Leichhardt vs Lewisham

Lewisham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 37 in Leichhardt. In Leichhardt, most households own their home. In Lewisham, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in Lewisham: a median of $2.35 million, against $2.04 million in Leichhardt, though rent is higher in Leichhardt. Leichhardt is closer to the city centre: 6.7 km, against 9.2 km. On these figures, Leichhardt tends to suit families with children, while Lewisham suits young adults.

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

Leichhardt

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 4)
  • is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 42%)

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

First-home buyers

Leichhardt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($2,040,000 vs $2,355,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lewisham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($520/wk vs $600/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Leichhardt

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (13 min vs 18 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (6.7 km vs 9.2 km)
  • But Lewisham gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (7% vs 2%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Leichhardt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (10 vs 0)

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

Investors

Lewisham

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (28.3% vs 3.6%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 4.2%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Leichhardt Lewisham
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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
Walkability 96 / 99
Leichhardt — Walkability: 96/100 Lewisham — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 35 / 29
Leichhardt — Safety: 35/100 Lewisham — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Leichhardt — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lewisham — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Leichhardt has more residents (15,158 vs 4,060); Leichhardt rents higher ($600/wk vs $520/wk).

Leichhardt Lewisham
Population 15,158
+73% vs other
 4,060
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% +28.3%
Median age 37 34
Median household income $138,996/yr
+10% vs other
 $125,060/yr
Median weekly rent $600/wk
+13% vs other
 $520/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt Lewisham
0-4 6.7% / 5.2%
Leichhardt — 0-4: 6.7% Lewisham — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 12.4% / 8.3%
Leichhardt — 5-14: 12.4% Lewisham — 5-14: 8.3%
15-19 4.1% / 3.2%
Leichhardt — 15-19: 4.1% Lewisham — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 5.2% / 7.2%
Leichhardt — 20-24: 5.2% Lewisham — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 16.4% / 27.0%
Leichhardt — 25-34: 16.4% Lewisham — 25-34: 27.0%
35-44 18.4% / 17.8%
Leichhardt — 35-44: 18.4% Lewisham — 35-44: 17.8%
45-54 15.0% / 11.1%
Leichhardt — 45-54: 15.0% Lewisham — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 9.4% / 8.6%
Leichhardt — 55-64: 9.4% Lewisham — 55-64: 8.6%
65-74 7.1% / 6.2%
Leichhardt — 65-74: 7.1% Lewisham — 65-74: 6.2%
75-84 3.6% / 3.3%
Leichhardt — 75-84: 3.6% Lewisham — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 1.8% / 2.3%
Leichhardt — 85+: 1.8% Lewisham — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt 35.4% lone person
Leichhardt — Lone Person: 35.4% Leichhardt — Couple Families: 41.6% Leichhardt — One Parent Families: 13.3% Leichhardt — Group Household: 8.1% Leichhardt — Other Families: 1.6%
Lewisham 42.8% lone person
Lewisham — Lone Person: 42.8% Lewisham — Couple Families: 31.5% Lewisham — One Parent Families: 11.0% Lewisham — Group Household: 13.3% Lewisham — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt 41.1% renting
Leichhardt — Owned Outright: 24.2% Leichhardt — Mortgage: 34.7% Leichhardt — Renting: 41.1%
Lewisham 48.1% renting
Lewisham — Owned Outright: 19.3% Lewisham — Mortgage: 32.6% Lewisham — Renting: 48.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Leichhardt Lewisham
Bachelor Degree 25.0% / 28.8%
Leichhardt — Bachelor Degree: 25.0% Lewisham — Bachelor Degree: 28.8%
Postgraduate Degree 11.7% / 13.4%
Leichhardt — Postgraduate Degree: 11.7% Lewisham — Postgraduate Degree: 13.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.0%
Leichhardt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Lewisham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Certificate III & IV 6.7% / 5.7%
Leichhardt — Certificate III & IV: 6.7% Lewisham — Certificate III & IV: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 3.4%
Leichhardt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Lewisham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).

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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
England 5.0% / 3.7%
Leichhardt — England: 5.0% Lewisham — England: 3.7%
China 1.4% / 4.1%
Leichhardt — China: 1.4% Lewisham — China: 4.1%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.2%
Leichhardt — New Zealand: 2.4% Lewisham — New Zealand: 2.2%
Italy 2.4% / 1.7%
Leichhardt — Italy: 2.4% Lewisham — Italy: 1.7%
Ireland 1.0% / 1.1%
Leichhardt — Ireland: 1.0% Lewisham — Ireland: 1.1%
Vietnam — / 1.2%
Leichhardt — Vietnam: not among its largest Lewisham — Vietnam: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt 29.8% flats / apartments
Leichhardt — Flats / Apartments: 29.8% Leichhardt — Houses: 36.5% Leichhardt — Townhouses: 33.6%
Lewisham 58.2% flats / apartments
Lewisham — Flats / Apartments: 58.2% Lewisham — Houses: 28.6% Lewisham — Townhouses: 13.2%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Leichhardt Lewisham
Median house price $2,040,000 $2,355,000
Median unit price $925,500 $915,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 19 days
from 174 sales
 26 days
from 10 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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
1 bed $745K / $675K
Leichhardt — 1 bed: $745K (33 sales) Lewisham — 1 bed: $675K (11 sales)

