Eastgardens vs Hillsdale

Eastgardens is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 35 in Hillsdale. In both, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. Units cost more in Eastgardens: a median of $1 million, against $800,000 in Hillsdale, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Eastgardens tends to suit young adults and share households, while Hillsdale suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Hillsdale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 92/100)
  • But Eastgardens has more separate houses rather than flats (15% vs 4%)

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

First-home buyers

Hillsdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

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

Weighs unit prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hillsdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $650/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

Hillsdale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 92/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (96% vs 85%)
  • But Eastgardens has more GPs (3 vs 1)

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

Investors

Eastgardens

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (375.1% vs 2.7%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.6% vs 4.9%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Eastgardens Hillsdale
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.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Walkability 89 / 90
Eastgardens — Walkability: 89/100 Hillsdale — Walkability: 90/100
Safety 8 / 51
Eastgardens — Safety: 8/100 Hillsdale — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Eastgardens — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hillsdale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Eastgardens rents higher ($650/wk vs $450/wk); Hillsdale has more residents (5,647 vs 4,086).

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Population 4,086 5,647
+38% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +375.1% +2.7%
Median age 31 35
Median household income $116,064/yr
+27% vs other
 $85,020/yr
Median weekly rent $650/wk
+31% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
0-4 6.4% / 6.8%
Eastgardens — 0-4: 6.4% Hillsdale — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 8.9% / 10.1%
Eastgardens — 5-14: 8.9% Hillsdale — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 3.6% / 4.3%
Eastgardens — 15-19: 3.6% Hillsdale — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 11.7% / 7.4%
Eastgardens — 20-24: 11.7% Hillsdale — 20-24: 7.4%
25-34 30.7% / 20.0%
Eastgardens — 25-34: 30.7% Hillsdale — 25-34: 20.0%
35-44 15.8% / 17.7%
Eastgardens — 35-44: 15.8% Hillsdale — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 8.1% / 12.6%
Eastgardens — 45-54: 8.1% Hillsdale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 6.4% / 9.7%
Eastgardens — 55-64: 6.4% Hillsdale — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 4.9% / 7.0%
Eastgardens — 65-74: 4.9% Hillsdale — 65-74: 7.0%
75-84 2.3% / 3.3%
Eastgardens — 75-84: 2.3% Hillsdale — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 0.9% / 1.0%
Eastgardens — 85+: 0.9% Hillsdale — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Eastgardens 40.4% couple families
Eastgardens — Couple Families: 40.4% Eastgardens — Lone Person: 32.6% Eastgardens — One Parent Families: 10.8% Eastgardens — Group Household: 12.9% Eastgardens — Other Families: 3.3%
Hillsdale 35.9% couple families
Hillsdale — Couple Families: 35.9% Hillsdale — Lone Person: 37.0% Hillsdale — One Parent Families: 18.0% Hillsdale — Group Household: 6.8% Hillsdale — Other Families: 2.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Eastgardens 60.4% renting
Eastgardens — Owned Outright: 15.1% Eastgardens — Mortgage: 24.5% Eastgardens — Renting: 60.4%
Hillsdale 56.5% renting
Hillsdale — Owned Outright: 19.0% Hillsdale — Mortgage: 24.5% Hillsdale — Renting: 56.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Bachelor Degree 22.1% / 16.0%
Eastgardens — Bachelor Degree: 22.1% Hillsdale — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Certificate III & IV 8.5% / 11.5%
Eastgardens — Certificate III & IV: 8.5% Hillsdale — Certificate III & IV: 11.5%
Postgraduate Degree 11.0% / 6.4%
Eastgardens — Postgraduate Degree: 11.0% Hillsdale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 8.3%
Eastgardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Hillsdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.4%
Eastgardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Hillsdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

