Surry Hills vs Paddington

Surry Hills is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Paddington. In Surry Hills, most households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most 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 $2.43 million in Surry Hills, and rent is higher there too. Surry Hills is closer to the city centre: 2.9 km, against 4.6 km. On these figures, Surry Hills tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (36% vs 15%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 94/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 15)
  • But Surry Hills has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Surry Hills

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($2,432,500 vs $3,440,000)
  • has cheaper units ($935,000 vs $1,305,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Surry Hills

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (67% vs 46%)
  • has cheaper rent ($550/wk vs $650/wk)

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Surry Hills has more GPs (10 vs 3)
  • Paddington carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Surry Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.4% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Surry Hills 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.

Surry Hills 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
Walkability 100 / 96
Surry Hills — Walkability: 100/100 Paddington — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 6 / 43
Surry Hills — Safety: 6/100 Paddington — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Surry Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Paddington — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Paddington has higher household incomes ($162,812 vs $120,016); Paddington rents higher ($650/wk vs $550/wk).

Surry Hills Paddington
Population 15,828
+20% vs other
 12,701
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.6% -1.6%
Median age 35 38
Median household income $120,016/yr $162,812/yr
+36% vs other
Median weekly rent $550/wk $650/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Surry Hills Paddington
0-4 2.4% / 4.7%
Surry Hills — 0-4: 2.4% Paddington — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 3.2% / 8.4%
Surry Hills — 5-14: 3.2% Paddington — 5-14: 8.4%
15-19 1.3% / 3.5%
Surry Hills — 15-19: 1.3% Paddington — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 8.1% / 6.2%
Surry Hills — 20-24: 8.1% Paddington — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 32.6% / 21.7%
Surry Hills — 25-34: 32.6% Paddington — 25-34: 21.7%
35-44 19.7% / 16.0%
Surry Hills — 35-44: 19.7% Paddington — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 12.7% / 13.7%
Surry Hills — 45-54: 12.7% Paddington — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 9.5% / 10.5%
Surry Hills — 55-64: 9.5% Paddington — 55-64: 10.5%
65-74 5.7% / 8.1%
Surry Hills — 65-74: 5.7% Paddington — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 3.3% / 5.3%
Surry Hills — 75-84: 3.3% Paddington — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.5% / 1.9%
Surry Hills — 85+: 1.5% Paddington — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Surry Hills 66.1% lone person
Surry Hills — Lone Person: 66.1% Surry Hills — Couple Families: 10.6% Surry Hills — Group Household: 17.2% Surry Hills — One Parent Families: 4.4% Surry Hills — Other Families: 1.7%
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.

Surry Hills 67.1% renting
Surry Hills — Owned Outright: 14.1% Surry Hills — Mortgage: 18.8% Surry Hills — Renting: 67.1%
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.

Surry Hills Paddington
Bachelor Degree 34.0% / 34.7%
Surry Hills — Bachelor Degree: 34.0% Paddington — Bachelor Degree: 34.7%
Postgraduate Degree 14.9% / 15.7%
Surry Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 14.9% Paddington — Postgraduate Degree: 15.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 6.6%
Surry Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Paddington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Certificate III & IV 5.2% / 3.5%
Surry Hills — Certificate III & IV: 5.2% Paddington — Certificate III & IV: 3.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.0%
Surry Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
England 6.4% / 8.0%
Surry Hills — England: 6.4% Paddington — England: 8.0%
New Zealand 3.4% / 3.5%
Surry Hills — New Zealand: 3.4% Paddington — New Zealand: 3.5%
China 3.3% / —
Surry Hills — China: 3.3% Paddington — China: not among its largest
Thailand 3.0% / —
Surry Hills — Thailand: 3.0% Paddington — Thailand: not among its largest
France 1.3% / 0.9%
Surry Hills — France: 1.3% Paddington — France: 0.9%
Indonesia 1.4% / —
Surry Hills — Indonesia: 1.4% Paddington — Indonesia: not among its largest
South Africa — / 1.2%
Surry Hills — South Africa: not among its largest Paddington — South Africa: 1.2%
Ireland — / 0.8%
Surry Hills — 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.

