local continuity and regular turnover.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
19.6%
Houses
17.0%
Townhouse
63.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing mix is strongly apartment-led: 63.2% of dwellings are apartments, 19.6% are separate houses and 17.0% are semi-detached. Renting accounts for 49.8%, compared with 27.9% buying with a mortgage and 21.2% owning outright. Compared with a detached-house market, dwelling type is a major affordability variable because 49.3% of homes have two bedrooms, 20.6% have three and only 11.9% have four or more. Weekly rent is $460, while rent represents 20.4% of household income and mortgage payments represent 27.7%, with neither measure flagged as housing stress. The 10.8% vacancy rate gives renters more choice than in a tightly occupied market but can increase variation between buildings.
Mortgage / mo
$2,708
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $460.
$700
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $890 · units $680
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,317
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.8%
Unoccupied
378
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.0%
Couples with children
44.8%
Couples, no children
14.1%
Single parent
1,856
Total families
Economy & Employment
Summer Hill's economy is led by Professional/Tech at 16.9%, followed by Healthcare at 14.5%, Education at 13.9%, Public Administration at 8.6% and Finance at 8.5%. Professionals rank first among occupations with 1,934 workers, ahead of Managers at 714, Clerical/Admin at 543, Trades at 294 and Community/Personal roles at 281. The labour force totals 4,513, participation is 71.7% and unemployment is 4.2%, while personal weekly income reaches $1,317 and household income $2,260. Socioeconomic indicators are above national disadvantage levels: IEO and IRSAD are both in decile 10, IRSD is decile 9, and IER is decile 7. The lower IER result suggests strong resources overall but less uniform economic advantage than the top decile scores imply.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
4,513
Unemployed
191
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
26.1%
Participation
71.7%
Employed
4,322
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.6%
Postgraduate
20.3%
Born Overseas
33.5%
Dwellings
3,101
Transport to Work
Summer Hill offers a dense, inner-west lifestyle with one named local school, Summer Hill Public School, a government primary school. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address, as boundaries can cut across nearby streets and surrounding suburbs. Transport patterns reflect a compact but work-from-home-heavy population: 65.9% work from home, 22.0% travel as a car driver, 7.1% use public transport and 3.8% walk or cycle. Compared with a conventional car-dependent suburb, the 6,057.7 people per square kilometre and 1.2 sq km footprint make local access more practical, although the low public transport share still matters for regular commuters. Socioeconomic amenity is strong, with IRSAD in decile 10 and IRSD in decile 9. No suburb-level crime rate is stated, so street-level checks remain important.
Drive
22.0%
Public Transport
7.1%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
65.9%
Growth Outlook
Summer Hill is an established, slow-growth suburb, with the forecast trend running at 0.06% annually and population change across the wider area at 2.1% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which fits the suburb's 33.5% overseas-born share. The shift trajectory is Mixed: rent growth reached 27.0%, real income growth was 29.7%, and the gentrification shift score is 30 with an Early signs stage. A separate gentrification score of 10 places the suburb in the Not gentrifying stage, so the signals are measured rather than decisive. Compared with a high-growth precinct, Summer Hill's established housing base and slow annual trend point to gradual change, while the 2020s COVID dip of 3.1% was followed by a 3.3% recovery.
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Summer Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Summer Hill a good suburb to live in?
Summer Hill suits residents seeking a compact inner-west setting, professional employment access and apartment choice. It has 7,288 residents, a density of 6,057.7 people per square kilometre and university attainment of 63.6%. The trade-offs are a 49.8% renting share, a 10.8% vacancy rate and fewer detached homes.
What is the median house price in Summer Hill?
A reliable median house price is not stated. With only 19.6% of dwellings being separate houses and 63.2% apartments, a single suburb-wide figure could obscure the difference between house and unit markets. Buyers should compare recent house sales by bedroom count, condition and street, while noting weekly rent of $460.
What schools are in Summer Hill?
Summer Hill Public School is the named local school and is a government primary school. Families should check catchment boundaries and current enrolment rules for the exact address, particularly because the suburb covers 1.2 sq km and has 7,288 residents. Nearby school options may sit across adjoining suburb boundaries.
Is Summer Hill safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not stated, so safety should be checked using recent NSW Police information and the exact street. Summer Hill has 7,288 residents and an IRSAD socioeconomic decile of 10, but neither measure guarantees street-level safety. Inspect lighting, evening activity, transport access and building security before renting or buying.
Is Summer Hill good for property investment?
Summer Hill has a substantial tenant base, with 49.8% renting and weekly rent of $460. However, the 10.8% vacancy rate is high, so leasing speed and property presentation matter. Development activity reached 64 applications over 12 months, while annual growth is only 0.06%; investors should prioritise durable rental demand over rapid capital growth.
How is Summer Hill's population changing?
Summer Hill has 7,288 residents today, with population change across the wider area recorded at 2.1% over 10 years. The annual trend is slow at 0.06%, and overseas migration is the primary driver. The median age is 36, while 33.5% of residents were born overseas, supporting gradual demographic change rather than a rapid population surge.
What languages are spoken in Summer Hill?
English is the dominant everyday language, with Mandarin recorded for 145 residents, Cantonese for 56, Nepali for 46, Greek for 40 and Italian for 39. Overseas-born residents represent 33.5% of the suburb, or 11.9 percentage points above the national share, so buyers and renters can expect a range of cultural and language backgrounds.
What development is happening in Summer Hill?
There were 64 development applications in the past 12 months, covering dwelling houses, alterations and additions, retail premises and neighbourhood shops. One recorded complying development involved 1 dwelling. The pattern points to ongoing infill and property renewal across an apartment-dominant suburb where 63.2% of homes are apartments.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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