Summer Hill vs Ashfield

In both, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. In Summer Hill, about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in Summer Hill: a median of $985,000, against $877,000 in Ashfield. Summer Hill is closer to the city centre: 9.9 km, against 11.2 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

Ashfield

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 6)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 7)

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

First-home buyers

Ashfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($2,206,000 vs $2,500,000)
  • has cheaper units ($876,750 vs $985,000)

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

Ashfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (14% vs 8%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Ashfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (11 vs 2)

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

Investors

Ashfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (2.8% vs 2.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.5% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Summer Hill Ashfield
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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
Walkability 94 / 96
Summer Hill — Walkability: 94/100 Ashfield — Walkability: 96/100
Low fire risk 67 / 100
Summer Hill — Low fire risk: 67/100 Ashfield — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ashfield has more residents (23,012 vs 7,288); Summer Hill has higher household incomes ($117,520 vs $98,176).

Summer Hill Ashfield
Population 7,288 23,012
+216% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.3% -3.5%
Median age 36
same for both
Median household income $117,520/yr
+16% vs other
 $98,176/yr
Median weekly rent $460/wk
+4% vs other
 $440/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Summer Hill Ashfield
0-4 5.2% / 4.3%
Summer Hill — 0-4: 5.2% Ashfield — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 8.6% / 7.5%
Summer Hill — 5-14: 8.6% Ashfield — 5-14: 7.5%
15-19 3.5% / 3.3%
Summer Hill — 15-19: 3.5% Ashfield — 15-19: 3.3%
20-24 6.4% / 8.5%
Summer Hill — 20-24: 6.4% Ashfield — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 22.5% / 22.9%
Summer Hill — 25-34: 22.5% Ashfield — 25-34: 22.9%
35-44 17.3% / 15.3%
Summer Hill — 35-44: 17.3% Ashfield — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 13.7% / 11.1%
Summer Hill — 45-54: 13.7% Ashfield — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 10.5% / 10.3%
Summer Hill — 55-64: 10.5% Ashfield — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 7.1% / 7.9%
Summer Hill — 65-74: 7.1% Ashfield — 65-74: 7.9%
75-84 3.3% / 5.4%
Summer Hill — 75-84: 3.3% Ashfield — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 2.0% / 3.5%
Summer Hill — 85+: 2.0% Ashfield — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Summer Hill 46.2% lone person
Summer Hill — Lone Person: 46.2% Summer Hill — Couple Families: 31.5% Summer Hill — One Parent Families: 11.4% Summer Hill — Group Household: 9.0% Summer Hill — Other Families: 1.9%
Ashfield 43.2% lone person
Ashfield — Lone Person: 43.2% Ashfield — Couple Families: 30.9% Ashfield — One Parent Families: 11.9% Ashfield — Group Household: 11.5% Ashfield — Other Families: 2.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Summer Hill 50.3% renting
Summer Hill — Owned Outright: 21.4% Summer Hill — Mortgage: 28.2% Summer Hill — Renting: 50.3%
Ashfield 52.8% renting
Ashfield — Owned Outright: 23.3% Ashfield — Mortgage: 23.8% Ashfield — Renting: 52.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Summer Hill Ashfield
Bachelor Degree 28.9% / 24.9%
Summer Hill — Bachelor Degree: 28.9% Ashfield — Bachelor Degree: 24.9%
Postgraduate Degree 13.6% / 11.8%
Summer Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 13.6% Ashfield — Postgraduate Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.9%
Summer Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Ashfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Certificate III & IV 6.4% / 6.5%
Summer Hill — Certificate III & IV: 6.4% Ashfield — Certificate III & IV: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 2.5%
Summer Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Ashfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.9%).

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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
China 3.7% / 12.2%
Summer Hill — China: 3.7% Ashfield — China: 12.2%
Nepal 1.0% / 6.7%
Summer Hill — Nepal: 1.0% Ashfield — Nepal: 6.7%
England 3.5% / 2.1%
Summer Hill — England: 3.5% Ashfield — England: 2.1%
India 1.3% / 3.2%
Summer Hill — India: 1.3% Ashfield — India: 3.2%
Philippines 1.5% / 2.9%
Summer Hill — Philippines: 1.5% Ashfield — Philippines: 2.9%
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.6%
Summer Hill — New Zealand: 1.9% Ashfield — New Zealand: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Summer Hill 63.4% flats / apartments
Summer Hill — Flats / Apartments: 63.4% Summer Hill — Houses: 19.6% Summer Hill — Townhouses: 17.0%
Ashfield 70.5% flats / apartments
Ashfield — Flats / Apartments: 70.5% Ashfield — Houses: 22.1% Ashfield — Townhouses: 7.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Summer Hill Ashfield
Median house price $2,500,000 $2,206,000
Median unit price $985,000 $876,750
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 21 sales
 24 days
from 95 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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
2 bed $1.99M / $1.75M
Summer Hill — 2 bed: $1.99M (5 sales) Ashfield — 2 bed: $1.75M (21 sales)

