Rockdale vs Monterey

Rockdale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 44 in Monterey. In Rockdale, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. In Monterey, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Monterey: a median of $2.56 million, against $1.84 million in Rockdale. On these figures, Rockdale tends to suit renters, young adults, and share households, while Monterey suits older residents.

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

Rockdale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (9 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 3)
  • But Monterey carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Rockdale

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,837,500 vs $2,564,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper units ($720,000 vs $841,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rockdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (49% vs 31%)

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

Commuting to the city

Rockdale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (22% vs 3%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Rockdale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 68/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (76% vs 56%)
  • But Monterey carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Rockdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.5% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Rockdale Monterey
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.

Rockdale Monterey
Walkability 96 / 68
Rockdale — Walkability: 96/100 Monterey — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 32 / 71
Rockdale — Safety: 32/100 Monterey — Safety: 71/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rockdale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Monterey — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rockdale has more residents (15,475 vs 4,619); Monterey skews older (44 vs 34).

Rockdale Monterey
Population 15,475
+70% vs other
 4,619
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.4% +1.9%
Median age 34 44
Median household income $99,112/yr
+6% vs other
 $92,820/yr
Median weekly rent $460/wk $480/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rockdale Monterey
0-4 5.9% / 4.5%
Rockdale — 0-4: 5.9% Monterey — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 7.8% / 10.0%
Rockdale — 5-14: 7.8% Monterey — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 3.3% / 4.9%
Rockdale — 15-19: 3.3% Monterey — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 9.9% / 5.6%
Rockdale — 20-24: 9.9% Monterey — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 24.9% / 12.0%
Rockdale — 25-34: 24.9% Monterey — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 16.7% / 13.5%
Rockdale — 35-44: 16.7% Monterey — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 10.1% / 15.3%
Rockdale — 45-54: 10.1% Monterey — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 9.2% / 12.6%
Rockdale — 55-64: 9.2% Monterey — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 6.7% / 10.2%
Rockdale — 65-74: 6.7% Monterey — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 3.9% / 8.2%
Rockdale — 75-84: 3.9% Monterey — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 1.7% / 3.1%
Rockdale — 85+: 1.7% Monterey — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rockdale 39.2% couple families
Rockdale — Couple Families: 39.2% Rockdale — Lone Person: 31.9% Rockdale — One Parent Families: 12.8% Rockdale — Group Household: 13.1% Rockdale — Other Families: 3.0%
Monterey 42.3% couple families
Monterey — Couple Families: 42.3% Monterey — Lone Person: 37.7% Monterey — One Parent Families: 15.4% Monterey — Group Household: 3.1% Monterey — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rockdale 48.6% renting
Rockdale — Owned Outright: 23.1% Rockdale — Mortgage: 28.3% Rockdale — Renting: 48.6%
Monterey 31.2% renting
Monterey — Owned Outright: 38.1% Monterey — Mortgage: 30.7% Monterey — Renting: 31.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rockdale Monterey
Bachelor Degree 20.7% / 17.5%
Rockdale — Bachelor Degree: 20.7% Monterey — Bachelor Degree: 17.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 9.4%
Rockdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Monterey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Certificate III & IV 7.0% / 10.7%
Rockdale — Certificate III & IV: 7.0% Monterey — Certificate III & IV: 10.7%
Postgraduate Degree 9.3% / 5.2%
Rockdale — Postgraduate Degree: 9.3% Monterey — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.4%
Rockdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Monterey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

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.

Rockdale Monterey
Nepal 15.8% / —
Rockdale — Nepal: 15.8% Monterey — Nepal: not among its largest
China 6.5% / 2.2%
Rockdale — China: 6.5% Monterey — China: 2.2%
Greece — / 5.9%
Rockdale — Greece: not among its largest Monterey — Greece: 5.9%
Egypt — / 4.1%
Rockdale — Egypt: not among its largest Monterey — Egypt: 4.1%
Bangladesh 3.4% / —
Rockdale — Bangladesh: 3.4% Monterey — Bangladesh: not among its largest
Philippines 3.2% / —
Rockdale — Philippines: 3.2% Monterey — Philippines: not among its largest
Lebanon 1.8% / 1.3%
Rockdale — Lebanon: 1.8% Monterey — Lebanon: 1.3%
India 3.0% / —
Rockdale — India: 3.0% Monterey — India: not among its largest
England — / 1.6%
Rockdale — England: not among its largest Monterey — England: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rockdale 71.7% flats / apartments
Rockdale — Flats / Apartments: 71.7% Rockdale — Houses: 24.3% Rockdale — Townhouses: 4.0%
Monterey 34.8% flats / apartments
Monterey — Flats / Apartments: 34.8% Monterey — Houses: 43.6% Monterey — Townhouses: 21.6%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Rockdale Monterey
Median house price $1,837,500 $2,564,000
Median unit price $720,000 $841,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 51 sales
 25 days
from 15 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.

