Darlinghurst vs Rushcutters Bay

In both, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Darlinghurst: a median of $960,000, against $860,000 in Rushcutters Bay, and rent is higher there too. Darlinghurst is closer to the city centre: 3.3 km, against 4.6 km.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Darlinghurst

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (17 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Rushcutters Bay carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 92/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,100,000 vs $2,862,500)
  • has cheaper units ($860,000 vs $960,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $550/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 11%)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 92/100)
  • But Darlinghurst has more GPs (4 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Darlinghurst

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.3% vs 3.5%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Darlinghurst and Rushcutters Bay drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Walkability 99 / 96
Darlinghurst — Walkability: 99/100 Rushcutters Bay — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 8 / 41
Darlinghurst — Safety: 8/100 Rushcutters Bay — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Darlinghurst — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rushcutters Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Darlinghurst has more residents (10,615 vs 2,335); Darlinghurst rents higher ($550/wk vs $450/wk).

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Population 10,615
+78% vs other
 2,335
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.2% -8.3%
Median age 37 38
Median household income $118,508/yr
+18% vs other
 $97,604/yr
Median weekly rent $550/wk
+18% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
0-4 2.2% / 2.6%
Darlinghurst — 0-4: 2.2% Rushcutters Bay — 0-4: 2.6%
5-14 3.0% / 3.0%
Darlinghurst — 5-14: 3.0% Rushcutters Bay — 5-14: 3.0%
15-19 1.5% / 0.7%
Darlinghurst — 15-19: 1.5% Rushcutters Bay — 15-19: 0.7%
20-24 6.6% / 4.1%
Darlinghurst — 20-24: 6.6% Rushcutters Bay — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 30.8% / 29.0%
Darlinghurst — 25-34: 30.8% Rushcutters Bay — 25-34: 29.0%
35-44 20.0% / 20.7%
Darlinghurst — 35-44: 20.0% Rushcutters Bay — 35-44: 20.7%
45-54 13.2% / 11.0%
Darlinghurst — 45-54: 13.2% Rushcutters Bay — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 11.3% / 10.3%
Darlinghurst — 55-64: 11.3% Rushcutters Bay — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 7.1% / 8.5%
Darlinghurst — 65-74: 7.1% Rushcutters Bay — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 3.3% / 6.0%
Darlinghurst — 75-84: 3.3% Rushcutters Bay — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 0.9% / 4.1%
Darlinghurst — 85+: 0.9% Rushcutters Bay — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darlinghurst 72.6% lone person
Darlinghurst — Lone Person: 72.6% Darlinghurst — Group Household: 12.8% Darlinghurst — Couple Families: 9.2% Darlinghurst — One Parent Families: 4.5% Darlinghurst — Other Families: 0.9%
Rushcutters Bay 80.2% lone person
Rushcutters Bay — Lone Person: 80.2% Rushcutters Bay — Group Household: 7.7% Rushcutters Bay — Couple Families: 7.9% Rushcutters Bay — One Parent Families: 3.9% Rushcutters Bay — Other Families: 0.4%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Darlinghurst 63.1% renting
Darlinghurst — Owned Outright: 17.2% Darlinghurst — Mortgage: 19.7% Darlinghurst — Renting: 63.1%
Rushcutters Bay 64.7% renting
Rushcutters Bay — Owned Outright: 18.3% Rushcutters Bay — Mortgage: 16.9% Rushcutters Bay — Renting: 64.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Bachelor Degree 34.8% / 34.0%
Darlinghurst — Bachelor Degree: 34.8% Rushcutters Bay — Bachelor Degree: 34.0%
Postgraduate Degree 15.4% / 15.5%
Darlinghurst — Postgraduate Degree: 15.4% Rushcutters Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 15.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.7%
Darlinghurst — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Rushcutters Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Certificate III & IV 5.4% / 5.8%
Darlinghurst — Certificate III & IV: 5.4% Rushcutters Bay — Certificate III & IV: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 3.6%
Darlinghurst — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Rushcutters Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
England 6.3% / 6.6%
Darlinghurst — England: 6.3% Rushcutters Bay — England: 6.6%
New Zealand 4.0% / 3.8%
Darlinghurst — New Zealand: 4.0% Rushcutters Bay — New Zealand: 3.8%
China 1.6% / 1.2%
Darlinghurst — China: 1.6% Rushcutters Bay — China: 1.2%
South Africa 1.3% / 1.3%
Darlinghurst — South Africa: 1.3% Rushcutters Bay — South Africa: 1.3%
Thailand 2.1% / —
Darlinghurst — Thailand: 2.1% Rushcutters Bay — Thailand: not among its largest
Brazil — / 1.4%
Darlinghurst — Brazil: not among its largest Rushcutters Bay — Brazil: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darlinghurst 79.5% flats / apartments
Darlinghurst — Flats / Apartments: 79.5% Darlinghurst — Townhouses: 19.6% Darlinghurst — Houses: 0.9%
Rushcutters Bay 98.9% flats / apartments
Rushcutters Bay — Flats / Apartments: 98.9% Rushcutters Bay — Townhouses: 0.6% Rushcutters Bay — Houses: 0.5%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Median house price $2,862,500 $1,100,000
Median unit price $960,000 $860,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 31 days
from 31 sales
 —

