Leichhardt vs Summer Hill

In Leichhardt, most households own their home. In Summer Hill, about half of households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Summer Hill: a median of $2.5 million, against $2.04 million in Leichhardt, though rent is higher in Leichhardt. Leichhardt is closer to the city centre: 6.7 km, against 9.9 km. On these figures, Leichhardt tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget, while Summer Hill 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

Leichhardt

ahead on 5 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 6)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 7)

Weighs schools, house stock, 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 $2,500,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Summer Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($460/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

  • sits closer to the CBD (6.7 km vs 9.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (13 min vs 19 min)
  • But Summer Hill gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (8% vs 2%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Leichhardt has more GPs (10 vs 2)
  • Summer Hill has more units and townhouses to downsize into (80% vs 63%)

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

Investors

Leichhardt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Leichhardt and Summer Hill 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 Summer Hill
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 Summer Hill
Walkability 96 / 94
Leichhardt — Walkability: 96/100 Summer Hill — Walkability: 94/100
Low fire risk 100 / 67
Leichhardt — Low fire risk: 100/100 Summer Hill — Low fire risk: 67/100

Demographics

Leichhardt has more residents (15,158 vs 7,288); Leichhardt rents higher ($600/wk vs $460/wk).

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Population 15,158
+52% vs other
 7,288
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% -0.3%
Median age 37 36
Median household income $138,996/yr
+15% vs other
 $117,520/yr
Median weekly rent $600/wk
+23% vs other
 $460/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Leichhardt Summer Hill
0-4 6.7% / 5.2%
Leichhardt — 0-4: 6.7% Summer Hill — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 12.4% / 8.6%
Leichhardt — 5-14: 12.4% Summer Hill — 5-14: 8.6%
15-19 4.1% / 3.5%
Leichhardt — 15-19: 4.1% Summer Hill — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 5.2% / 6.4%
Leichhardt — 20-24: 5.2% Summer Hill — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 16.4% / 22.5%
Leichhardt — 25-34: 16.4% Summer Hill — 25-34: 22.5%
35-44 18.4% / 17.3%
Leichhardt — 35-44: 18.4% Summer Hill — 35-44: 17.3%
45-54 15.0% / 13.7%
Leichhardt — 45-54: 15.0% Summer Hill — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 9.4% / 10.5%
Leichhardt — 55-64: 9.4% Summer Hill — 55-64: 10.5%
65-74 7.1% / 7.1%
Leichhardt — 65-74: 7.1% Summer Hill — 65-74: 7.1%
75-84 3.6% / 3.3%
Leichhardt — 75-84: 3.6% Summer Hill — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 1.8% / 2.0%
Leichhardt — 85+: 1.8% Summer Hill — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

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%
Summer Hill 46.2% lone person
Summer Hill — Lone Person: 46.2% Summer Hill — Couple Families: 31.5% Summer Hill — One Parent Families: 11.4% Summer Hill — Group Household: 9.0% Summer Hill — Other Families: 1.9%
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%
Summer Hill 50.3% renting
Summer Hill — Owned Outright: 21.4% Summer Hill — Mortgage: 28.2% Summer Hill — Renting: 50.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Bachelor Degree 25.0% / 28.9%
Leichhardt — Bachelor Degree: 25.0% Summer Hill — Bachelor Degree: 28.9%
Postgraduate Degree 11.7% / 13.6%
Leichhardt — Postgraduate Degree: 11.7% Summer Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.5%
Leichhardt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Summer Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 6.7% / 6.4%
Leichhardt — Certificate III & IV: 6.7% Summer Hill — Certificate III & IV: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 3.5%
Leichhardt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Summer Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.9%).

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 Summer Hill
England 5.0% / 3.5%
Leichhardt — England: 5.0% Summer Hill — England: 3.5%
China 1.4% / 3.7%
Leichhardt — China: 1.4% Summer Hill — China: 3.7%
New Zealand 2.4% / 1.9%
Leichhardt — New Zealand: 2.4% Summer Hill — New Zealand: 1.9%
Italy 2.4% / 1.0%
Leichhardt — Italy: 2.4% Summer Hill — Italy: 1.0%
Philippines 0.8% / 1.5%
Leichhardt — Philippines: 0.8% Summer Hill — Philippines: 1.5%
India 0.7% / 1.3%
Leichhardt — India: 0.7% Summer Hill — India: 1.3%
Ireland 1.0% / —
Leichhardt — Ireland: 1.0% Summer Hill — Ireland: not among its largest

