Petersham vs Marrickville

In both, about half of households rent and about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Petersham, about half of households are people living alone. Petersham is closer to the city centre: 8 km, against 10.2 km.

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

Marrickville

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (24 vs 4)
  • has more childcare (22 vs 5)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 3)
  • But Petersham carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 78/100)

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

Too close to call

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

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

Commuting to the city

Petersham

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 21 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (8 km vs 10.2 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

  • Petersham carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 78/100)
  • Marrickville has more GPs (10 vs 4)

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

Investors

Petersham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.5% vs 4.0%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Petersham Marrickville
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.

Petersham Marrickville
Walkability 99 / 99
Petersham — Walkability: 99/100 Marrickville — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 36 / 22
Petersham — Safety: 36/100 Marrickville — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Petersham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Marrickville — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Marrickville has more residents (26,570 vs 8,200).

Petersham Marrickville
Population 8,200 26,570
+224% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.0% -0.1%
Median age 36 37
Median household income $115,284/yr
+2% vs other
 $112,840/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk $480/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Petersham Marrickville
0-4 4.1% / 4.7%
Petersham — 0-4: 4.1% Marrickville — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 8.5% / 8.7%
Petersham — 5-14: 8.5% Marrickville — 5-14: 8.7%
15-19 4.5% / 3.7%
Petersham — 15-19: 4.5% Marrickville — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 7.4% / 6.0%
Petersham — 20-24: 7.4% Marrickville — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 22.2% / 22.0%
Petersham — 25-34: 22.2% Marrickville — 25-34: 22.0%
35-44 16.7% / 16.8%
Petersham — 35-44: 16.7% Marrickville — 35-44: 16.8%
45-54 14.8% / 13.7%
Petersham — 45-54: 14.8% Marrickville — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 10.1% / 10.4%
Petersham — 55-64: 10.1% Marrickville — 55-64: 10.4%
65-74 6.8% / 7.3%
Petersham — 65-74: 6.8% Marrickville — 65-74: 7.3%
75-84 3.5% / 4.8%
Petersham — 75-84: 3.5% Marrickville — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 1.3% / 1.9%
Petersham — 85+: 1.3% Marrickville — 85+: 1.9%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Petersham 46.7% lone person
Petersham — Lone Person: 46.7% Petersham — Couple Families: 29.9% Petersham — Group Household: 11.7% Petersham — One Parent Families: 9.8% Petersham — Other Families: 1.8%
Marrickville 40.1% lone person
Marrickville — Lone Person: 40.1% Marrickville — Couple Families: 31.8% Marrickville — Group Household: 12.4% Marrickville — One Parent Families: 13.6% Marrickville — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Petersham 51.6% renting
Petersham — Owned Outright: 19.7% Petersham — Mortgage: 28.7% Petersham — Renting: 51.6%
Marrickville 47.6% renting
Marrickville — Owned Outright: 24.2% Marrickville — Mortgage: 28.2% Marrickville — Renting: 47.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Petersham Marrickville
Bachelor Degree 26.4% / 24.5%
Petersham — Bachelor Degree: 26.4% Marrickville — Bachelor Degree: 24.5%
Postgraduate Degree 12.2% / 10.2%
Petersham — Postgraduate Degree: 12.2% Marrickville — Postgraduate Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.5%
Petersham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Marrickville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Certificate III & IV 6.7% / 7.5%
Petersham — Certificate III & IV: 6.7% Marrickville — Certificate III & IV: 7.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 2.7%
Petersham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Marrickville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

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.

Petersham Marrickville
England 4.5% / 3.4%
Petersham — England: 4.5% Marrickville — England: 3.4%
Vietnam 1.0% / 5.6%
Petersham — Vietnam: 1.0% Marrickville — Vietnam: 5.6%
Greece 0.9% / 3.9%
Petersham — Greece: 0.9% Marrickville — Greece: 3.9%
New Zealand 2.0% / 2.0%
Petersham — New Zealand: 2.0% Marrickville — New Zealand: 2.0%
China 1.3% / 1.3%
Petersham — China: 1.3% Marrickville — China: 1.3%
Italy 1.2% / —
Petersham — Italy: 1.2% Marrickville — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Petersham 51.0% flats / apartments
Petersham — Flats / Apartments: 51.0% Petersham — Houses: 22.5% Petersham — Townhouses: 26.5%
Marrickville 49.5% flats / apartments
Marrickville — Flats / Apartments: 49.5% Marrickville — Houses: 32.0% Marrickville — Townhouses: 18.5%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Petersham Marrickville
Median house price $2,147,500 $2,110,000
Median unit price $897,500 $950,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 36 sales
 26 days
from 189 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.