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
1 bed $730K / $715K
Darlinghurst — 1 bed: $730K (169 sales) Rushcutters Bay — 1 bed: $715K (78 sales)

169 vs 78 sales

2 bed $1.72M / $1.7M
Darlinghurst — 2 bed: $1.72M (102 sales) Rushcutters Bay — 2 bed: $1.7M (39 sales)

102 vs 39 sales

3 bed $4.2M / $2.05M
Darlinghurst — 3 bed: $4.2M (12 sales) Rushcutters Bay — 3 bed: $2.05M (10 sales)

12 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Residential 75% 63%
Parks and recreation 2% 32%
Infrastructure and transport 16% 3%
Commercial 7% 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of Darlinghurst and 99% of Rushcutters Bay. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
New dwellings approved 2,350
across Sydney
same for both
Approvals change year on year +929%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Houses 2.5%
$1,200/wk on $2.5M
 —
Units 5.3%
$880/wk on $860K
 3.5%
$655/wk on $982K

Ranking within NSW

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
House price Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Income Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Schools Higher than 20% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW

Liveability

Rushcutters Bay scores higher overall (87 vs 65).

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Grade B A
Score 65/100 87/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Darlinghurst carries more crime risk (92 vs 59).

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 1.1 km
 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 1.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.2% 1.1%

Schools in Darlinghurst

  • Darlinghurst Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • SCEGGS Darlinghurst Independent · Combined at peers
  • Sydney Grammar School Independent · Secondary below peers

Schools in Rushcutters Bay

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Cafes & restaurants 105 6
Parks & reserves 17 1
Childcare 3 1
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Hospitals 4 0

Mobility

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Walkability score 99/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 3.3 km 4.6 km
+39% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 11 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 327.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 17.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 2010
 3.4%
postcode 2011
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 2
postcode 2010
 1
postcode 2011

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Worked from Home 62.4% / 65.5%
Darlinghurst — Worked from Home: 62.4% Rushcutters Bay — Worked from Home: 65.5%
Walked Only 15.3% / 12.5%
Darlinghurst — Walked Only: 15.3% Rushcutters Bay — Walked Only: 12.5%
Car (driver) 11.6% / 10.6%
Darlinghurst — Car (driver): 11.6% Rushcutters Bay — Car (driver): 10.6%
Train 4.6% / 8.1%
Darlinghurst — Train: 4.6% Rushcutters Bay — Train: 8.1%
Bus 3.9% / 1.7%
Darlinghurst — Bus: 3.9% Rushcutters Bay — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.5%).

Setting

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Elevation 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km
2.3 km to a named beach
 4.2 km
1.5 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Connectivity score 71/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
9,094 premises
 7%
2,106 premises

Climate

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.84 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Average residential rate $875/yr
same for both
Council Sydney
same for both

Federal electorate

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Division Wentworth
same for both
Member Allegra Spender
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darlinghurst

Apartments Arts Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Transport Hub Urban

Rushcutters Bay

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst vs Sydney Darlinghurst vs Surry Hills Darlinghurst vs Paddington Darlinghurst vs Potts Point Darlinghurst vs Woolloomooloo Darlinghurst vs Edgecliff

Other comparisons with Rushcutters Bay

Rushcutters Bay vs Paddington Rushcutters Bay vs Potts Point Rushcutters Bay vs Elizabeth Bay Rushcutters Bay vs Darling Point Rushcutters Bay vs Edgecliff
Full data on Darlinghurst Full data on Rushcutters Bay
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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