Surry Hills
At 12023.7 residents per sq km, Surry Hills is one of Sydney's densest inner suburbs, fitting 15828 people into just 1.32 sq km. The suburb is shaped by renters and apartments: 67.1% of homes are rented and 68.9% are apartments, with another 29.2% semi-detached. Compared with nearby Redfern and Darlinghurst, its profile is especially education and income heavy, with 63.9% university qualified and household income in the 88.2 percentile nationally. Slow forecast growth means lifestyle demand matters more than land release.
Population
15,828
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,308/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
249
Median House
$1.2M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers in Surry Hills are paying for location and scarcity rather than land size. The median house price is $1177500, while only 1.1% of dwellings are separate houses, so many purchases are apartments or terraces. Small homes dominate because 43.5% have 0 or 1 bedrooms and 37.0% have 2 bedrooms. Mortgage repayments absorb 28.4% of income, below stress settings, helped by high household income of $2308 a week. The 2025 median is 2.1% above 2024, so buyers face a firm but not runaway market.
For Buyers
Buyers in Surry Hills are paying for location and scarcity rather than land size. The median house price is $1177500, while only 1.1% of dwellings are separate houses, so many purchases are apartments or terraces. Small homes dominate because 43.5% have 0 or 1 bedrooms and 37.0% have 2 bedrooms. Mortgage repayments absorb 28.4% of income, below stress settings, helped by high household income of $2308 a week. The 2025 median is 2.1% above 2024, so buyers face a firm but not runaway market.
For Investors
Surry Hills has a renter-majority profile that suits income-focused investors: 67.1% of households rent and the median rent is $550 a week. The caution is vacancy, with a 14.0% vacancy rate, higher risk for short-term leasing assumptions and requiring sharper pricing or better presentation. Development activity is intense, with 223 applications in 12 months, because older buildings keep being adapted for offices, hostels and housing alterations. Rent growth of 22.2% adds upside, but apartment supply and tenant turnover need close watching.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,391
Last 12 Months
249
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-1.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Surry Hills iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sydney Girls High School
7-12 · 929 students
Bourke Street Public School
K-6 · 381 students
Crown Street Public School
K-6 · 288 students
Inner Sydney High School
7-12 · 1161 students
Sydney Distance Education Primary School
K-6 · 124 students
Demographics
Surry Hills skews younger, mobile and highly educated. The median age is 35, which is 5.0 years below the national benchmark, and 63.9% of residents hold a university qualification, 33.8 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 47.5%, 25.9 points above national, with English, Irish, Chinese and Scottish ancestry all prominent. The average household size is just 1.8, 0.7 below national, because couples without children number 4551 and small apartments dominate the housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
1.1%
Houses
29.2%
Townhouse
68.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Surry Hills is compact, expensive and renter-led. The latest median price is $1195000 in 2025, up from $1170000 in 2024, a 2.1% rise over 1 year and equal to the recorded peak, so there is no peak-to-latest fall. Tenure is unusual compared with owner-occupier suburbs: 14.1% own outright, 18.8% have a mortgage and 67.1% rent. Bedrooms explain the buyer pool, with 43.5% at 0 or 1 bedrooms and just 6.0% at 4 or more. Mortgage-to-income sits at 28.4%, below stress, because incomes are high.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,839
Rent / wk
$550
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,442
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.0%
Unoccupied
1,270
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
62.4%
Couples, no children
7,298
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is strongly white-collar and CBD-linked. Professional and tech roles account for 24.9% of workers, followed by finance at 12.1%, healthcare at 10.3%, education at 7.0% and retail at 6.1%. Occupations reinforce that pattern, with 4638 professionals and 2044 managers. Labour force participation is 65.3%, unemployment is 5.2% and full-time work is 76.9% of employed residents. SEIFA shows the anomaly: IEO decile 10 and IRSAD decile 10 sit above average, while IER decile 1 reflects fewer material resources in a renter-heavy, smaller-household area; IRSD is decile 7.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
12,024
Unemployed
695
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
76.9%
Part-time
17.9%
Participation
65.3%
Employed
9,255
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.9%
Postgraduate
19.5%
Born Overseas
47.5%
Dwellings
7,732
Transport to Work
Surry Hills works best for residents who value walking access over car storage. A very high 44.4% walk or cycle to work, compared with 31.1% driving and 21.2% using public transport, because jobs, services and stations are close by. School access is strong for an inner area, with 5 local schools and an ICSEA range from 1094 to 1193. Sydney Girls High School, Bourke Street Public School and Crown Street Public School anchor the mix, all government schools. IRSAD decile 10 points to above-average advantage, though local crime-rate figures are not available.
Drive
31.1%
Public Transport
21.2%
Walk / Cycle
44.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.2%/yr
(+34 people/yr)
EstablishedSurry Hills is forecast to grow slowly because it is already built out. The trend is only 0.2% a year, or 34 people annually, with the medium scenario moving from 17138 in 2026 to 17310 in 2031. Migration is the main churn engine: overseas migration adds an average 768 people a year, while internal migration is -494 a year, so new arrivals replace locals moving out. The gentrification score is 20 and stage is Early signs, compared with stronger renewal markets, while the COVID dip of -7.4% has recovered to 17122.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+768
Net Internal / yr
-494
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal outflow -494/yr, Strong overseas inflow +768/yr, COVID recovered (-7% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Surry Hills compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surry Hills a good suburb to live in?
Yes, for people wanting dense inner-city living with high walkability. About 44.4% of residents walk or cycle to work, 21.2% use public transport and household income sits in the 88.2 percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Surry Hills?
The median house price is $1177500, with the latest price series showing $1195000 in 2025. Prices are 2.1% above 2024 and currently sit at the recorded peak.
What schools are in Surry Hills?
Surry Hills has 5 local schools, including Sydney Girls High School, Bourke Street Public School and Crown Street Public School. ICSEA scores range from 1094 to 1193, above many national benchmarks.
Is Surry Hills safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available here, so current NSW crime sources should be checked. Daily movement is active, with 44.4% walking or cycling and 21.2% using public transport.
Is Surry Hills good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking rental depth, as 67.1% of households rent and median rent is $550 a week. The main caution is the 14.0% vacancy rate, which is high for leasing assumptions.
How is Surry Hills's population changing?
Growth is slow, with a forecast trend of 0.2% a year, or 34 people annually. Overseas migration adds about 768 people a year, while internal migration subtracts about 494 people a year.
What languages are spoken in Surry Hills?
English is dominant, but 47.5% of residents were born overseas. Reported non-English languages include Mandarin with 224 speakers, Cantonese with 177, French with 123, Italian with 90 and Greek with 77.
Is there much development in Surry Hills?
Yes. There were 223 development applications in 12 months, including office premises, hostel alterations and dwelling alterations. That level is high for an established 1.32 sq km inner suburb.
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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