Summer Hill
A population of 128 sits across 44.99 square kilometres, giving Summer Hill a low density of 2.8 people per square kilometre despite a strongly established housing base. The median age is 43, which is 3 years above the national average, while household income ranks at the 71.1st percentile. Every recorded dwelling is a separate house and 51.1% have 4 or more bedrooms, setting the suburb apart from denser nearby Ashfield and Lewisham. The trade-off is slow momentum: annual growth is 0.06% and vacancy is 16.3%, higher than a tightly held market.
Population
128
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,906/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
62
Buyers are choosing a fully detached housing market, with 100.0% separate houses and no recorded apartment share. Larger homes dominate: 51.1% have 4 or more bedrooms, while 27.7% have 3 bedrooms and 21.3% have 2. That layout suits established households, but the $2,550 monthly mortgage and 30.9% mortgage-to-income ratio require more care than the $300 weekly rent and 15.7% rent-to-income ratio suggest. Compared with apartment-heavy parts of the Inner West, Summer Hill may provide more space, yet the mortgage burden is the sharper affordability constraint because 47.5% of households are paying a mortgage.
For Buyers
Buyers are choosing a fully detached housing market, with 100.0% separate houses and no recorded apartment share. Larger homes dominate: 51.1% have 4 or more bedrooms, while 27.7% have 3 bedrooms and 21.3% have 2. That layout suits established households, but the $2,550 monthly mortgage and 30.9% mortgage-to-income ratio require more care than the $300 weekly rent and 15.7% rent-to-income ratio suggest. Compared with apartment-heavy parts of the Inner West, Summer Hill may provide more space, yet the mortgage burden is the sharper affordability constraint because 47.5% of households are paying a mortgage.
For Investors
Rental investors face an unusual combination of modest rent and high vacancy. Weekly rent is $300, only 17.5% of households rent, yet vacancy is 16.3%, so leasing risk deserves more attention than the low 15.7% rent-to-income ratio alone implies. Sixty-four development applications in 12 months point to active alteration, retail and dwelling work, which can improve amenity but also add competing stock. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, although the annual trend is just 0.06%, below faster-growth locations. Compared with a tightly held rental market, Summer Hill needs conservative vacancy and holding-cost assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
364
Last 12 Months
62
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-23.5%
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 an older household shape than the national pattern: median age is 43, or 3 years above the national average, and average household size is 3.0, 0.5 above the national figure. University attainment is 23.3%, 6.8 percentage points below the national comparison, despite a high household-income percentile of 71.1. English ancestry is the largest named response at 51 people, followed by Ancestry NS at 25, Irish at 12, German at 10 and Scottish at 8. Christianity counts 75 and no religion 30. Household formation leans family-based, with 52.9% of families having children and 38.2% couples without children. An 84.4% stay rate suggests more continuity than a highly transient suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Summer Hill's tenure mix is tilted toward owners: 35.0% own outright and 47.5% hold a mortgage, compared with 17.5% renting. The stock is fully separate-house based, and 51.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, so space is more characteristic than compact living. That helps explain the average household size of 3.0, but ownership is not cost-free: mortgage payments average $2,550 monthly and absorb 30.9% of household income, above the 15.7% rent-to-income share. The affordability trend is improving, with figures of 49.6 in 2011 and 39.5 in 2021, alongside real income growth of 29.7%, yet the mortgage-belt pattern still leaves leveraged owners more exposed than outright owners.
Mortgage / mo
$2,550
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$850
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.3%
Unoccupied
7
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
52.9%
Couples with children
38.2%
Couples, no children
34
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by healthcare at 29.0% of industry activity, followed by agriculture at 25.8%, wholesale and other services at 12.9% each, and mining at 9.7%. The small counts behind those shares, from 9 healthcare positions to 3 mining positions, suggest a narrow local base rather than a broad employment centre. Managers number 17 and professionals 13, alongside 9 trades, 7 labourers and 5 machinery or driver roles. Participation is 57.1%, unemployment is 8.9% and full-time employment is 49.0%. Household income at the 71.1st percentile aligns with strong SEIFA standing: IEO and IRSAD are both decile 10, IRSD decile 9 and IER decile 7, higher than most Australian areas, although the industry mix is more uneven than the advantage scores.
Unemployment
8.9%
Labour Force
56
Unemployed
5
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.0%
Part-time
43.1%
Participation
57.1%
Employed
51
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.3%
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
N/A
Dwellings
36
Transport to Work
Daily life is oriented around cars and home-based work: 60.0% drive, while 40.0% work from home. Summer Hill Public School provides one local government primary option; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb edges. The strongest amenity signal is socioeconomic rather than transport-led: IRSAD and IEO both sit in decile 10, IRSD in decile 9 and IER in decile 7. Volunteering reaches 28.7%, and only 3.7% report needing assistance. Compared with a denser, transit-first inner-city setting, the detached layout may suit households seeking space, but car dependence is the practical trade-off.
Drive
60.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
40.0%
Population Forecast
+0.06%/yr
(+8 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is subdued but not static. The annual trend is 0.06%, while population change across the wider area is 2.1% over 10 years, placing Summer Hill below high-growth corridors. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is Mixed, so demand is likely to be uneven rather than uniformly accelerating. The gentrification score is 10 and the stage is Not gentrifying, despite a separate shift score of 30 marked Early signs. Sixty-four development applications in 12 months and rent growth of 27.0% create visible change, while affordability is marked Improving from 49.6 in 2011 to 39.5 in 2021. COVID's 3.1% dip was followed by 3.3% recovery.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+198
Net Internal / yr
-61
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-3% dip → full 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 can suit households wanting detached space and established ownership, with 100.0% separate houses, 51.1% with 4 or more bedrooms and IRSAD decile 10. The trade-offs are a 60.0% car-driver share and a median age of 43, so it may feel quieter than younger, denser areas.
What is the median house price in Summer Hill?
A current median house price is not available for a reliable answer. The main affordability markers are a $2,550 monthly mortgage, $300 weekly rent and a 30.9% mortgage-to-income ratio. With a population of 128, a single median can be volatile, so check several recent settled sales.
What schools are in Summer Hill?
Summer Hill Public School is a local government primary school. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and nearby options before buying, because one local school does not define all practical access. The average household size is 3.0, so school access may matter to many households.
Is Summer Hill safe?
A current crime rate is not available for a firm safety verdict. Check NSW Police incidents for the exact streets and compare patterns over 12 months rather than relying on a single event. The suburb's population is 128, so isolated incidents can produce an unstable impression.
Is Summer Hill good for property investment?
Investment prospects are mixed. Weekly rent is $300 and renting is 17.5%, but vacancy is 16.3%, which is higher-risk than a tightly held rental market. Development activity reached 64 applications in 12 months, while annual growth is only 0.06%. Overseas migration supports demand, but investors should stress-test longer vacancy and maintenance costs.
How is Summer Hill's population changing?
Population change is slow: the wider area records 2.1% over 10 years and the annual trend is 0.06%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is Mixed. The gentrification score is 10 with a Not gentrifying stage, although a separate shift score of 30 is marked Early signs. This points to gradual change rather than a rapid population surge.
What development is occurring in Summer Hill?
Development activity is active, with 64 applications recorded across 12 months. Recent work includes dwelling houses, alterations and additions, and retail or neighbourhood shop changes. This may improve local amenity, but compared with a quieter established suburb it can also create construction disruption and additional competition for buyers or tenants.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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