Paddington vs Edgecliff

In both, about half of households rent. In Paddington, about half of households are people living alone. In Edgecliff, most homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Paddington: a median of $3.44 million, against $3 million in Edgecliff, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Edgecliff tends to suit 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

Paddington

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 2)
  • But Edgecliff has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Edgecliff

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($3,000,000 vs $3,440,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Paddington leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 26%)
  • Edgecliff has cheaper rent ($600/wk vs $650/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Edgecliff

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (9% vs 2%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Paddington carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 83/100)
  • Edgecliff has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 15%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Paddington Edgecliff
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.

Paddington Edgecliff
Walkability 96 / 99
Paddington — Walkability: 96/100 Edgecliff — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 43 / 17
Paddington — Safety: 43/100 Edgecliff — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Paddington — Low fire risk: 100/100 Edgecliff — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Paddington has more residents (12,701 vs 2,499); Paddington has higher household incomes ($162,812 vs $120,692).

Paddington Edgecliff
Population 12,701
+80% vs other
 2,499
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.6% -3.1%
Median age 38 39
Median household income $162,812/yr
+26% vs other
 $120,692/yr
Median weekly rent $650/wk
+8% vs other
 $600/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Paddington Edgecliff
0-4 4.7% / 3.3%
Paddington — 0-4: 4.7% Edgecliff — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 8.4% / 7.8%
Paddington — 5-14: 8.4% Edgecliff — 5-14: 7.8%
15-19 3.5% / 3.0%
Paddington — 15-19: 3.5% Edgecliff — 15-19: 3.0%
20-24 6.2% / 5.5%
Paddington — 20-24: 6.2% Edgecliff — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 21.7% / 21.3%
Paddington — 25-34: 21.7% Edgecliff — 25-34: 21.3%
35-44 16.0% / 16.0%
Paddington — 35-44: 16.0% Edgecliff — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 13.7% / 10.6%
Paddington — 45-54: 13.7% Edgecliff — 45-54: 10.6%
55-64 10.5% / 9.6%
Paddington — 55-64: 10.5% Edgecliff — 55-64: 9.6%
65-74 8.1% / 9.3%
Paddington — 65-74: 8.1% Edgecliff — 65-74: 9.3%
75-84 5.3% / 8.2%
Paddington — 75-84: 5.3% Edgecliff — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 1.9% / 5.0%
Paddington — 85+: 1.9% Edgecliff — 85+: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Paddington 50.9% lone person
Paddington — Lone Person: 50.9% Paddington — Couple Families: 27.9% Paddington — Group Household: 11.5% Paddington — One Parent Families: 8.6% Paddington — Other Families: 1.1%
Edgecliff 60.0% lone person
Edgecliff — Lone Person: 60.0% Edgecliff — Couple Families: 20.8% Edgecliff — Group Household: 9.5% Edgecliff — One Parent Families: 8.2% Edgecliff — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Paddington 45.9% renting
Paddington — Owned Outright: 27.9% Paddington — Mortgage: 26.2% Paddington — Renting: 45.9%
Edgecliff 52.4% renting
Edgecliff — Owned Outright: 29.3% Edgecliff — Mortgage: 18.3% Edgecliff — Renting: 52.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Paddington Edgecliff
Bachelor Degree 34.7% / 33.3%
Paddington — Bachelor Degree: 34.7% Edgecliff — Bachelor Degree: 33.3%
Postgraduate Degree 15.7% / 14.0%
Paddington — Postgraduate Degree: 15.7% Edgecliff — Postgraduate Degree: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.6% / 8.0%
Paddington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6% Edgecliff — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Certificate III & IV 3.5% / 4.2%
Paddington — Certificate III & IV: 3.5% Edgecliff — Certificate III & IV: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.1%
Paddington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Edgecliff — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.7%).

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.

Paddington Edgecliff
England 8.0% / 6.9%
Paddington — England: 8.0% Edgecliff — England: 6.9%
New Zealand 3.5% / 2.9%
Paddington — New Zealand: 3.5% Edgecliff — New Zealand: 2.9%
South Africa 1.2% / 2.7%
Paddington — South Africa: 1.2% Edgecliff — South Africa: 2.7%
China — / 2.2%
Paddington — China: not among its largest Edgecliff — China: 2.2%
Ireland 0.8% / 1.3%
Paddington — Ireland: 0.8% Edgecliff — Ireland: 1.3%
France 0.9% / 1.0%
Paddington — France: 0.9% Edgecliff — France: 1.0%
Brazil — / 1.4%
Paddington — Brazil: not among its largest Edgecliff — Brazil: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Paddington 33.0% flats / apartments
Paddington — Flats / Apartments: 33.0% Paddington — Townhouses: 60.5% Paddington — Houses: 6.6%
Edgecliff 70.5% flats / apartments
Edgecliff — Flats / Apartments: 70.5% Edgecliff — Townhouses: 23.6% Edgecliff — Houses: 5.8%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Paddington Edgecliff
Median house price $3,440,000 $3,000,000
Median unit price $1,305,000 $1,322,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 108 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.

