Rushcutters Bay vs Darling Point

Rushcutters Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 49 in Darling Point. In both, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In Rushcutters Bay, most households rent. In Darling Point, most households own their home. Units cost more in Darling Point: a median of $3.15 million, against $860,000 in Rushcutters Bay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Rushcutters Bay tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Darling Point 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

Darling Point

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (34% vs 12%)
  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 59/100)

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

First-home buyers

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,100,000 vs $13,525,000)
  • has cheaper units ($860,000 vs $3,150,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $825/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (65% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Darling Point

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 19%)
  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 59/100)

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

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

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
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.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Walkability 96 / 99
Rushcutters Bay — Walkability: 96/100 Darling Point — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 41 / 58
Rushcutters Bay — Safety: 41/100 Darling Point — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rushcutters Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Darling Point — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Darling Point rents higher ($825/wk vs $450/wk); Darling Point has higher household incomes ($167,388 vs $97,604).

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Population 2,335 3,977
+70% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.3% -5.1%
Median age 38 49
Median household income $97,604/yr $167,388/yr
+71% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $825/wk
+83% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
0-4 2.6% / 3.9%
Rushcutters Bay — 0-4: 2.6% Darling Point — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 3.0% / 6.9%
Rushcutters Bay — 5-14: 3.0% Darling Point — 5-14: 6.9%
15-19 0.7% / 3.2%
Rushcutters Bay — 15-19: 0.7% Darling Point — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 4.1% / 3.5%
Rushcutters Bay — 20-24: 4.1% Darling Point — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 29.0% / 14.8%
Rushcutters Bay — 25-34: 29.0% Darling Point — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 20.7% / 13.0%
Rushcutters Bay — 35-44: 20.7% Darling Point — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 11.0% / 11.4%
Rushcutters Bay — 45-54: 11.0% Darling Point — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 10.3% / 13.1%
Rushcutters Bay — 55-64: 10.3% Darling Point — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 8.5% / 14.2%
Rushcutters Bay — 65-74: 8.5% Darling Point — 65-74: 14.2%
75-84 6.0% / 12.2%
Rushcutters Bay — 75-84: 6.0% Darling Point — 75-84: 12.2%
85+ 4.1% / 4.2%
Rushcutters Bay — 85+: 4.1% Darling Point — 85+: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rushcutters Bay 80.2% lone person
Rushcutters Bay — Lone Person: 80.2% Rushcutters Bay — Couple Families: 7.9% Rushcutters Bay — Group Household: 7.7% Rushcutters Bay — One Parent Families: 3.9% Rushcutters Bay — Other Families: 0.4%
Darling Point 57.5% lone person
Darling Point — Lone Person: 57.5% Darling Point — Couple Families: 23.5% Darling Point — Group Household: 7.4% Darling Point — One Parent Families: 10.3% Darling Point — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rushcutters Bay 64.7% renting
Rushcutters Bay — Owned Outright: 18.3% Rushcutters Bay — Mortgage: 16.9% Rushcutters Bay — Renting: 64.7%
Darling Point 36.3% renting
Darling Point — Owned Outright: 44.6% Darling Point — Mortgage: 19.1% Darling Point — Renting: 36.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Bachelor Degree 34.0% / 31.1%
Rushcutters Bay — Bachelor Degree: 34.0% Darling Point — Bachelor Degree: 31.1%
Postgraduate Degree 15.5% / 14.0%
Rushcutters Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 15.5% Darling Point — Postgraduate Degree: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 7.6%
Rushcutters Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Darling Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Certificate III & IV 5.8% / 3.8%
Rushcutters Bay — Certificate III & IV: 5.8% Darling Point — Certificate III & IV: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 2.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Darling Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.0%).