Rockdale Monterey
2 bed $735K / $834K
Rockdale — 2 bed: $735K (215 sales) Monterey — 2 bed: $834K (36 sales)

215 vs 36 sales

3 bed $913K / $1.18M
Rockdale — 3 bed: $913K (15 sales) Monterey — 3 bed: $1.18M (9 sales)

15 vs 9 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.

Rockdale Monterey
2 bed $1.5M / $2.46M
Rockdale — 2 bed: $1.5M (7 sales) Monterey — 2 bed: $2.46M (5 sales)

7 vs 5 sales

3 bed $1.68M / $2.28M
Rockdale — 3 bed: $1.68M (20 sales) Monterey — 3 bed: $2.28M (11 sales)

20 vs 11 sales

4 bed $2M / $2.56M
Rockdale — 4 bed: $2M (18 sales) Monterey — 4 bed: $2.56M (14 sales)

18 vs 14 sales

5 bed $2.25M / $2.79M
Rockdale — 5 bed: $2.25M (5 sales) Monterey — 5 bed: $2.79M (12 sales)

5 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Rockdale Monterey
Residential 61% 69%
Parks and recreation 12% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 14%
Industrial 10% 0%
Commercial 5% 0%
Planning zones cover 100% of Rockdale and 99% of Monterey. 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

Rockdale Monterey
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +98%
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.

Rockdale Monterey
Houses 2.5%
$850/wk on $1.8M
 2.6%
$1,200/wk on $2.38M
Units 5.5%
$728/wk on $685K
 4.3%
$680/wk on $830K

Ranking within NSW

Rockdale Monterey
House price Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Schools Higher than 2% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Rockdale is more walkable (96 vs 68); Monterey scores higher overall (78 vs 57).

Rockdale Monterey
Grade B A
Score 57/100 78/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Rockdale carries more crime risk (68 vs 29).

Rockdale Monterey
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Low
29/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
76/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Rockdale Monterey
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 8.1 km
 2
The University of New South Wales, 9.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 2.4%

Schools in Rockdale

  • Rockdale Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • St Dominic Savio School Independent · Primary below peers
  • St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox College, Rockdale campus Independent · Secondary

Schools in Monterey

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Rockdale Monterey
Supermarkets 6 0
Cafes & restaurants 19 3
Parks & reserves 6 3
Childcare 9 3
GPs 7 1
Pharmacies 5 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 5 0
Waterways 3 1

Mobility

Rockdale Monterey
Walkability score 96/100 68/100
Distance to Sydney 17.3 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min 22 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 244.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 110.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2216
 1.2%
postcode 2217
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 10
postcode 2216
 12
postcode 2217

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.

Rockdale Monterey
Car (driver) 35.6% / 51.0%
Rockdale — Car (driver): 35.6% Monterey — Car (driver): 51.0%
Worked from Home 31.7% / 39.7%
Rockdale — Worked from Home: 31.7% Monterey — Worked from Home: 39.7%
Train 22.4% / 3.1%
Rockdale — Train: 22.4% Monterey — Train: 3.1%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 3.5%
Rockdale — Car (passenger): 3.4% Monterey — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 3.9% / 1.1%
Rockdale — Walked Only: 3.9% Monterey — Walked Only: 1.1%
Bus 2.8% / 1.1%
Rockdale — Bus: 2.8% Monterey — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.0%).

Setting

Rockdale Monterey
Elevation 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 401 m
3.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Rockdale Monterey
Connectivity score 79/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
7,527 premises
 25%
2,132 premises

Climate

Rockdale Monterey
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)

Rockdale Monterey
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

Rockdale Monterey
Average residential rate $1,217/yr
same for both
Council Bayside (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Rockdale Monterey
Division Barton Kingsford Smith
Member Ash Ambihaipahar Matt Thistlethwaite
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rockdale Monterey
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rockdale

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River Urban

Monterey

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rockdale

Rockdale vs Bexley Rockdale vs Kogarah Rockdale vs Arncliffe Rockdale vs Brighton-Le-Sands Rockdale vs Banksia Rockdale vs Kyeemagh

Other comparisons with Monterey

Monterey vs Kogarah Monterey vs Brighton-Le-Sands Monterey vs Ramsgate Beach Monterey vs Ramsgate
Full data on Rockdale Full data on Monterey
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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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