Rose Bay vs Vaucluse

Rose Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Vaucluse. In both, most households own their home. In Rose Bay, most homes are flats or apartments. In Vaucluse, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Vaucluse: a median of $10 million, against $6.55 million in Rose Bay, and rent is higher there too. Rose Bay is closer to the city centre: 8.4 km, against 10.1 km. On these figures, Rose Bay tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Vaucluse suits couples.

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

Vaucluse

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (49% vs 21%)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 8)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 51%)
  • But Rose Bay has more schools rated above their peers (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Rose Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($6,550,000 vs $10,000,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rose Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($630/wk vs $700/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Rose Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (95/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Rose Bay

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (79% vs 51%)
  • is more walkable (95/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Rose Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.9% vs 3.1%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Rose Bay Vaucluse
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.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Walkability 95 / 68
Rose Bay — Walkability: 95/100 Vaucluse — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 64 / 68
Rose Bay — Safety: 64/100 Vaucluse — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 100 / 75
Rose Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Vaucluse — Low fire risk: 75/100

Demographics

Vaucluse has higher household incomes ($177,736 vs $132,028); Vaucluse rents higher ($700/wk vs $630/wk).

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Population 9,911
+4% vs other
 9,510
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.4% +1.9%
Median age 40 43
Median household income $132,028/yr $177,736/yr
+35% vs other
Median weekly rent $630/wk $700/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
0-4 5.2% / 4.6%
Rose Bay — 0-4: 5.2% Vaucluse — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 11.2% / 14.4%
Rose Bay — 5-14: 11.2% Vaucluse — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 4.9% / 7.5%
Rose Bay — 15-19: 4.9% Vaucluse — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 5.3% / 5.2%
Rose Bay — 20-24: 5.3% Vaucluse — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 14.4% / 8.2%
Rose Bay — 25-34: 14.4% Vaucluse — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 14.7% / 12.4%
Rose Bay — 35-44: 14.7% Vaucluse — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 13.4% / 16.2%
Rose Bay — 45-54: 13.4% Vaucluse — 45-54: 16.2%
55-64 10.7% / 12.6%
Rose Bay — 55-64: 10.7% Vaucluse — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 9.4% / 9.6%
Rose Bay — 65-74: 9.4% Vaucluse — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 7.2% / 6.0%
Rose Bay — 75-84: 7.2% Vaucluse — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 3.6% / 3.5%
Rose Bay — 85+: 3.6% Vaucluse — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rose Bay 37.7% couple families
Rose Bay — Couple Families: 37.7% Rose Bay — Lone Person: 41.7% Rose Bay — One Parent Families: 13.1% Rose Bay — Group Household: 6.3% Rose Bay — Other Families: 1.2%
Vaucluse 54.7% couple families
Vaucluse — Couple Families: 54.7% Vaucluse — Lone Person: 29.9% Vaucluse — One Parent Families: 11.4% Vaucluse — Group Household: 3.1% Vaucluse — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rose Bay 44.1% renting
Rose Bay — Owned Outright: 31.2% Rose Bay — Mortgage: 24.7% Rose Bay — Renting: 44.1%
Vaucluse 25.3% renting
Vaucluse — Owned Outright: 41.0% Vaucluse — Mortgage: 33.6% Vaucluse — Renting: 25.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Bachelor Degree 27.1% / 27.1%
Rose Bay — Bachelor Degree: 27.1% Vaucluse — Bachelor Degree: 27.1%
Postgraduate Degree 10.1% / 10.3%
Rose Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1% Vaucluse — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 7.2%
Rose Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Vaucluse — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 4.1%
Rose Bay — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% Vaucluse — Certificate III & IV: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.3%
Rose Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Vaucluse — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).

