Woolloomooloo
One of Sydney's most intensely occupied pockets, Woolloomooloo packs 3,792 residents into just 0.37 square kilometres, producing a population density of 10,188 per km2. That density is paired with a remarkably low car dependency: 52.4% of residents walk or cycle to work, which is far above the national average and reflects its inner-city location immediately east of the CBD. The suburb scores decile 10 on both IEO and IRSAD, the top national advantage tier, while 55.4% hold university qualifications, 25.3 percentage points above the national figure. Yet 72.3% rent rather than own, and the vacancy rate of 21.6% signals oversupply in the apartment segment that makes up 73.1% of the housing stock.
Population
3,792
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,001/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$1.4M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price sits at $1,422,500, derived from recent price series showing $1,455,000 in 2024 and $1,385,000 in 2025, a decline of 4.8% over that period. The stock is almost entirely apartments at 73.1%, with semi-detached and terrace homes at 26.2% and separate houses at just 0.5%, so buyers competing for the rare detached dwelling face very constrained supply. Studio and one-bedroom dwellings dominate at 39.7%, and two-bedroom units add another 37.9%, with three-bedroom at 18%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, but the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 34.6%, above the 30% stress threshold even at a household income in the 75th percentile nationally. Outright owners are only 13.4% of households, well below the state average, because the suburb functions primarily as a high-turnover rental market rather than a long-hold ownership base.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $1,422,500, derived from recent price series showing $1,455,000 in 2024 and $1,385,000 in 2025, a decline of 4.8% over that period. The stock is almost entirely apartments at 73.1%, with semi-detached and terrace homes at 26.2% and separate houses at just 0.5%, so buyers competing for the rare detached dwelling face very constrained supply. Studio and one-bedroom dwellings dominate at 39.7%, and two-bedroom units add another 37.9%, with three-bedroom at 18%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, but the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 34.6%, above the 30% stress threshold even at a household income in the 75th percentile nationally. Outright owners are only 13.4% of households, well below the state average, because the suburb functions primarily as a high-turnover rental market rather than a long-hold ownership base.
For Investors
A renter share of 72.3% and weekly rent of $500 give landlords a large tenant pool, though the numbers require scrutiny. Against the $1,422,500 median, that weekly rent implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low even for inner Sydney. The vacancy rate of 21.6% is high, signalling real oversupply in the dominant apartment segment. Migration dynamics tilt positive: net overseas arrivals average 717 per year while net internal outflow runs at 316, suggesting sustained international demand for rental accommodation. Development activity shows 33 applications over the past 12 months. Rent grew 22.5% over the measurement period, above income growth of 13%, which has compressed affordability for tenants. The investment case rests on rental demand from a highly educated transient professional population rather than yield expansion or price momentum.
Development Activity
Total DAs
184
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-23.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Woolloomooloo iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sydney Distance Education High School
7-12 · 615 students
Plunkett Street Public School
P-6 · 73 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is one year below the national figure, consistent with the high renter and professional workforce profile. Overseas-born residents make up 43.0% of the population, which is 21.4 percentage points above the national average, making Woolloomooloo one of the most internationally diverse inner suburbs in NSW. Ancestry is led by English (1,097 residents), Irish (470) and Scottish (353), with a strong non-English language mix including Mandarin (39), French (31) and Italian (24). University qualifications reach 55.4%, running 25.3 points above the national figure. Average household size is 1.7, which is 0.8 below national, reflecting the high share of single-person and couple-only dwellings. Couples without children account for 55.1% of families. The suburb is aging slowly: the senior share rose 4.8 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 1.1 points.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
0.5%
Houses
26.2%
Townhouse
73.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure structure is highly skewed toward renting at 72.3%, with mortgage holders at just 14.3% and outright owners at 13.4%, well below NSW state averages. The stock composition is overwhelmingly apartments at 73.1%, semi-detached at 26.2% and virtually no separate houses at 0.5%. Bedroom sizes lean small: studios and one-bedrooms account for 39.7% of dwellings, and two-bedrooms add 37.9%. The median house price tracked from $1,455,000 in 2024 to $1,385,000 in 2025, a 4.8% fall. The vacancy rate of 21.6% is notably high compared to typical inner-city benchmarks, which points to supply exceeding current occupier demand. Mortgage stress is present, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.6%, though rent-to-income at 25.0% stays below the 30% stress threshold, keeping most tenants in sustainable positions.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wk
$500
HH Size
1.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,368
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.6%
Unoccupied
529
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.6% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
55.1%
Couples, no children
1,807
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional and technical industries lead local employment at 22.8% (389 workers), followed by Finance at 13.7% (234), Public Administration at 9.8% (167) and Healthcare at 9.3% (159). By occupation, Professionals (831) and Managers (513) together dominate, consistent with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation advantage nationally. The full-time employment rate runs at 79.4% of those employed, and unemployment is 6.3%, slightly above inner-city norms, reflecting a high share of between-contracts workers in the professional and creative sectors. Participation at 57.5% is moderate, with 995 residents not in the labour force, partly due to the median age trajectory. Personal weekly income of $1,368 places residents well above median. Real income grew 13.0% over the decade, and household income sits at the 75.1st percentile nationally.
