Leichhardt vs Petersham

In Leichhardt, most households own their home. In Petersham, about half of households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Leichhardt is closer to the city centre: 6.7 km, against 8 km. On these figures, Leichhardt tends to suit families with children, while Petersham suits renters, young adults, and 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

Leichhardt

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 4)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 5)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Petersham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $600/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (52% vs 41%)

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Leichhardt has more GPs (10 vs 4)
  • Petersham has more units and townhouses to downsize into (78% vs 63%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Leichhardt and Petersham 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 Petersham
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 Petersham
Walkability 96 / 99
Leichhardt — Walkability: 96/100 Petersham — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 35 / 36
Leichhardt — Safety: 35/100 Petersham — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Leichhardt — Low fire risk: 100/100 Petersham — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Leichhardt has more residents (15,158 vs 8,200); Leichhardt rents higher ($600/wk vs $450/wk).

Leichhardt Petersham
Population 15,158
+46% vs other
 8,200
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% +1.0%
Median age 37 36
Median household income $138,996/yr
+17% vs other
 $115,284/yr
Median weekly rent $600/wk
+25% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt Petersham
0-4 6.7% / 4.1%
Leichhardt — 0-4: 6.7% Petersham — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 12.4% / 8.5%
Leichhardt — 5-14: 12.4% Petersham — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 4.1% / 4.5%
Leichhardt — 15-19: 4.1% Petersham — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 5.2% / 7.4%
Leichhardt — 20-24: 5.2% Petersham — 20-24: 7.4%
25-34 16.4% / 22.2%
Leichhardt — 25-34: 16.4% Petersham — 25-34: 22.2%
35-44 18.4% / 16.7%
Leichhardt — 35-44: 18.4% Petersham — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 15.0% / 14.8%
Leichhardt — 45-54: 15.0% Petersham — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 9.4% / 10.1%
Leichhardt — 55-64: 9.4% Petersham — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 7.1% / 6.8%
Leichhardt — 65-74: 7.1% Petersham — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 3.6% / 3.5%
Leichhardt — 75-84: 3.6% Petersham — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ 1.8% / 1.3%
Leichhardt — 85+: 1.8% Petersham — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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%
Petersham 46.7% lone person
Petersham — Lone Person: 46.7% Petersham — Couple Families: 29.9% Petersham — One Parent Families: 9.8% Petersham — Group Household: 11.7% Petersham — Other Families: 1.8%
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%
Petersham 51.6% renting
Petersham — Owned Outright: 19.7% Petersham — Mortgage: 28.7% Petersham — Renting: 51.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Leichhardt Petersham
Bachelor Degree 25.0% / 26.4%
Leichhardt — Bachelor Degree: 25.0% Petersham — Bachelor Degree: 26.4%
Postgraduate Degree 11.7% / 12.2%
Leichhardt — Postgraduate Degree: 11.7% Petersham — Postgraduate Degree: 12.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.4%
Leichhardt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Petersham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Certificate III & IV 6.7% / 6.7%
Leichhardt — Certificate III & IV: 6.7% Petersham — Certificate III & IV: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 3.3%
Leichhardt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Petersham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

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 Petersham
England 5.0% / 4.5%
Leichhardt — England: 5.0% Petersham — England: 4.5%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.0%
Leichhardt — New Zealand: 2.4% Petersham — New Zealand: 2.0%
Italy 2.4% / 1.2%
Leichhardt — Italy: 2.4% Petersham — Italy: 1.2%
China 1.4% / 1.3%
Leichhardt — China: 1.4% Petersham — China: 1.3%
Ireland 1.0% / —
Leichhardt — Ireland: 1.0% Petersham — Ireland: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 1.0%
Leichhardt — Vietnam: not among its largest Petersham — Vietnam: 1.0%

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 — Townhouses: 33.6% Leichhardt — Houses: 36.5%
Petersham 51.0% flats / apartments
Petersham — Flats / Apartments: 51.0% Petersham — Townhouses: 26.5% Petersham — Houses: 22.5%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Leichhardt Petersham
Median house price $2,040,000 $2,147,500
Median unit price $925,500 $897,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 19 days
from 174 sales
 20 days
from 36 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 Petersham
1 bed $745K / $760K
Leichhardt — 1 bed: $745K (33 sales) Petersham — 1 bed: $760K (59 sales)

33 vs 59 sales

2 bed $1M / $1.21M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1M (51 sales) Petersham — 2 bed: $1.21M (50 sales)

51 vs 50 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 Petersham
2 bed $1.7M / $1.8M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1.7M (118 sales) Petersham — 2 bed: $1.8M (18 sales)

118 vs 18 sales

3 bed $2.18M / $2.12M
Leichhardt — 3 bed: $2.18M (133 sales) Petersham — 3 bed: $2.12M (42 sales)

133 vs 42 sales

4 bed $2.62M / $2.65M
Leichhardt — 4 bed: $2.62M (42 sales) Petersham — 4 bed: $2.65M (15 sales)

42 vs 15 sales

5 bed $2.77M / $3.23M
Leichhardt — 5 bed: $2.77M (8 sales) Petersham — 5 bed: $3.23M (8 sales)

8 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Leichhardt Petersham
Residential 67% 72%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 14%
Commercial 8% 7%
Parks and recreation 7% 6%
Industrial 5% 1%
Planning zones cover 100% of Leichhardt and 99% of Petersham. 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

Leichhardt Petersham
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 Petersham
Houses 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.8M
 3.1%
$1,200/wk on $2M
Units 4.2%
$750/wk on $930K
 4.5%
$688/wk on $799K

Ranking within NSW

Leichhardt Petersham
House price Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
Schools Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 21% 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 Higher than 26% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW

Liveability

Petersham scores higher overall (81 vs 74).

Leichhardt Petersham
Grade A
same for both
Score 74/100 81/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Leichhardt Petersham
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
64/100
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 Petersham
Inside the suburb 6 3
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 3 0
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 2.6 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.3%

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 Petersham

  • Fort Street High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • NSW School of Languages Government · Secondary
  • Taverners Hill Infants School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Leichhardt Petersham
Supermarkets 6 2
Cafes & restaurants 25 35
Parks & reserves 18 4
Childcare 19 5
GPs 10 4
Pharmacies 6 1
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Leichhardt Petersham
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 6.7 km 8 km
+19% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 15 min
Public transport score 79/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 423.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 178.2
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 Petersham
Worked from Home 64.2% / 62.8%
Leichhardt — Worked from Home: 64.2% Petersham — Worked from Home: 62.8%
Car (driver) 24.0% / 21.6%
Leichhardt — Car (driver): 24.0% Petersham — Car (driver): 21.6%
Train 1.5% / 6.5%
Leichhardt — Train: 1.5% Petersham — Train: 6.5%
Walked Only 4.0% / 3.5%
Leichhardt — Walked Only: 4.0% Petersham — Walked Only: 3.5%
Bus 2.9% / 2.2%
Leichhardt — Bus: 2.9% Petersham — Bus: 2.2%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 1.7%
Leichhardt — Car (passenger): 1.9% Petersham — Car (passenger): 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.2%).

Setting

Leichhardt Petersham
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.3 km
5.0 km to a named beach
 6.0 km

NBN connectivity

Leichhardt Petersham
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
8,062 premises
 9%
4,629 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Leichhardt Petersham
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

Petersham

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Leichhardt

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

Other comparisons with Petersham

Petersham vs Marrickville Petersham vs Dulwich Hill Petersham vs Stanmore Petersham vs Lewisham
Full data on Leichhardt Full data on Petersham
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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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