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.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
South Africa 9.3% / 8.0%
Rose Bay — South Africa: 9.3% Vaucluse — South Africa: 8.0%
England 5.6% / 5.2%
Rose Bay — England: 5.6% Vaucluse — England: 5.2%
China 2.1% / 3.2%
Rose Bay — China: 2.1% Vaucluse — China: 3.2%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.7%
Rose Bay — New Zealand: 2.1% Vaucluse — New Zealand: 1.7%
Italy 0.9% / 0.6%
Rose Bay — Italy: 0.9% Vaucluse — Italy: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.7%
Rose Bay — Germany: not among its largest Vaucluse — Germany: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rose Bay 70.7% flats / apartments
Rose Bay — Flats / Apartments: 70.7% Rose Bay — Houses: 20.6% Rose Bay — Townhouses: 8.7%
Vaucluse 42.9% flats / apartments
Vaucluse — Flats / Apartments: 42.9% Vaucluse — Houses: 48.7% Vaucluse — Townhouses: 8.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Median house price $6,550,000 $10,000,000
Median unit price $1,600,000 $1,525,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 10 sales
 29 days
from 72 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.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
2 bed $1.5M / $1.42M
Rose Bay — 2 bed: $1.5M (23 sales) Vaucluse — 2 bed: $1.42M (65 sales)

23 vs 65 sales

3 bed $3.22M / $2.08M
Rose Bay — 3 bed: $3.22M (10 sales) Vaucluse — 3 bed: $2.08M (27 sales)

10 vs 27 sales

Zoning mix

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Residential 53% 71%
Parks and recreation 34% 12%
Environmental 0% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 5%
Commercial 3% 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of Rose Bay and 98% of Vaucluse. 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

Rose Bay Vaucluse
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.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Houses —
same for both
Units 6.9%
$998/wk on $750K
 3.1%
$990/wk on $1.65M

Ranking within NSW

Rose Bay Vaucluse
House price Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
Income Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Schools Higher than 90% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 1% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW

Liveability

Rose Bay is more walkable (95 vs 68); Rose Bay scores higher overall (93 vs 83).

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Grade A+ A
Score 93/100 83/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Vaucluse carries more bushfire risk (25 vs 0).

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
25/100
Crime Low
36/100
 Low
32/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
20/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Inside the suburb 6 2
Rated above peers 4 0
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 5.4 km
 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 6.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 3.8%

Schools in Rose Bay

  • Cranbrook Junior School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Kambala Independent · Combined above peers
  • McAuley Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Rose Bay Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Rose Bay Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kambala, Fernbank Campus Independent · Secondary

Schools in Vaucluse

  • Vaucluse Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Kincoppal - Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 18 11
Parks & reserves 8 18
Childcare 14 8
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 5 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 1
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 0 7

Mobility

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Walkability score 95/100 68/100
Distance to Sydney 8.4 km 10.1 km
+20% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 22 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 292.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 342.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.5%
postcode 2029
 5.2%
postcode 2030
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 8
postcode 2029
 18
postcode 2030

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.

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Worked from Home 60.3% / 58.9%
Rose Bay — Worked from Home: 60.3% Vaucluse — Worked from Home: 58.9%
Car (driver) 29.7% / 33.4%
Rose Bay — Car (driver): 29.7% Vaucluse — Car (driver): 33.4%
Walked Only 3.6% / 1.9%
Rose Bay — Walked Only: 3.6% Vaucluse — Walked Only: 1.9%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 3.2%
Rose Bay — Car (passenger): 2.2% Vaucluse — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Bus 2.1% / 1.7%
Rose Bay — Bus: 2.1% Vaucluse — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.3%).

Setting

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 55 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.3 km
532 m to a named beach
 476 m
807 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Connectivity score 77/100 80/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
5,339 premises
 17%
4,075 premises

Climate

Rose Bay Vaucluse
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)

Rose Bay Vaucluse
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

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Average residential rate $1,812/yr
same for both
Council Woollahra
same for both

Federal electorate

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Division Wentworth
same for both
Member Allegra Spender
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rose Bay Vaucluse
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rose Bay

Apartments Beach Coastal Inner Parks Premium Professionals Urban

Vaucluse

Apartments Beach Coastal Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rose Bay

Rose Bay vs Bondi Beach Rose Bay vs Bellevue Hill Rose Bay vs North Bondi Rose Bay vs Dover Heights Rose Bay vs Point Piper

Other comparisons with Vaucluse

Vaucluse vs Dover Heights Vaucluse vs Watsons Bay
Full data on Rose Bay Full data on Vaucluse
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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