Darlington vs Newtown

Darlington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 34 in Newtown. In both, most households rent. In Newtown, about half of households are people living alone. Darlington is closer to the city centre: 4.2 km, against 5.9 km. On these figures, Darlington tends to suit young adults and share households, while Newtown suits people living alone.

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

Newtown

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (11 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

Newtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($800,000 vs $1,015,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Newtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($550/wk vs $650/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Darlington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (11 min vs 16 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Newtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (7 vs 1)

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

Investors

Newtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-2.3% vs -16.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Darlington Newtown
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.

Darlington Newtown
Walkability 97 / 96
Darlington — Walkability: 97/100 Newtown — Walkability: 96/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Darlington — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newtown — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newtown has more residents (14,690 vs 2,597); Newtown skews older (34 vs 27).

Darlington Newtown
Population 2,597 14,690
+466% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -16.1% -2.3%
Median age 27 34
Median household income $124,384/yr
+3% vs other
 $121,160/yr
Median weekly rent $650/wk
+15% vs other
 $550/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darlington Newtown
0-4 2.0% / 3.5%
Darlington — 0-4: 2.0% Newtown — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 3.1% / 6.1%
Darlington — 5-14: 3.1% Newtown — 5-14: 6.1%
15-19 8.6% / 3.1%
Darlington — 15-19: 8.6% Newtown — 15-19: 3.1%
20-24 25.8% / 9.9%
Darlington — 20-24: 25.8% Newtown — 20-24: 9.9%
25-34 30.0% / 28.8%
Darlington — 25-34: 30.0% Newtown — 25-34: 28.8%
35-44 10.9% / 17.1%
Darlington — 35-44: 10.9% Newtown — 35-44: 17.1%
45-54 8.0% / 13.5%
Darlington — 45-54: 8.0% Newtown — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 6.3% / 9.7%
Darlington — 55-64: 6.3% Newtown — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 3.7% / 5.4%
Darlington — 65-74: 3.7% Newtown — 65-74: 5.4%
75-84 1.6% / 2.0%
Darlington — 75-84: 1.6% Newtown — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ 0.3% / 0.7%
Darlington — 85+: 0.3% Newtown — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darlington 41.2% lone person
Darlington — Lone Person: 41.2% Darlington — Group Household: 33.2% Darlington — Couple Families: 16.2% Darlington — One Parent Families: 7.3% Darlington — Other Families: 2.2%
Newtown 50.5% lone person
Newtown — Lone Person: 50.5% Newtown — Group Household: 19.4% Newtown — Couple Families: 21.3% Newtown — One Parent Families: 7.3% Newtown — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Darlington 60.9% renting
Darlington — Owned Outright: 17.7% Darlington — Mortgage: 21.4% Darlington — Renting: 60.9%
Newtown 58.6% renting
Newtown — Owned Outright: 17.6% Newtown — Mortgage: 23.9% Newtown — Renting: 58.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Darlington Newtown
Bachelor Degree 32.2% / 31.5%
Darlington — Bachelor Degree: 32.2% Newtown — Bachelor Degree: 31.5%
Postgraduate Degree 14.0% / 14.6%
Darlington — Postgraduate Degree: 14.0% Newtown — Postgraduate Degree: 14.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.3% / 7.5%
Darlington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3% Newtown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 4.5% / 6.2%
Darlington — Certificate III & IV: 4.5% Newtown — Certificate III & IV: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 3.3%
Darlington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Newtown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.2%).

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.

Darlington Newtown
China 9.1% / 1.5%
Darlington — China: 9.1% Newtown — China: 1.5%
England 3.9% / 5.7%
Darlington — England: 3.9% Newtown — England: 5.7%
New Zealand 3.6% / 2.7%
Darlington — New Zealand: 3.6% Newtown — New Zealand: 2.7%
Thailand 1.1% / 1.0%
Darlington — Thailand: 1.1% Newtown — Thailand: 1.0%
India 1.9% / —
Darlington — India: 1.9% Newtown — India: not among its largest
Malaysia 1.2% / 0.7%
Darlington — Malaysia: 1.2% Newtown — Malaysia: 0.7%
Ireland — / 1.0%
Darlington — Ireland: not among its largest Newtown — Ireland: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darlington 76.1% townhouses
Darlington — Townhouses: 76.1% Darlington — Flats / Apartments: 20.1% Darlington — Houses: 3.8%
Newtown 52.0% townhouses
Newtown — Townhouses: 52.0% Newtown — Flats / Apartments: 42.9% Newtown — Houses: 5.0%
Townhouses Flats / Apartments Houses

