Zetland
At 15,685.3 people per sq km on just 0.8 sq km, Zetland is one of Sydney's most compressed apartment markets. The 12,622 residents are concentrated in 92.7% apartments and 72.1% rental housing, a much higher renter share than conventional family suburbs such as Alexandria or Waterloo. Its median age of 30 is 10.0 years below the national figure, while 66.1% born overseas is 44.5 percentage points above national. That profile reflects Green Square style renewal because new apartments, student demand and overseas migration dominate local turnover.
Population
12,622
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,192/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
104
Median House
$1.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers are buying an apartment-led market rather than a detached-house suburb. The median house price is $1,050,000, while the latest price series moved from a $1,100,000 peak in 2024 to $980,000 in 2025, a 10.9% fall. Separate houses are only 0.3% of dwellings, compared with 92.7% apartments, so choice is concentrated in compact stock. Two-bedroom homes make up 56.8% and 0 to 1 bedroom homes 30.6%, which suits singles and couples because average household size is only 2.0.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are buying an apartment-led market rather than a detached-house suburb. The median house price is $1,050,000, while the latest price series moved from a $1,100,000 peak in 2024 to $980,000 in 2025, a 10.9% fall. Separate houses are only 0.3% of dwellings, compared with 92.7% apartments, so choice is concentrated in compact stock. Two-bedroom homes make up 56.8% and 0 to 1 bedroom homes 30.6%, which suits singles and couples because average household size is only 2.0.
For Investors
Zetland is built for rental investors, with 72.1% of homes rented and median rent at $600 per week. Demand is underpinned by a young, mobile population and 560 average annual net overseas migrants, higher than the internal migration figure of -162. The caution is vacancy: 15.4% is high compared with tighter inner-city markets, so leasing competition can be sharper. Development activity is also heavy, with 85 applications in 12 months, meaning investors need to watch new supply as well as rent growth of 5.3%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
430
Last 12 Months
104
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+22.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Zetland skews young, educated and international. The median age is 30, sitting 10.0 years below the national benchmark, while university attainment of 66.5% is 36.4 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 66.1%, which is 44.5 percentage points above national, and Chinese ancestry is the largest group at 4,144 people. Mandarin is spoken by 1,270 residents, followed by Cantonese at 250. The average household size of 2.0 is 0.5 lower than national, because apartments and couple households without children are common.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
0.3%
Houses
6.9%
Townhouse
92.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly apartments, with 92.7% apartment stock compared with only 0.3% separate houses and 6.9% semi-detached homes. Tenure is also unusual: 7.6% own outright, 20.2% have a mortgage and 72.1% rent, so owner-occupiers are a smaller share than renters. Prices softened from $1,100,000 in 2024 to $980,000 in 2025, sitting 10.9% below the peak. Mortgage-to-income is 27.8% and rent-to-income is 27.4%, which keeps stress flags off because incomes are high at the 83.4th household percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,642
Rent / wk
$600
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,262
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.4%
Unoccupied
1,101
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
57.5%
Couples, no children
7,548
Total families
Economy & Employment
Zetland's economy is white-collar and high-income, led by Professional/Tech at 19.3% or 1,231 workers, Finance at 12.4%, Healthcare at 9.6%, Construction at 7.3% and Education at 7.2%. Professionals number 3,202 and Managers 1,363, supporting full-time work at 76.5% and household income at the 83.4th percentile. SEIFA shows the split clearly: IEO is decile 10 and IRSAD is decile 10, but IER is decile 1. That lower resource decile compared with high education reflects the large renter base and likely student or migrant households.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
9,701
Unemployed
190
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
76.5%
Part-time
16.8%
Participation
64.7%
Employed
6,996
Occupations
Top Industries
University
66.5%
Postgraduate
23.0%
Born Overseas
66.1%
Dwellings
6,037
Transport to Work
Zetland's livability is shaped by density and access rather than detached suburban space. Public transport commuting is 21.9% and walking or cycling is 14.8%, both supported by the 0.8 sq km footprint and proximity to employment centres. Car driving is still 58.3%, so parking and traffic matter more than the area's compact form suggests. Socio-economic advantage is high, with IRSAD decile 10 and IRSD decile 9, above average for disadvantage and advantage measures. Safety should be assessed at street and building level because no suburb crime rate is available.
Drive
58.3%
Public Transport
21.9%
Walk / Cycle
14.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.3%/yr
(+645 people/yr)
High GrowthZetland remains in a high-growth phase, with the forecast trend adding 645 people a year, or 4.3% annually. The medium path rises from 15,988 in 2026 to 19,210 in 2031, higher than the 2025 historical population of 14,991. Migration is the main engine: overseas migration averages +560 people a year, compared with internal migration of -162. The 10-year population change of 231.1% shows how much new housing has reset the suburb. Gentrification score is 0 and stage is New development, because change is driven by construction rather than older stock upgrading.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+560
Net Internal / yr
-162
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Zetland compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zetland a good suburb to live in?
Zetland suits people who want high-density inner-city apartment living. It has 92.7% apartments, a median age of 30 and 21.9% public transport commuting, making it stronger for singles, couples and renters than for buyers seeking large detached homes.
What is the median house price in Zetland?
The median house price is $1,050,000 for the 2024-2025 PSI-derived measure. The separate price series shows a latest 2025 figure of $980,000, down 10.9% from the 2024 peak of $1,100,000.
What schools are in Zetland?
Zetland itself has 0 schools within the suburb boundary in this count. Families usually assess nearby suburbs and transport links, while noting Zetland's housing mix is 92.7% apartments and average household size is 2.0.
Is Zetland safe?
No suburb-specific crime rate per 1,000 is available for Zetland, so safety is best judged by building security, lighting and exact street position. The area has 12,622 residents and very high density at 15,685.3 people per sq km.
Is Zetland good for property investment?
Zetland has strong rental fundamentals, with 72.1% of homes rented and median rent of $600 per week. The main risk is supply and vacancy, because the vacancy rate is 15.4% and 85 development applications were recorded in 12 months.
How is Zetland's population changing?
Zetland is still growing quickly. The trend forecast adds 645 people a year, or 4.3% annually, with the medium projection reaching 19,210 by 2031. Overseas migration is the main driver at +560 people a year.
What languages are spoken in Zetland?
Mandarin is the largest non-English language group, with 1,270 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 250, Portuguese at 129, Italian at 84 and Arabic at 69. This aligns with 66.1% of residents being born overseas.
Is there much development in Zetland?
Yes. Zetland recorded 85 development applications over 12 months, including commercial, office and indoor recreation proposals. That pipeline matters because the suburb already has 92.7% apartment stock and a 15.4% vacancy rate.
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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