Vaucluse
High household incomes and an older, settled profile define Vaucluse more than rapid expansion. The suburb has 9,510 residents, a median age of 43, and household income at the 98.9th percentile nationally. University attainment is 63.2%, 33.1 percentage points above the national comparison, while 38.8% were born overseas, 17.2 points higher than nationally. Housing is split between separate houses at 48.9% and apartments at 40.5%, with 10.0% vacancy. Because annual growth is forecast at -0.31%, the suburb reads as a high-income, established market rather than a volume-growth location. Compared with nearby Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, Vaucluse's key distinction is the combination of wealth, work-from-home capacity and an aging trajectory.
Population
9,510
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,418/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
231
Homebuyers enter a premium market, so use recent settled sales for the exact dwelling type rather than rely on one suburb-wide median. The clearest affordability signals are a $4,200 monthly mortgage and $700 weekly rent. Mortgage costs equal 28.4% of household income, rent 20.5%, and neither is flagged as stressed. The dwelling mix is split between 48.9% separate houses, 40.5% apartments and 8.5% semi-detached homes. Larger stock is common because 42.8% have four or more bedrooms, compared with 23.9% with three. Compared with nearby Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, weigh land, apartment exposure and upkeep address by address. Vacancy is 10.0%, which may create more choice but also signals a less tightly held market.
For Buyers
Homebuyers enter a premium market, so use recent settled sales for the exact dwelling type rather than rely on one suburb-wide median. The clearest affordability signals are a $4,200 monthly mortgage and $700 weekly rent. Mortgage costs equal 28.4% of household income, rent 20.5%, and neither is flagged as stressed. The dwelling mix is split between 48.9% separate houses, 40.5% apartments and 8.5% semi-detached homes. Larger stock is common because 42.8% have four or more bedrooms, compared with 23.9% with three. Compared with nearby Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, weigh land, apartment exposure and upkeep address by address. Vacancy is 10.0%, which may create more choice but also signals a less tightly held market.
For Investors
Investors face a high-rent, high-vacancy profile rather than a scarcity play. Weekly rent is $700 and 24.6% of occupied dwellings are rented, while vacancy is 10.0%, higher than tightly constrained rental markets. The 236 development applications in 12 months include a 2-dwelling attached dual occupancy and residential flat-building alterations, indicating small-scale and apartment-related activity. Forecast growth is -0.31% annually, below zero, so capital-growth assumptions need to be more conservative than in expanding corridors. Overseas migration is the primary driver and can support tenant demand, while the Aging trajectory and 1.8% ten-year population change point to gradual turnover. Apartment exposure is 40.5%, so compare yield, vacancy and building quality carefully.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,276
Last 12 Months
231
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+0.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Vaucluse
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Vaucluse has an older and more highly educated profile than the national baseline: median age is 43, or 3 years above national, and 63.2% have university qualifications, 33.1 percentage points higher. Overseas-born residents account for 38.8%, 17.2 points above nationally. English ancestry leads at 2,614 people, followed by Other at 2,054, Irish at 868, Scottish at 729 and Chinese at 637. Christianity numbers 3,645, no religion 2,601 and Judaism 2,278. Mandarin leads listed languages at 135, followed by Greek at 118. Average household size is 2.7, 0.2 above national, and 80.7% stayed at the same address. Compared with nearby Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, the profile suggests an established, internationally connected suburb because high education and income support residential continuity.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
48.9%
Houses
8.5%
Townhouse
40.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Vaucluse's tenure profile is split between long-term owners, mortgagors and renters. Outright ownership is 39.9%, mortgages 32.7% and renting 24.6%, so no single tenure dominates. Separate houses make up 48.9%, apartments 40.5% and semi-detached dwellings 8.5%; apartments are a smaller share than houses, so the suburb is neither purely detached nor apartment-based. The bedroom mix leans larger: 42.8% have four or more bedrooms, compared with 23.9% with three. This matters because $4,200 monthly mortgage costs and $700 weekly rent interact differently with house, apartment and strata expenses. Mortgage-to-income is 28.4% and rent-to-income 20.5%, with neither flagged as stressed. Compared with nearby Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, inspect tenure and dwelling quality address by address. Vacancy is 10.0%, higher than a tightly occupied market.
Mortgage / mo
$4,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $700.
