Maroubra vs Hillsdale

Hillsdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 39 in Maroubra. In Maroubra, most households own their home and about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Hillsdale, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. Units cost more in Maroubra: a median of $1.09 million, against $800,000 in Hillsdale, and rent is higher there too. Hillsdale is closer to the city centre: 12.4 km, against 14.5 km. On these figures, Hillsdale tends to suit renters and 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

Maroubra

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (24 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (30% vs 4%)
  • But Hillsdale carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 69/100)

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

First-home buyers

Hillsdale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,800,000 vs $2,850,000)
  • has cheaper units ($800,000 vs $1,095,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hillsdale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (56% vs 44%)
  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $540/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hillsdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (12.4 km vs 14.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Maroubra has more GPs (7 vs 1)
  • Hillsdale carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 69/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Maroubra 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.

Maroubra 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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
Walkability 92 / 90
Maroubra — Walkability: 92/100 Hillsdale — Walkability: 90/100
Safety 31 / 51
Maroubra — Safety: 31/100 Hillsdale — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Maroubra — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hillsdale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Maroubra has more residents (30,722 vs 5,647); Maroubra has higher household incomes ($111,332 vs $85,020).

Maroubra Hillsdale
Population 30,722
+82% vs other
 5,647
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.1% +2.7%
Median age 39 35
Median household income $111,332/yr
+24% vs other
 $85,020/yr
Median weekly rent $540/wk
+17% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Maroubra Hillsdale
0-4 5.2% / 6.8%
Maroubra — 0-4: 5.2% Hillsdale — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 10.8% / 10.1%
Maroubra — 5-14: 10.8% Hillsdale — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 4.8% / 4.3%
Maroubra — 15-19: 4.8% Hillsdale — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 5.7% / 7.4%
Maroubra — 20-24: 5.7% Hillsdale — 20-24: 7.4%
25-34 15.8% / 20.0%
Maroubra — 25-34: 15.8% Hillsdale — 25-34: 20.0%
35-44 15.3% / 17.7%
Maroubra — 35-44: 15.3% Hillsdale — 35-44: 17.7%
45-54 13.2% / 12.6%
Maroubra — 45-54: 13.2% Hillsdale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 11.1% / 9.7%
Maroubra — 55-64: 11.1% Hillsdale — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 8.8% / 7.0%
Maroubra — 65-74: 8.8% Hillsdale — 65-74: 7.0%
75-84 6.1% / 3.3%
Maroubra — 75-84: 6.1% Hillsdale — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 3.0% / 1.0%
Maroubra — 85+: 3.0% Hillsdale — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Maroubra 40.1% couple families
Maroubra — Couple Families: 40.1% Maroubra — Lone Person: 36.9% Maroubra — One Parent Families: 13.8% Maroubra — Group Household: 7.3% Maroubra — Other Families: 1.9%
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.

Maroubra 44.1% renting
Maroubra — Owned Outright: 30.8% Maroubra — Mortgage: 25.0% Maroubra — Renting: 44.1%
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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
Bachelor Degree 21.9% / 16.0%
Maroubra — Bachelor Degree: 21.9% Hillsdale — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Certificate III & IV 8.2% / 11.5%
Maroubra — Certificate III & IV: 8.2% Hillsdale — Certificate III & IV: 11.5%
Postgraduate Degree 10.0% / 6.4%
Maroubra — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0% Hillsdale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.3%
Maroubra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Hillsdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.4%
Maroubra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Hillsdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
China 3.4% / 3.4%
Maroubra — China: 3.4% Hillsdale — China: 3.4%
Brazil 3.2% / 3.2%
Maroubra — Brazil: 3.2% Hillsdale — Brazil: 3.2%
Ireland 1.9% / 3.0%
Maroubra — Ireland: 1.9% Hillsdale — Ireland: 3.0%
England 4.0% / —
Maroubra — England: 4.0% Hillsdale — England: not among its largest
Bangladesh — / 3.7%
Maroubra — Bangladesh: not among its largest Hillsdale — Bangladesh: 3.7%
Philippines — / 3.3%
Maroubra — Philippines: not among its largest Hillsdale — Philippines: 3.3%
Indonesia 2.2% / —
Maroubra — Indonesia: 2.2% Hillsdale — Indonesia: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Maroubra 49.5% flats / apartments
Maroubra — Flats / Apartments: 49.5% Maroubra — Houses: 29.6% Maroubra — Townhouses: 20.9%
Hillsdale 87.8% flats / apartments
Hillsdale — Flats / Apartments: 87.8% Hillsdale — Houses: 4.2% Hillsdale — Townhouses: 8.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Maroubra Hillsdale
Median house price $2,850,000 $1,800,000
Median unit price $1,095,000 $800,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 116 sales
 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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
1 bed $721K / $645K
Maroubra — 1 bed: $721K (60 sales) Hillsdale — 1 bed: $645K (15 sales)