Property market

Darlington Newtown
Median house price $2,000,000 $1,875,000
Median unit price $1,015,000 $800,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 12 sales
 23 days
from 149 sales

House price by bedroom count

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

Darlington Newtown
2 bed $1.66M / $1.71M
Darlington — 2 bed: $1.66M (12 sales) Newtown — 2 bed: $1.71M (110 sales)

12 vs 110 sales

3 bed $2.35M / $2.15M
Darlington — 3 bed: $2.35M (13 sales) Newtown — 3 bed: $2.15M (65 sales)

13 vs 65 sales

4 bed $2.65M / $2.64M
Darlington — 4 bed: $2.65M (6 sales) Newtown — 4 bed: $2.64M (24 sales)

6 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Darlington Newtown
Residential 44% 69%
Infrastructure and transport 54% 15%
Commercial 2% 12%
Parks and recreation 1% 4%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Darlington Newtown
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.

Darlington Newtown
Houses — 3.0%
$992/wk on $1.7M
Units — 6.1%
$650/wk on $550K

Ranking within NSW

Darlington Newtown
House price Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Income Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 38% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 23% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 97% of NSW

Liveability

Darlington scores higher overall (96 vs 69).

Darlington Newtown
Grade A+ B
Score 96/100 69/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Darlington Newtown
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime — High
87/100
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 7
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Darlington Newtown
Inside the suburb 1 7
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 3
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 1.1 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 1.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 24.5% 5.2%

Schools in Darlington

  • Darlington Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Newtown

  • Camdenville Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Newtown High School of Performing Arts Government · Secondary at peers
  • Newtown North Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Newtown Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Pius' Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • The Athena School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Darlington Newtown
Supermarkets 1 8
Cafes & restaurants 15 102
Parks & reserves 6 19
Childcare 3 11
GPs 1 7
Pharmacies 1 8
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Darlington Newtown
Walkability score 97/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 4.2 km 5.9 km
+40% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 16 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 84.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 458.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.3%
postcode 2008
 2.4%
postcode 2042
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 2
postcode 2008
 10
postcode 2042

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.

Darlington Newtown
Worked from Home 60.7% / 63.9%
Darlington — Worked from Home: 60.7% Newtown — Worked from Home: 63.9%
Car (driver) 14.7% / 15.9%
Darlington — Car (driver): 14.7% Newtown — Car (driver): 15.9%
Walked Only 9.8% / 8.5%
Darlington — Walked Only: 9.8% Newtown — Walked Only: 8.5%
Train 8.6% / 6.3%
Darlington — Train: 8.6% Newtown — Train: 6.3%
Bicycle 2.7% / 2.0%
Darlington — Bicycle: 2.7% Newtown — Bicycle: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.9%).

Setting

Darlington Newtown
Elevation 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 5.4 km

NBN connectivity

Darlington Newtown
Connectivity score 83/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
1,283 premises
 20%
9,055 premises

Climate

Darlington Newtown
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)

Darlington Newtown
PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.73 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Darlington Newtown
Average residential rate $875/yr
same for both
Council Sydney
same for both

Federal electorate

Darlington Newtown
Division Sydney
same for both
Member Tanya Plibersek
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Darlington Newtown
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darlington

Inner Parks Premium Professionals Students Townhouses Urban

Newtown

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darlington

Darlington vs Redfern Darlington vs Camperdown Darlington vs Chippendale Darlington vs Eveleigh

Other comparisons with Newtown

Newtown vs Marrickville Newtown vs Erskineville Newtown vs Camperdown Newtown vs Stanmore Newtown vs Enmore Newtown vs St Peters
Full data on Darlington Full data on Newtown
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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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