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%
Summer Hill 63.4% flats / apartments
Summer Hill — Flats / Apartments: 63.4% Summer Hill — Houses: 19.6% Summer Hill — Townhouses: 17.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Median house price $2,040,000 $2,500,000
Median unit price $925,500 $985,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 19 days
from 174 sales
 18 days
from 21 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 Summer Hill
2 bed $1.7M / $1.99M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1.7M (118 sales) Summer Hill — 2 bed: $1.99M (5 sales)

118 vs 5 sales

3 bed $2.18M / $2.38M
Leichhardt — 3 bed: $2.18M (133 sales) Summer Hill — 3 bed: $2.38M (24 sales)

133 vs 24 sales

4 bed $2.62M / $2.8M
Leichhardt — 4 bed: $2.62M (42 sales) Summer Hill — 4 bed: $2.8M (12 sales)

42 vs 12 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 Summer Hill
1 bed $745K / $800K
Leichhardt — 1 bed: $745K (33 sales) Summer Hill — 1 bed: $800K (28 sales)

33 vs 28 sales

2 bed $1M / $1.09M
Leichhardt — 2 bed: $1M (51 sales) Summer Hill — 2 bed: $1.09M (85 sales)

51 vs 85 sales

3 bed $1.41M / $1.7M
Leichhardt — 3 bed: $1.41M (15 sales) Summer Hill — 3 bed: $1.7M (7 sales)

15 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Residential 67% 73%
Infrastructure and transport 13%
same for both
Commercial 8% 5%
Parks and recreation 7% 3%
Industrial 5% 6%
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 Summer Hill
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 Summer Hill
Houses 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.8M
 2.1%
$1,000/wk on $2.48M
Units 4.2%
$750/wk on $930K
 3.9%
$675/wk on $900K

Ranking within NSW

Leichhardt Summer Hill
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 90% of NSW
Income Higher than 92% of NSW —
Schools Higher than 40% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW

Liveability

Summer Hill scores higher overall (83 vs 74).

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Grade A
same for both
Score 74/100 83/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Summer Hill carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0).

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Moderate
65/100
 —
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Inside the suburb 6 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 3 0
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 2.6 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 4.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 2.7%

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 Summer Hill

  • St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Summer Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Trinity Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Trinity Grammar School Bishop Chambers House Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Supermarkets 6 3
Cafes & restaurants 25 20
Parks & reserves 18 6
Childcare 19 7
GPs 10 2
Pharmacies 6 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Summer Hill sits further from the CBD (9.9 km vs 6.7 km).

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Walkability score 96/100 94/100
Distance to Sydney 6.7 km 9.9 km
+48% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 19 min
Public transport score 79/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 423.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 79.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 2040
 1.8%
postcode 2130
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 2040
 10
postcode 2130

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 Summer Hill
Worked from Home 64.2% / 64.4%
Leichhardt — Worked from Home: 64.2% Summer Hill — Worked from Home: 64.4%
Car (driver) 24.0% / 21.5%
Leichhardt — Car (driver): 24.0% Summer Hill — Car (driver): 21.5%
Train 1.5% / 7.8%
Leichhardt — Train: 1.5% Summer Hill — Train: 7.8%
Walked Only 4.0% / 3.0%
Leichhardt — Walked Only: 4.0% Summer Hill — Walked Only: 3.0%
Bus 2.9% / 1.0%
Leichhardt — Bus: 2.9% Summer Hill — Bus: 1.0%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 1.2%
Leichhardt — Car (passenger): 1.9% Summer Hill — Car (passenger): 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.4%).

Setting

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 28 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.3 km
5.0 km to a named beach
 6.7 km

NBN connectivity

Leichhardt Summer Hill
Connectivity score 76/100 78/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
8,062 premises
 11%
4,040 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Leichhardt Summer Hill
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

Summer Hill

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Trains Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Leichhardt

Leichhardt vs Annandale Leichhardt vs Petersham Leichhardt vs Lilyfield Leichhardt vs Stanmore Leichhardt vs Haberfield Leichhardt vs Lewisham

Other comparisons with Summer Hill

Summer Hill vs Ashfield Summer Hill vs Dulwich Hill Summer Hill vs Haberfield Summer Hill vs Lewisham
Full data on Leichhardt Full data on Summer Hill
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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