33 vs 11 sales

2 bed $1M / $1.01M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1M (51 sales) Lewisham — 2 bed: $1.01M (29 sales)

51 vs 29 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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
2 bed $1.7M / $1.61M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1.7M (118 sales) Lewisham — 2 bed: $1.61M (5 sales)

118 vs 5 sales

3 bed $2.18M / $2.36M
Leichhardt — 3 bed: $2.18M (133 sales) Lewisham — 3 bed: $2.36M (12 sales)

133 vs 12 sales

4 bed $2.62M / $2.41M
Leichhardt — 4 bed: $2.62M (42 sales) Lewisham — 4 bed: $2.41M (7 sales)

42 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Leichhardt Lewisham
Residential 67% 63%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 28%
Commercial 8% 1%
Parks and recreation 7% 2%
Industrial 5%
same for both
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

Leichhardt Lewisham
New dwellings approved 849
across Inner West
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
Houses 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.8M
 —
Units 4.2%
$750/wk on $930K
 5.1%
$740/wk on $749K

Ranking within NSW

Leichhardt Lewisham
House price Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW

Liveability

Leichhardt Lewisham
Grade A
same for both
Score 74/100
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Leichhardt Lewisham
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 High
71/100
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
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Leichhardt Lewisham
Inside the suburb 6 5
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 3 1
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 2.6 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 3.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.6%

Schools in Leichhardt

  • Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus Government · Secondary above peers
  • Leichhardt Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Kegworth Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Columba's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • St Fiacre's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Aspect South East Sydney School, Leichhardt Independent · Primary · Special school

Schools in Lewisham

  • Christian Brothers' High School Lewisham Independent · Combined above peers
  • Lewisham Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Petersham Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • The John Berne School Independent · Secondary · Special school below peers
  • Eileen O'Connor Catholic College Catholic · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Leichhardt Lewisham
Supermarkets 6 0
Cafes & restaurants 25 2
Parks & reserves 18 2
Childcare 19 4
GPs 10 0
Pharmacies 6 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Lewisham sits further from the CBD (9.2 km vs 6.7 km).

Leichhardt Lewisham
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 6.7 km 9.2 km
+37% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 18 min
Public transport score 79/100
Tram · Bus
 93/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 423.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 91.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 2040
 2.0%
postcode 2049
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 2040
 12
postcode 2049

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.

Leichhardt Lewisham
Worked from Home 64.2% / 67.1%
Leichhardt — Worked from Home: 64.2% Lewisham — Worked from Home: 67.1%
Car (driver) 24.0% / 20.2%
Leichhardt — Car (driver): 24.0% Lewisham — Car (driver): 20.2%
Train 1.5% / 7.1%
Leichhardt — Train: 1.5% Lewisham — Train: 7.1%
Walked Only 4.0% / 2.1%
Leichhardt — Walked Only: 4.0% Lewisham — Walked Only: 2.1%
Bus 2.9% / 0.9%
Leichhardt — Bus: 2.9% Lewisham — Bus: 0.9%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 1.3%
Leichhardt — Car (passenger): 1.9% Lewisham — Car (passenger): 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.1%).

Setting

Leichhardt Lewisham
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.3 km
5.0 km to a named beach
 6.1 km

NBN connectivity

Leichhardt Lewisham
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
8,062 premises
 14%
1,915 premises

Climate

Leichhardt Lewisham
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)

Leichhardt Lewisham
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.7 µg/m³ 16.1 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.62 pphm 0.79 pphm

Council rates

Leichhardt Lewisham
Average residential rate $1,342/yr
same for both
Council Inner West
same for both

Federal electorate

Leichhardt Lewisham
Division Grayndler
same for both
Member Anthony Albanese
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Leichhardt Lewisham
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Leichhardt

Inner Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Trams Urban

Lewisham

Apartments Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Leichhardt

Leichhardt vs Annandale Leichhardt vs Petersham Leichhardt vs Lilyfield Leichhardt vs Stanmore Leichhardt vs Summer Hill Leichhardt vs Haberfield

Other comparisons with Lewisham

Lewisham vs Marrickville Lewisham vs Dulwich Hill Lewisham vs Petersham Lewisham vs Summer Hill Lewisham vs Haberfield
Full data on Leichhardt Full data on Lewisham
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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