Petersham Marrickville
1 bed $760K / $775K
Petersham — 1 bed: $760K (59 sales) Marrickville — 1 bed: $775K (94 sales)

59 vs 94 sales

2 bed $1.21M / $1.04M
Petersham — 2 bed: $1.21M (50 sales) Marrickville — 2 bed: $1.04M (173 sales)

50 vs 173 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.

Petersham Marrickville
2 bed $1.8M / $1.87M
Petersham — 2 bed: $1.8M (18 sales) Marrickville — 2 bed: $1.87M (75 sales)

18 vs 75 sales

3 bed $2.12M / $2.11M
Petersham — 3 bed: $2.12M (42 sales) Marrickville — 3 bed: $2.11M (121 sales)

42 vs 121 sales

4 bed $2.65M / $2.71M
Petersham — 4 bed: $2.65M (15 sales) Marrickville — 4 bed: $2.71M (59 sales)

15 vs 59 sales

5 bed $3.23M / $3.48M
Petersham — 5 bed: $3.23M (8 sales) Marrickville — 5 bed: $3.48M (8 sales)

8 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Marrickville has more industrially zoned land (18% vs 1%).

Petersham Marrickville
Residential 72% 55%
Industrial 1% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 14% 10%
Parks and recreation 6% 11%
Commercial 7% 4%
Environmental 0% 2%
Planning zones cover 99% of Petersham and 100% of Marrickville. 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

Petersham Marrickville
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.

Petersham Marrickville
Houses 3.1%
$1,200/wk on $2M
 3.0%
$1,100/wk on $1.91M
Units 4.5%
$688/wk on $799K
 4.0%
$700/wk on $900K

Ranking within NSW

Petersham Marrickville
House price Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Schools Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW

Liveability

Petersham scores higher overall (81 vs 70).

Petersham Marrickville
Grade A
same for both
Score 81/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Marrickville carries more crime risk (78 vs 64).

Petersham Marrickville
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
64/100
 High
78/100
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 6
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Petersham Marrickville
Inside the suburb 3 9
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 2.6 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 3.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 2.3%

Schools in Petersham

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

Schools in Marrickville

  • Casimir Catholic College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Wilkins Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ferncourt Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Marrickville Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Brigid's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Marrickville High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Petersham Marrickville
Supermarkets 2 13
Cafes & restaurants 35 100
Parks & reserves 4 24
Childcare 5 22
GPs 4 10
Pharmacies 1 9
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 8
Fuel stations 0 4
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Marrickville sits further from the CBD (10.2 km vs 8 km).

Petersham Marrickville
Walkability score 99/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 8 km 10.2 km
+27% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 21 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 178.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 583.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.0%
postcode 2049
 1.5%
postcode 2204
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2049
 15
postcode 2204

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.

Petersham Marrickville
Worked from Home 62.8% / 58.3%
Petersham — Worked from Home: 62.8% Marrickville — Worked from Home: 58.3%
Car (driver) 21.6% / 25.6%
Petersham — Car (driver): 21.6% Marrickville — Car (driver): 25.6%
Train 6.5% / 6.1%
Petersham — Train: 6.5% Marrickville — Train: 6.1%
Walked Only 3.5% / 4.3%
Petersham — Walked Only: 3.5% Marrickville — Walked Only: 4.3%
Bus 2.2% / 2.2%
Petersham — Bus: 2.2% Marrickville — Bus: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.8%).

Setting

Petersham Marrickville
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.0 km 4.2 km

NBN connectivity

Petersham Marrickville
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
4,629 premises
 9%
14,558 premises

Climate

Petersham Marrickville
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)

Petersham Marrickville
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Petersham Marrickville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Petersham

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

Marrickville

Apartments Cafe Culture Gentrifying Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Petersham

Petersham vs Leichhardt Petersham vs Dulwich Hill Petersham vs Stanmore Petersham vs Lewisham

Other comparisons with Marrickville

Marrickville vs Earlwood Marrickville vs Newtown Marrickville vs Dulwich Hill Marrickville vs Wolli Creek Marrickville vs Stanmore Marrickville vs Lewisham
Full data on Petersham Full data on Marrickville
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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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