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.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
England 6.6% / 6.1%
Rushcutters Bay — England: 6.6% Darling Point — England: 6.1%
New Zealand 3.8% / 3.1%
Rushcutters Bay — New Zealand: 3.8% Darling Point — New Zealand: 3.1%
South Africa 1.3% / 3.3%
Rushcutters Bay — South Africa: 1.3% Darling Point — South Africa: 3.3%
China 1.2% / 1.7%
Rushcutters Bay — China: 1.2% Darling Point — China: 1.7%
Brazil 1.4% / —
Rushcutters Bay — Brazil: 1.4% Darling Point — Brazil: not among its largest
Germany — / 1.0%
Rushcutters Bay — Germany: not among its largest Darling Point — Germany: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rushcutters Bay 98.9% flats / apartments
Rushcutters Bay — Flats / Apartments: 98.9% Rushcutters Bay — Houses: 0.5% Rushcutters Bay — Townhouses: 0.6%
Darling Point 87.6% flats / apartments
Darling Point — Flats / Apartments: 87.6% Darling Point — Houses: 6.5% Darling Point — Townhouses: 5.9%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Median house price $1,100,000 $13,525,000
Median unit price $860,000 $3,150,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 27 days
from 5 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.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
1 bed $715K / $1.2M
Rushcutters Bay — 1 bed: $715K (78 sales) Darling Point — 1 bed: $1.2M (10 sales)

78 vs 10 sales

2 bed $1.7M / $2.23M
Rushcutters Bay — 2 bed: $1.7M (39 sales) Darling Point — 2 bed: $2.23M (52 sales)

39 vs 52 sales

3 bed $2.05M / $4.25M
Rushcutters Bay — 3 bed: $2.05M (10 sales) Darling Point — 3 bed: $4.25M (46 sales)

10 vs 46 sales

Zoning mix

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Residential 63% 83%
Parks and recreation 32% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 2%
Commercial 1% 0%
Planning zones cover 99% of Rushcutters Bay and 99% of Darling Point. 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

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
New dwellings approved 2,350
across Sydney
 222
across Woollahra
Approvals change year on year +929% -21%

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.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Houses —
same for both
Units 3.5%
$655/wk on $982K
 3.7%
$1,795/wk on $2.49M

Ranking within NSW

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
House price Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW

Liveability

Darling Point scores higher overall (93 vs 87).

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Grade A A+
Score 87/100 93/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Rushcutters Bay carries more crime risk (59 vs 42).

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
42/100
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
same for both

Schools

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 1.8 km
 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 2.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.1% 2.3%

Amenities in the suburb

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Cafes & restaurants 6 4
Parks & reserves 1 7
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 4.6 km 4.7 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 10 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 17.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 32.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 3 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.4%
postcode 2011
 3.8%
postcode 2027
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 1
postcode 2011
 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.

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Worked from Home 65.5% / 66.2%
Rushcutters Bay — Worked from Home: 65.5% Darling Point — Worked from Home: 66.2%
Car (driver) 10.6% / 22.8%
Rushcutters Bay — Car (driver): 10.6% Darling Point — Car (driver): 22.8%
Walked Only 12.5% / 4.3%
Rushcutters Bay — Walked Only: 12.5% Darling Point — Walked Only: 4.3%
Train 8.1% / 3.6%
Rushcutters Bay — Train: 8.1% Darling Point — Train: 3.6%
Car (passenger) 0.5% / 2.3%
Rushcutters Bay — Car (passenger): 0.5% Darling Point — Car (passenger): 2.3%
Bus 1.7% / 0.3%
Rushcutters Bay — Bus: 1.7% Darling Point — Bus: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.2%).

Setting

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 28 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.2 km
1.5 km to a named beach
 3.5 km
688 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Connectivity score 76/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
2,106 premises
 1%
2,778 premises

Climate

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
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)

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
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

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Average residential rate $875/yr $1,812/yr
Council Sydney Woollahra

Federal electorate

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Division Wentworth
same for both
Member Allegra Spender
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rushcutters Bay Darling Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rushcutters Bay

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals Urban

Darling Point

Apartments Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Retirees Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rushcutters Bay

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Other comparisons with Darling Point

Darling Point vs Double Bay Darling Point vs Edgecliff
Full data on Rushcutters Bay Full data on Darling Point
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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