Surry Hills 69.8% flats / apartments
Surry Hills — Flats / Apartments: 69.8% Surry Hills — Townhouses: 29.1% Surry Hills — Houses: 1.1%
Paddington 33.0% flats / apartments
Paddington — Flats / Apartments: 33.0% Paddington — Townhouses: 60.5% Paddington — Houses: 6.6%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Surry Hills Paddington
Median house price $2,432,500 $3,440,000
Median unit price $935,000 $1,305,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 68 sales
 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
1 bed $795K / $714K
Surry Hills — 1 bed: $795K (163 sales) Paddington — 1 bed: $714K (42 sales)

163 vs 42 sales

2 bed $1.47M / $1.42M
Surry Hills — 2 bed: $1.47M (104 sales) Paddington — 2 bed: $1.42M (47 sales)

104 vs 47 sales

3 bed $2.06M / $2.85M
Surry Hills — 3 bed: $2.06M (7 sales) Paddington — 3 bed: $2.85M (7 sales)

7 vs 7 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
1 bed $1.18M / $2.28M
Surry Hills — 1 bed: $1.18M (5 sales) Paddington — 1 bed: $2.28M (7 sales)

5 vs 7 sales

2 bed $1.99M / $2.48M
Surry Hills — 2 bed: $1.99M (46 sales) Paddington — 2 bed: $2.48M (51 sales)

46 vs 51 sales

3 bed $2.58M / $3.56M
Surry Hills — 3 bed: $2.58M (61 sales) Paddington — 3 bed: $3.56M (102 sales)

61 vs 102 sales

4 bed $3.25M / $4.96M
Surry Hills — 4 bed: $3.25M (23 sales) Paddington — 4 bed: $4.96M (42 sales)

23 vs 42 sales

Zoning mix

Surry Hills Paddington
Residential 84% 74%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 14%
Parks and recreation 8% 12%
Commercial 3% 1%
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

Surry Hills 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
Houses 3.1%
$1,272/wk on $2.1M
 2.8%
$1,750/wk on $3.2M
Units 4.4%
$810/wk on $950K
 3.1%
$652/wk on $1.1M

Ranking within NSW

Surry Hills Paddington
House price Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Income Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Schools Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 97% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW

Liveability

Surry Hills scores higher overall (78 vs 71).

Surry Hills Paddington
Grade A
same for both
Score 78/100 71/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Surry Hills carries more crime risk (94 vs 57).

Surry Hills Paddington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 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 5
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Surry Hills Paddington
Inside the suburb 5 4
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 0.0 km
 3
1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, 1.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.9%

Schools in Surry Hills

  • Crown Street Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Sydney Distance Education Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Bourke Street Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Inner Sydney High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Oasis College Surry Hills Independent · Secondary · Special school

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

Surry Hills Paddington
Supermarkets 8 3
Cafes & restaurants 155 41
Parks & reserves 15 18
Childcare 10 7
GPs 10 3
Pharmacies 5 2
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Surry Hills Paddington
Walkability score 100/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 2.9 km 4.6 km
+59% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 10 min 11 min
Public transport score 94/100
Tram · Bus
 94/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 414.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 285.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.1%
postcode 2010
 3.2%
postcode 2021
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 2
postcode 2010
 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.

Surry Hills Paddington
Worked from Home 64.8% / 68.5%
Surry Hills — Worked from Home: 64.8% Paddington — Worked from Home: 68.5%
Car (driver) 10.0% / 14.7%
Surry Hills — Car (driver): 10.0% Paddington — Car (driver): 14.7%
Walked Only 12.5% / 8.6%
Surry Hills — Walked Only: 12.5% Paddington — Walked Only: 8.6%
Train 5.6% / 1.7%
Surry Hills — Train: 5.6% Paddington — Train: 1.7%
Bus 3.1% / 3.7%
Surry Hills — Bus: 3.1% Paddington — Bus: 3.7%

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

Setting

Surry Hills Paddington
Elevation 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.6 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 4.3 km
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Surry Hills Paddington
Connectivity score 70/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
14,268 premises
 3%
7,731 premises

Climate

Surry Hills 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)

Surry Hills 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

Surry Hills Paddington
Average residential rate $875/yr $1,812/yr
Council Sydney Woollahra

Federal electorate

Surry Hills Paddington
Division Sydney Wentworth
Member Tanya Plibersek Allegra Spender
Party Australian Labor Party Independent

First Home Owner Grant

Surry Hills Paddington
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Surry Hills

Apartments Arts Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

Paddington

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Surry Hills

Surry Hills vs Sydney Surry Hills vs Redfern Surry Hills vs Darlinghurst Surry Hills vs Haymarket Surry Hills vs Chippendale

Other comparisons with Paddington

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

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