Paddington Edgecliff
1 bed $714K / $758K
Paddington — 1 bed: $714K (42 sales) Edgecliff — 1 bed: $758K (20 sales)

42 vs 20 sales

2 bed $1.42M / $1.4M
Paddington — 2 bed: $1.42M (47 sales) Edgecliff — 2 bed: $1.4M (33 sales)

47 vs 33 sales

3 bed $2.85M / $3.12M
Paddington — 3 bed: $2.85M (7 sales) Edgecliff — 3 bed: $3.12M (18 sales)

7 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

Paddington Edgecliff
Residential 74% 76%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 12%
Parks and recreation 12% 2%
Commercial 1% 10%
Planning zones cover 100% of Paddington and 99% of Edgecliff. 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

Paddington Edgecliff
New dwellings approved 222
across Woollahra
same for both
Approvals change year on year -21%
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.

Paddington Edgecliff
Houses 2.8%
$1,750/wk on $3.2M
 —
Units 3.1%
$652/wk on $1.1M
 —

Ranking within NSW

Paddington Edgecliff
House price Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Income Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Schools Higher than 34% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 5% of NSW —

Liveability

Edgecliff scores higher overall (83 vs 71).

Paddington Edgecliff
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 83/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Edgecliff carries more crime risk (83 vs 57).

Paddington Edgecliff
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
83/100
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 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Paddington Edgecliff
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 1.5 km
 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 2.6%

Schools in Paddington

  • Glenmore Road Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Francis of Assisi Regional Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Paddington Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Sydney Grammar School - Edgecliff Preparatory School Independent · Primary

Schools in Edgecliff

  • Ascham School Independent · Combined above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Paddington Edgecliff
Supermarkets 3
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 41 9
Parks & reserves 18 2
Childcare 7 2
GPs 3
same for both
Pharmacies 2 4
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1
same for both

Mobility

Paddington Edgecliff
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 4.6 km
+7% vs other
 4.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 9 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 80/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 285.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 94.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.2%
postcode 2021
 3.8%
postcode 2027
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 6
postcode 2021
 3
postcode 2027

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.

Paddington Edgecliff
Worked from Home 68.5% / 64.2%
Paddington — Worked from Home: 68.5% Edgecliff — Worked from Home: 64.2%
Car (driver) 14.7% / 17.7%
Paddington — Car (driver): 14.7% Edgecliff — Car (driver): 17.7%
Walked Only 8.6% / 6.8%
Paddington — Walked Only: 8.6% Edgecliff — Walked Only: 6.8%
Train 1.7% / 9.0%
Paddington — Train: 1.7% Edgecliff — Train: 9.0%
Bus 3.7% / 0.6%
Paddington — Bus: 3.7% Edgecliff — Bus: 0.6%
Car (passenger) 1.5% / 1.2%
Paddington — Car (passenger): 1.5% Edgecliff — Car (passenger): 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.5%).

Setting

Paddington Edgecliff
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.3 km
1.8 km to a named beach
 3.8 km
931 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Paddington Edgecliff
Connectivity score 74/100 72/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
7,731 premises
 4%
2,001 premises

Climate

Paddington Edgecliff
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)

Paddington Edgecliff
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.84 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Paddington Edgecliff
Average residential rate $1,812/yr
same for both
Council Woollahra
same for both

Federal electorate

Paddington Edgecliff
Division Wentworth
same for both
Member Allegra Spender
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Paddington Edgecliff
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Paddington

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

Edgecliff

Apartments Cafe Culture Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Paddington

Paddington vs Surry Hills Paddington vs Darlinghurst Paddington vs Woollahra Paddington vs Rushcutters Bay Paddington vs Centennial Park

Other comparisons with Edgecliff

Edgecliff vs Darlinghurst Edgecliff vs Woollahra Edgecliff vs Double Bay Edgecliff vs Darling Point Edgecliff vs Rushcutters Bay
Full data on Paddington Full data on Edgecliff
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or