Woollahra
Few suburbs combine a $2,693,750 median house price with a 15.2% vacancy rate, yet Woollahra does both, and the two facts are connected. Household income sits in the 97.2nd percentile nationally and the suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top advantage tier on three of four SEIFA indexes. The high vacancy reflects an apartment-heavy stock (50.7% of dwellings) in a 1.23 km2 footprint where 36.8% of residents rent and turnover runs at 31.5%. University qualifications reach 68.5%, which is 38.4 points above the national figure, and the population skews older at a median age of 42, two years above national.
Population
7,189
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,013/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
149
Median House
$2.7M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $2,693,750 median puts Woollahra among Sydney's most expensive markets, and the price climbed 8.2% from $2,520,000 in 2024 to $2,727,500 in 2025. The stock is unusual for a premium suburb: only 17.9% are separate houses, while apartments make up 50.7% and semi-detached terraces 31.2%, so a true house purchase competes for scarce supply. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 36.2% and three-bedroom at 29.1%, with 4-plus bedroom homes just 20.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%, above the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 97.2nd percentile. Outright owners (37.6%) outnumber mortgage holders (25.6%), a sign that much of the housing is held by established, debt-free owners rather than recent buyers.
For Buyers
The $2,693,750 median puts Woollahra among Sydney's most expensive markets, and the price climbed 8.2% from $2,520,000 in 2024 to $2,727,500 in 2025. The stock is unusual for a premium suburb: only 17.9% are separate houses, while apartments make up 50.7% and semi-detached terraces 31.2%, so a true house purchase competes for scarce supply. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 36.2% and three-bedroom at 29.1%, with 4-plus bedroom homes just 20.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%, above the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 97.2nd percentile. Outright owners (37.6%) outnumber mortgage holders (25.6%), a sign that much of the housing is held by established, debt-free owners rather than recent buyers.
For Investors
A 36.8% renter share and weekly rent of $670 give landlords a deep tenant pool, but the numbers favour caution. Against the $2,693,750 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.3%, very low even by inner-Sydney standards. The 15.2% vacancy rate signals real oversupply in the apartment segment, which is 50.7% of dwellings. Demand support is mixed: net overseas migration adds 175 residents a year while internal migration removes 123, leaving thin natural growth. Development activity is high at 142 applications in 12 months, mostly dwelling alterations and pool or demolition works rather than new supply. With annual population growth at 0.0% and rent growth of 22.7% over the period, the investment case rests on capital preservation and rent escalation more than yield or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
773
Last 12 Months
149
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Woollahra iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Reddam House
Woollahra Public School
K-6 · 667 students
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 196 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.1 points while the working-age share fell 5.3 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 34.4%, which is 12.8 points above national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,654), Irish (1,053) and Scottish (809), and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (79), French (44) and Greek (29). University qualifications at 68.5% run 38.4 points above national, among the highest you will find anywhere. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the older couples-without-children profile: 34.2% of families are couples with no children. Judaism (553 residents) is a notable second religion behind Christianity (2,879).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
17.9%
Houses
31.2%
Townhouse
50.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits roughly into thirds: 37.6% own outright, 25.6% carry a mortgage and 36.8% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is 50.7% apartments and 31.2% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at only 17.9%, which keeps detached-house prices elevated through scarcity. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 36.2% and three-bedroom 29.1%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are 20.5%. The median house price rose from $2,520,000 to $2,727,500 across 2024-2025, an 8.2% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 30.7% exceeds the stress threshold, yet rent-to-income at 22.2% stays comfortable, a divergence that reflects how steep purchase prices are relative even to 97.2nd-percentile incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$4,000
Rent / wk
$670
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,638
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.2%
Unoccupied
535
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.2%
Couples, no children
4,866
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in high-paying knowledge sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 24.4% (760 workers), Finance follows at 16.2% (504) and Healthcare at 12.7% (394), with Education at 6.9% and Retail at 5.2%. By occupation, Professionals (1,818) and Managers (880) together account for the bulk of jobs, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.2% and the full-time employment rate is 70.8%. Participation reads 58.9%, below what the income would suggest, because the aging profile leaves 1,880 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 16.1% over the decade. One anomaly: the IER (economic resources) score sits at decile 7 against decile 10 elsewhere, because the 36.8% renter base depresses aggregate household wealth measures.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
4,719
Unemployed
137
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.8%
Part-time
26.0%
Participation
58.9%
Employed
3,466
Occupations
Top Industries
University
68.5%
Postgraduate
21.3%
Born Overseas
34.4%
Dwellings
2,972
Transport to Work
Active and public transport are well used for an outer-harbour suburb: 19.7% walk or cycle and 14.8% take public transport, while 59.8% drive, below the national reliance on cars. The suburb earns decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning very few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 19.8% and only 3.7% (254 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 42. Rent-to-income at 22.2% keeps tenants comfortable, though purchase costs are far steeper. No schools are recorded inside the 1.23 km2 boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the compact, high-density setting at 5,841 residents per km2.
Drive
59.8%
Public Transport
14.8%
Walk / Cycle
19.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
0.0%/yr
EstablishedWoollahra is effectively flat: annual population growth registers 0.0% and the 10-year change is just 3.8%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. The current population of 7,780 has still not recovered to the pre-COVID level of 8,094, sitting 3.9% above the COVID low of 7,487 after a 7.5% dip. Medium forecasts hold the population near 7,766 through 2031, so little expansion is expected. Overseas migration of 175 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 123. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, which fits a suburb already at decile 10 advantage with no room to climb. Affordability improved from 48.0% in 2011 to 41.3% in 2021, though it remains high relative to most markets.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+175
Net Internal / yr
-123
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -123/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Woollahra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woollahra a good suburb to live in?
Woollahra ranks in decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 97.2nd percentile. University qualifications reach 68.5%, 38.4 points above national. The main trade-offs are a high $2,693,750 median house price and a 15.2% apartment vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Woollahra?
The median house price is $2,693,750, among Sydney's highest. Prices rose 8.2% from $2,520,000 in 2024 to $2,727,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $670 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $4,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.7%.
What schools are in Woollahra?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.23 km2 Woollahra boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 68.5%, which is 38.4 points above the national figure.
Is Woollahra safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Woollahra in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 3.7% of its 7,189 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Woollahra good for property investment?
Rent of $670 a week against a $2,693,750 median gives a gross yield near 1.3%, very low, and the 15.2% vacancy rate signals apartment oversupply. Net overseas migration of 175 a year supports demand, but 0.0% population growth means returns depend on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Woollahra's population changing?
Population growth is 0.0% annually with a 3.8% rise over 10 years. The current 7,780 residents remain below the pre-COVID 8,094 after a 7.5% dip. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.1 points and the working-age share down 5.3 points over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Woollahra?
About 34.4% of residents were born overseas, 12.8 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (79 speakers), French (44), Greek (29) and Russian (24) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a small but international resident mix.
How much development is happening in Woollahra?
There were 142 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, high for a 1.23 km2 suburb. Most are alterations, pool installations or demolition and rebuild works on existing dwellings rather than new supply, consistent with an established, slow-growth area at 0.0% annual population growth.
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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