$1,200
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $2,650 · units $985
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,393
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.0%
Unoccupied
364
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
54.6%
Couples with children
33.0%
Couples, no children
11.4%
Single parent
2,512
Total families
Economy & Employment
Vaucluse's economy is anchored by high-skill services and unusually strong socioeconomic scores. Professional/Tech leads at 19.8% or 670 workers, followed by Healthcare at 15.0% or 508, Finance at 13.2% or 445, Education at 9.1% or 307, and Retail at 6.5% or 221. Professionals number 1,690 and managers 1,154, higher than the smaller sales group at 364. Household income sits at the 98.9th percentile, while IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all rank in decile 10, higher than most Australian areas. Participation is 59.4%, full-time employment 58.0% and unemployment 4.0%. The 2,727 people outside the labour force alongside a median age of 43 suggests wealth and aging help explain the lower participation profile, rather than a weak professional base.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
4,584
Unemployed
182
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.0%
Part-time
33.1%
Participation
59.4%
Employed
4,402
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.2%
Postgraduate
17.5%
Born Overseas
38.8%
Dwellings
3,285
Transport to Work
Livability suits residents who value local schooling and home-based work, but transport planning matters. One government primary school, Vaucluse Public School, is located in the suburb; check the exact enrolment zone because boundaries can cut across addresses. Public transport use is 1.8%, compared with 33.6% driving and 2.1% walking or cycling, while 59.3% work from home, far higher than the public-transport share. Density is 3,061.3 people per square kilometre across 3.11 square kilometres, so amenity can vary by pocket. IRSAD is in decile 10, above the national median, supporting strong access to resources. Check recent local incidents and street conditions before deciding. The 9,510 residents and 2.7-person average household size suit established households more than high-turnover student living.
Drive
33.6%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
59.3%
Population Forecast
-0.31%/yr
(-37 people/yr)
EstablishedVaucluse is an established, slow-growth market because the forecast trend is -0.31% annually, below zero, while overseas migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 1.8% over ten years and the trajectory is Aging. The direction is reinforced by senior share up 5.9 percentage points, young share down 3.4 points and working share down 2.1 points. Rent growth is 26.9%, which can lift investor returns but also pressure affordability; the affordability trend is labelled Improving, with measures of 57.2 in 2011 and 49.2 in 2021. Gentrification readings are mixed: score 0 is labelled Not gentrifying, while score 24 is labelled Early signs. Compared with expansion suburbs, the outlook is stability rather than rapid population growth.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+198
Net Internal / yr
-240
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -240/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Vaucluse compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vaucluse a good suburb to live in?
Vaucluse suits buyers seeking established housing, high incomes and a strong work-from-home pattern. Median age is 43, household income ranks at the 98.9th percentile and 59.3% work from home. Public transport use is only 1.8%, so check commute needs and street-level parking before choosing an address.
What is the median house price in Vaucluse?
Check recent settled sales for the exact dwelling type, because Vaucluse combines 48.9% separate houses with 40.5% apartments. The strongest affordability markers are a $4,200 monthly mortgage and $700 weekly rent, while mortgage and rent costs equal 28.4% and 20.5% of household income. Compare by bedroom count and street, not only by a suburb-wide figure.
What schools are in Vaucluse?
Vaucluse Public School is a local government primary school. Families should confirm the intake zone for the exact address, then compare nearby options in surrounding suburbs if year level or sector needs differ. The suburb's 2.7-person average household size and 23.9% three-bedroom share give useful context for family demand.
Is Vaucluse safe?
Treat safety as an address-level check: review recent incident data, police information and the exact street at night before committing. Vaucluse has 9,510 residents and a 10.0% vacancy rate, meaning activity can vary between apartment buildings and established house streets.
Is Vaucluse good for property investment?
Investment conditions are mixed. Weekly rent is $700 and vacancy is 10.0%, while 236 development applications in 12 months point to ongoing alteration and infill activity. However, forecast growth is -0.31% annually and the local trajectory is Aging, so investors should prioritise building quality, rental appeal and purchase price over assuming rapid capital growth.
How is Vaucluse's population changing?
Population change is gradual rather than rapid. The suburb has 9,510 residents today, while the wider-area forecast records 1.8% change over 10 years and an annual trend of -0.31%. The shift trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 5.9 percentage points and young share down 3.4 points, even though overseas migration is the primary growth driver.
What languages are spoken in Vaucluse?
English ancestry is the largest recorded category at 2,614 people, while overseas-born residents make up 38.8%. Listed languages include Mandarin at 135 speakers, Greek at 118, Russian at 54, Canton at 50 and Italian at 47. These figures can help families assess local language networks, but they do not replace checking services near the chosen address.
What development is occurring in Vaucluse?
Development activity is substantial at 236 applications over 12 months. Examples include a 2-dwelling attached dual occupancy and residential flat-building alterations, so activity includes both small infill and apartment work. Buyers and investors should check approvals, construction timing, parking and strata impacts because project effects can differ sharply from one street to the next.
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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