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.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
China 12.3% / 3.4%
Eastgardens — China: 12.3% Hillsdale — China: 3.4%
Ireland 5.4% / 3.0%
Eastgardens — Ireland: 5.4% Hillsdale — Ireland: 3.0%
Brazil 4.7% / 3.2%
Eastgardens — Brazil: 4.7% Hillsdale — Brazil: 3.2%
Philippines 1.2% / 3.3%
Eastgardens — Philippines: 1.2% Hillsdale — Philippines: 3.3%
Bangladesh — / 3.7%
Eastgardens — Bangladesh: not among its largest Hillsdale — Bangladesh: 3.7%
Indonesia 3.4% / —
Eastgardens — Indonesia: 3.4% Hillsdale — Indonesia: not among its largest
England 3.1% / —
Eastgardens — England: 3.1% Hillsdale — England: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Eastgardens 82.5% flats / apartments
Eastgardens — Flats / Apartments: 82.5% Eastgardens — Houses: 15.3% Eastgardens — Townhouses: 2.2%
Hillsdale 87.8% flats / apartments
Hillsdale — Flats / Apartments: 87.8% Hillsdale — Houses: 4.2% Hillsdale — Townhouses: 8.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Median house price — $1,800,000
Median unit price $1,000,000 $800,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 62 days
from 4 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.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
1 bed $820K / $645K
Eastgardens — 1 bed: $820K (20 sales) Hillsdale — 1 bed: $645K (15 sales)

20 vs 15 sales

2 bed $1M / $768K
Eastgardens — 2 bed: $1M (45 sales) Hillsdale — 2 bed: $768K (72 sales)

45 vs 72 sales

3 bed $1.46M / $858K
Eastgardens — 3 bed: $1.46M (14 sales) Hillsdale — 3 bed: $858K (26 sales)

14 vs 26 sales

Zoning mix

Hillsdale has more industrially zoned land (18% vs 0%); Eastgardens has more commercially zoned land (18% vs 5%).

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Residential 65%
same for both
Commercial 18% 5%
Industrial 0% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 9%
Parks and recreation 5% 2%
Planning zones cover 99% of Eastgardens and 100% of Hillsdale. 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

Eastgardens Hillsdale
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +98%
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.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Houses 3.8%
$1,620/wk on $2.2M
 —
Units 6.6%
$1,150/wk on $910K
 4.9%
$800/wk on $850K

Ranking within NSW

Eastgardens Hillsdale
House price Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Income Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 6% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 64% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW

Liveability

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Grade A
same for both
Score 73/100 72/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Eastgardens carries more crime risk (92 vs 49).

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 Moderate
49/100
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 27
within 5 km
 25
within 5 km

Schools

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of New South Wales, 3.6 km
 3
The University of New South Wales, 4.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 6.0% 2.6%

Schools in Eastgardens

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

Schools in Hillsdale

  • Matraville Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Supermarkets 4 2
Cafes & restaurants 4 1
Parks & reserves 0 3
Childcare 2 1
GPs 3 1
Pharmacies 4 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1

Mobility

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Walkability score 89/100 90/100
Distance to Sydney 12.2 km 12.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 18 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 106.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 52.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2036
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 2036
same for both

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.

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Car (driver) 42.6% / 50.7%
Eastgardens — Car (driver): 42.6% Hillsdale — Car (driver): 50.7%
Worked from Home 41.2% / 28.6%
Eastgardens — Worked from Home: 41.2% Hillsdale — Worked from Home: 28.6%
Bus 6.5% / 7.2%
Eastgardens — Bus: 6.5% Hillsdale — Bus: 7.2%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 5.5%
Eastgardens — Car (passenger): 4.5% Hillsdale — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Walked Only 3.4% / 5.4%
Eastgardens — Walked Only: 3.4% Hillsdale — Walked Only: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.7%).

Setting

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Elevation 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 2.0 km
2.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Connectivity score 73/100 83/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
669 premises
 22%
2,789 premises

Climate

Eastgardens Hillsdale
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)

Eastgardens Hillsdale
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.64 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Average residential rate $1,217/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Division Kingsford Smith
same for both
Member Matt Thistlethwaite
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Eastgardens Hillsdale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Eastgardens

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

Hillsdale

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Eastgardens

Eastgardens vs Maroubra Eastgardens vs Pagewood Eastgardens vs Banksmeadow

Other comparisons with Hillsdale

Hillsdale vs Maroubra Hillsdale vs Matraville Hillsdale vs Banksmeadow
Full data on Eastgardens Full data on Hillsdale
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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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