60 vs 15 sales

2 bed $1.15M / $768K
Maroubra — 2 bed: $1.15M (148 sales) Hillsdale — 2 bed: $768K (72 sales)

148 vs 72 sales

3 bed $1.4M / $858K
Maroubra — 3 bed: $1.4M (37 sales) Hillsdale — 3 bed: $858K (26 sales)

37 vs 26 sales

Zoning mix

Hillsdale has more industrially zoned land (18% vs 0%).

Maroubra Hillsdale
Residential 71% 65%
Industrial 0% 18%
Parks and recreation 17% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 9%
Commercial 4% 5%
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

Maroubra Hillsdale
New dwellings approved 455
across Randwick
 857
across Bayside (NSW)
Approvals change year on year -26% +98%

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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
Houses 2.6%
$1,372/wk on $2.7M
 —
Units 4.8%
$850/wk on $922K
 4.9%
$800/wk on $850K

Ranking within NSW

Maroubra Hillsdale
House price Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Income Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Schools Higher than 82% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW

Liveability

Maroubra scores higher overall (79 vs 72).

Maroubra Hillsdale
Grade A
same for both
Score 79/100 72/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Maroubra carries more crime risk (69 vs 49).

Maroubra Hillsdale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
49/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
23/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 24
within 5 km
 25
within 5 km

Schools

Maroubra Hillsdale
Inside the suburb 11 1
Rated above peers 5 0
Rated at peers 4 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of New South Wales, 4.1 km
 3
The University of New South Wales, 4.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.1% 2.6%

Schools in Maroubra

  • Lycee Condorcet The International French School Of Sydney Independent · Combined above peers
  • Maroubra Bay Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount Sinai College Independent · Primary above peers
  • St Aidan's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Mary - St Joseph Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Corpus Christi College Maroubra Catholic · Secondary at peers

Schools in Hillsdale

  • Matraville Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Maroubra Hillsdale
Supermarkets 3 2
Cafes & restaurants 24 1
Parks & reserves 18 3
Childcare 24 1
GPs 7 1
Pharmacies 12 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 1
Fuel stations 2 0

Mobility

Maroubra sits further from the CBD (14.5 km vs 12.4 km).

Maroubra Hillsdale
Walkability score 92/100 90/100
Distance to Sydney 14.5 km
+14% vs other
 12.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 18 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 1098.0
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 1.8%
postcode 2035
 1.6%
postcode 2036
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 16
postcode 2035
 19
postcode 2036

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.

Maroubra Hillsdale
Car (driver) 36.8% / 50.7%
Maroubra — Car (driver): 36.8% Hillsdale — Car (driver): 50.7%
Worked from Home 49.4% / 28.6%
Maroubra — Worked from Home: 49.4% Hillsdale — Worked from Home: 28.6%
Bus 5.5% / 7.2%
Maroubra — Bus: 5.5% Hillsdale — Bus: 7.2%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 5.5%
Maroubra — Car (passenger): 3.2% Hillsdale — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Walked Only 3.2% / 5.4%
Maroubra — Walked Only: 3.2% Hillsdale — Walked Only: 5.4%

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

Setting

Maroubra Hillsdale
Elevation 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.3 km
2.3 km to a named beach
 2.0 km
2.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Maroubra Hillsdale
Connectivity score 76/100 83/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
15,109 premises
 22%
2,789 premises

Climate

Maroubra 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)

Maroubra 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

Maroubra Hillsdale
Average residential rate $1,641/yr $1,217/yr
Council Randwick Bayside (NSW)

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Maroubra

Apartments Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

Hillsdale

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Maroubra

Maroubra vs Randwick Maroubra vs Kingsford Maroubra vs Matraville Maroubra vs South Coogee Maroubra vs Malabar Maroubra vs Eastgardens

Other comparisons with Hillsdale

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