Rushcutters Bay vs Paddington

In Rushcutters Bay, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Paddington, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Paddington: a median of $3.44 million, against $1.1 million in Rushcutters Bay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Rushcutters Bay tends to suit renters, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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 1)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)

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 $3,440,000)
  • has cheaper units ($860,000 vs $1,305,000)

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 $650/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (65% vs 46%)

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

Commuting to the city

Rushcutters Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (8% vs 2%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Paddington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Paddington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.6% vs -8.3%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Rushcutters Bay and Paddington 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 Paddington
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 Paddington
Walkability 96 / 96
Rushcutters Bay — Walkability: 96/100 Paddington — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 41 / 43
Rushcutters Bay — Safety: 41/100 Paddington — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rushcutters Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Paddington — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Paddington has more residents (12,701 vs 2,335); Paddington has higher household incomes ($162,812 vs $97,604).

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Population 2,335 12,701
+444% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.3% -1.6%
Median age 38
same for both
Median household income $97,604/yr $162,812/yr
+67% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $650/wk
+44% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
0-4 2.6% / 4.7%
Rushcutters Bay — 0-4: 2.6% Paddington — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 3.0% / 8.4%
Rushcutters Bay — 5-14: 3.0% Paddington — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 0.7% / 3.5%
Rushcutters Bay — 15-19: 0.7% Paddington — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 4.1% / 6.2%
Rushcutters Bay — 20-24: 4.1% Paddington — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 29.0% / 21.7%
Rushcutters Bay — 25-34: 29.0% Paddington — 25-34: 21.7%
35-44 20.7% / 16.0%
Rushcutters Bay — 35-44: 20.7% Paddington — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 11.0% / 13.7%
Rushcutters Bay — 45-54: 11.0% Paddington — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 10.3% / 10.5%
Rushcutters Bay — 55-64: 10.3% Paddington — 55-64: 10.5%
65-74 8.5% / 8.1%
Rushcutters Bay — 65-74: 8.5% Paddington — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 6.0% / 5.3%
Rushcutters Bay — 75-84: 6.0% Paddington — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 4.1% / 1.9%
Rushcutters Bay — 85+: 4.1% Paddington — 85+: 1.9%

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%
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%
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%
Paddington 45.9% renting
Paddington — Owned Outright: 27.9% Paddington — Mortgage: 26.2% Paddington — Renting: 45.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Bachelor Degree 34.0% / 34.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Bachelor Degree: 34.0% Paddington — Bachelor Degree: 34.7%
Postgraduate Degree 15.5% / 15.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 15.5% Paddington — Postgraduate Degree: 15.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 6.6%
Rushcutters Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Paddington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Certificate III & IV 5.8% / 3.5%
Rushcutters Bay — Certificate III & IV: 5.8% Paddington — Certificate III & IV: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 3.0%
Rushcutters Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Paddington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

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.

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
England 6.6% / 8.0%
Rushcutters Bay — England: 6.6% Paddington — England: 8.0%
New Zealand 3.8% / 3.5%
Rushcutters Bay — New Zealand: 3.8% Paddington — New Zealand: 3.5%
South Africa 1.3% / 1.2%
Rushcutters Bay — South Africa: 1.3% Paddington — South Africa: 1.2%
France 1.2% / 0.9%
Rushcutters Bay — France: 1.2% Paddington — France: 0.9%
Brazil 1.4% / —
Rushcutters Bay — Brazil: 1.4% Paddington — Brazil: not among its largest
China 1.2% / —
Rushcutters Bay — China: 1.2% Paddington — China: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.8%
Rushcutters Bay — Ireland: not among its largest Paddington — Ireland: 0.8%

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

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 — Townhouses: 0.6% Rushcutters Bay — Houses: 0.5%
Paddington 33.0% flats / apartments
Paddington — Flats / Apartments: 33.0% Paddington — Townhouses: 60.5% Paddington — Houses: 6.6%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Median house price $1,100,000 $3,440,000
Median unit price $860,000 $1,305,000
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.

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
1 bed $715K / $714K
Rushcutters Bay — 1 bed: $715K (78 sales) Paddington — 1 bed: $714K (42 sales)

78 vs 42 sales

2 bed $1.7M / $1.42M
Rushcutters Bay — 2 bed: $1.7M (39 sales) Paddington — 2 bed: $1.42M (47 sales)

39 vs 47 sales

3 bed $2.05M / $2.85M
Rushcutters Bay — 3 bed: $2.05M (10 sales) Paddington — 3 bed: $2.85M (7 sales)

10 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Residential 63% 74%
Parks and recreation 32% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 14%
Commercial 1%
same for both
Planning zones cover 99% of Rushcutters Bay and 100% of Paddington. 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 Paddington
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 Paddington
Houses — 2.8%
$1,750/wk on $3.2M
Units 3.5%
$655/wk on $982K
 3.1%
$652/wk on $1.1M

Ranking within NSW

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
House price Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 34% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 16% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW

Liveability

Rushcutters Bay scores higher overall (87 vs 71).

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Grade A
same for both
Score 87/100 71/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 Paddington
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 1.8 km
 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 1.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.1% 2.9%

Schools in Rushcutters Bay

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

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

Amenities in the suburb

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 6 41
Parks & reserves 1 18
Childcare 1 7
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Walkability score 96/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 4.6 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min
same for both
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 94/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 17.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 285.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 3 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.4%
postcode 2011
 3.2%
postcode 2021
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 1
postcode 2011
 6
postcode 2021

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 Paddington
Worked from Home 65.5% / 68.5%
Rushcutters Bay — Worked from Home: 65.5% Paddington — Worked from Home: 68.5%
Car (driver) 10.6% / 14.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Car (driver): 10.6% Paddington — Car (driver): 14.7%
Walked Only 12.5% / 8.6%
Rushcutters Bay — Walked Only: 12.5% Paddington — Walked Only: 8.6%
Train 8.1% / 1.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Train: 8.1% Paddington — Train: 1.7%
Bus 1.7% / 3.7%
Rushcutters Bay — Bus: 1.7% Paddington — Bus: 3.7%

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

Setting

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.2 km
1.5 km to a named beach
 4.3 km
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
Connectivity score 76/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
2,106 premises
 3%
7,731 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Rushcutters Bay Paddington
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

Paddington

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rushcutters Bay

Rushcutters Bay vs Darlinghurst Rushcutters Bay vs Potts Point Rushcutters Bay vs Elizabeth Bay Rushcutters Bay vs Darling Point Rushcutters Bay vs Edgecliff

Other comparisons with Paddington

Paddington vs Surry Hills Paddington vs Darlinghurst Paddington vs Woollahra Paddington vs Edgecliff Paddington vs Centennial Park
Full data on Rushcutters Bay Full data on Paddington
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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