5 vs 21 sales

3 bed $2.38M / $2.14M
Summer Hill — 3 bed: $2.38M (24 sales) Ashfield — 3 bed: $2.14M (52 sales)

24 vs 52 sales

4 bed $2.8M / $2.65M
Summer Hill — 4 bed: $2.8M (12 sales) Ashfield — 4 bed: $2.65M (27 sales)

12 vs 27 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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
1 bed $800K / $630K
Summer Hill — 1 bed: $800K (28 sales) Ashfield — 1 bed: $630K (79 sales)

28 vs 79 sales

2 bed $1.09M / $910K
Summer Hill — 2 bed: $1.09M (85 sales) Ashfield — 2 bed: $910K (230 sales)

85 vs 230 sales

3 bed $1.7M / $1.14M
Summer Hill — 3 bed: $1.7M (7 sales) Ashfield — 3 bed: $1.14M (31 sales)

7 vs 31 sales

Zoning mix

Summer Hill Ashfield
Residential 73% 78%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 9%
Industrial 6% 2%
Parks and recreation 3% 6%
Commercial 5%
same for both
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

Summer Hill Ashfield
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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
Houses 2.1%
$1,000/wk on $2.48M
 2.8%
$920/wk on $1.73M
Units 3.9%
$675/wk on $900K
 4.5%
$690/wk on $800K

Ranking within NSW

Summer Hill Ashfield
House price Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Income — Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 88% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW
same for both
Affordability — Higher than 11% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW

Liveability

Summer Hill Ashfield
Grade A
same for both
Score 83/100 81/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Summer Hill carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0).

Summer Hill Ashfield
Bushfire Low
33/100
 None
0/100
Crime — Moderate
61/100
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 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Summer Hill Ashfield
Inside the suburb 0 5
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 4.2 km
 3
Strathfield Campus, 4.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.7% 3.9%

Schools in Summer Hill

  • St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Summer Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Trinity Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Trinity Grammar School Bishop Chambers House Independent · Combined

Schools in Ashfield

  • Ashfield Boys High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Ashfield Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Vincent's College Ashfield Catholic · Combined above peers
  • St Vincents College Ashfield, Primary School Campus Catholic · Primary
  • Yeo Park Infants School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Summer Hill Ashfield
Supermarkets 3 11
Cafes & restaurants 20 57
Parks & reserves 6 19
Childcare 7 17
GPs 2 11
Pharmacies 1 6
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 4
Fuel stations 1 2
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Summer Hill Ashfield
Walkability score 94/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 9.9 km 11.2 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 18 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 79.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 486.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.8%
postcode 2130
 1.2%
postcode 2131
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 10
postcode 2130
 8
postcode 2131

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.

Summer Hill Ashfield
Worked from Home 64.4% / 49.8%
Summer Hill — Worked from Home: 64.4% Ashfield — Worked from Home: 49.8%
Car (driver) 21.5% / 27.5%
Summer Hill — Car (driver): 21.5% Ashfield — Car (driver): 27.5%
Train 7.8% / 14.4%
Summer Hill — Train: 7.8% Ashfield — Train: 14.4%
Walked Only 3.0% / 3.3%
Summer Hill — Walked Only: 3.0% Ashfield — Walked Only: 3.3%
Car (passenger) 1.2% / 2.3%
Summer Hill — Car (passenger): 1.2% Ashfield — Car (passenger): 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.4%).

Setting

Summer Hill Ashfield
Elevation 28 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.7 km 7.5 km

NBN connectivity

Summer Hill Ashfield
Connectivity score 78/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
4,040 premises
 9%
11,566 premises

Climate

Summer Hill Ashfield
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)

Summer Hill Ashfield
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

Summer Hill Ashfield
Average residential rate $1,342/yr
same for both
Council Inner West
same for both

Federal electorate

Summer Hill Ashfield
Division Grayndler
same for both
Member Anthony Albanese
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Summer Hill Ashfield
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Summer Hill

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Trains Transport Hub Urban

Ashfield

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Parks Professionals Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Summer Hill

Summer Hill vs Leichhardt Summer Hill vs Dulwich Hill Summer Hill vs Haberfield Summer Hill vs Lewisham

Other comparisons with Ashfield

Ashfield vs Dulwich Hill Ashfield vs Croydon Park Ashfield vs Croydon Ashfield vs Five Dock Ashfield vs Haberfield Ashfield vs Hurlstone Park
Full data on Summer Hill Full data on Ashfield
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or