Unemployment
5.5%
Labour Force
13,810
Unemployed
760
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
79.4%
Part-time
14.3%
Participation
57.5%
Employed
1,896
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.4%
Postgraduate
17.7%
Born Overseas
43.0%
Dwellings
1,917
Transport to Work
Active transport use is exceptional: 52.4% of residents walk or cycle to work, far above the national average, because the suburb sits within 1.5 kilometres of Sydney's CBD and Darlinghurst. Public transport captures another 13.0%, while only 32.1% drive, well below the national reliance on private vehicles. No schools are recorded within the 0.37 km2 boundary, so families with school-age children rely on nearby institutions in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Potts Point. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD nationally, the highest advantage tier, and decile 8 on IRSD for disadvantage. Volunteering runs at 15.1% and 5.6% (191 residents) need daily assistance. A vacancy rate of 21.6% and the apartment-dominant stock of 73.1% create an active but transient residential environment rather than a settled owner-occupier community.
Drive
32.1%
Public Transport
13.0%
Walk / Cycle
52.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.19%/yr
(-37 people/yr)
EstablishedWoolloomooloo is in a slow-decline phase: annual population change is -0.19%, losing roughly 37 residents a year. The broader SA2 population of approximately 19,694 is still 10.7% below its pre-COVID level of 22,055 after a 16.4% COVID dip, and recovery has only reached 6.8% from the trough. Medium-scenario forecasts hold population near 19,714 through 2031, essentially flat. The primary population driver is overseas migration at a net gain of 717 per year, offset by net internal outflow of 316. The gentrification score sits at 10 out of 100 with a stage of not gentrifying, consistent with a suburb already positioned at the top advantage decile nationally with no further socioeconomic uplift to drive price pressure. Affordability improved from 36.2% in 2011 to 31.9% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+717
Net Internal / yr
-316
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -316/yr, Strong overseas inflow +717/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Woolloomooloo compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woolloomooloo a good suburb to live in?
Woolloomooloo ranks in decile 10 on IRSAD and IEO, the top national advantage tier. University qualifications reach 55.4%, which is 25.3 points above national. The main trade-offs are a $1,422,500 median house price, a 21.6% vacancy rate and a 72.3% renter majority that creates high residential turnover.
What is the median house price in Woolloomooloo?
The median house price is approximately $1,422,500. Prices moved from $1,455,000 in 2024 to $1,385,000 in 2025, a decline of 4.8%. Weekly rent averages $500 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $3,000, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.6%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Woolloomooloo?
No schools are recorded within the 0.37 km2 Woolloomooloo boundary. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and East Sydney. The suburb has 55.4% university-qualified residents, which is 25.3 points above the national figure, reflecting a highly educated adult population.
Is Woolloomooloo safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available in this dataset for Woolloomooloo. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the national top advantage tier, and only 5.6% of its 3,792 residents need daily assistance. The combination of high education levels and top SEIFA rankings is broadly associated with lower disadvantage.
Is Woolloomooloo good for property investment?
Rent of $500 per week against a $1,422,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.8%, which is low. The 21.6% vacancy rate signals oversupply in the dominant apartment segment. Net overseas migration of 717 per year supports rental demand, but annual population change of -0.19% and a 4.8% price fall from 2024 to 2025 mean capital growth is not guaranteed.
How is Woolloomooloo's population changing?
Population is declining at roughly 37 residents per year, an annual rate of -0.19%. The broader SA2 area of 19,694 residents remains 10.7% below the pre-COVID level of 22,055 after a 16.4% COVID dip. Overseas migration adds 717 per year but internal outflow removes 316, leaving net decline under current conditions.
What languages are spoken in Woolloomooloo?
About 43.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 21.4 percentage points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Mandarin (39 speakers), French (31), Italian (24), Cantonese (22) and Greek (18) among the most common non-English languages, reflecting a mix of European and Asian professional migrants.
How much development is happening in Woolloomooloo?
There were 33 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Activity includes office alterations, complying development certificates for residential accommodation and commercial fitouts. Given the 0.37 km2 footprint and existing high-density stock, most activity involves alterations and changes of use rather than new dwellings.
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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