Tempe vs Arncliffe

Arncliffe is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 39 in Tempe. In both, most households own their home. In Tempe, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. In Arncliffe, about half of homes are flats or apartments. Arncliffe is closer to the city centre: 16.4 km, against 32.7 km. On these figures, Arncliffe tends to suit young adults.

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

Arncliffe

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (11 vs 5)
  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 5)
  • But Tempe has more separate houses rather than flats (68% vs 40%)

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

First-home buyers

Arncliffe

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($770,000 vs $897,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Arncliffe

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($500/wk vs $600/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Arncliffe

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (16.4 km vs 32.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (20 min vs 33 min)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 86/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Arncliffe

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (60% vs 32%)
  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 70/100)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Tempe returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.1% vs 3.1%)
  • Arncliffe is growing faster (13.5% vs -0.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Tempe Arncliffe
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.

Tempe Arncliffe
Walkability 86 / 96
Tempe — Walkability: 86/100 Arncliffe — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 30 / 53
Tempe — Safety: 30/100 Arncliffe — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Tempe — Low fire risk: 100/100 Arncliffe — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Arncliffe has more residents (12,023 vs 3,550); Tempe rents higher ($600/wk vs $500/wk).

Tempe Arncliffe
Population 3,550 12,023
+239% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.2% +13.5%
Median age 39 34
Median household income $127,504/yr
+17% vs other
 $106,392/yr
Median weekly rent $600/wk
+17% vs other
 $500/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tempe Arncliffe
0-4 6.3% / 6.0%
Tempe — 0-4: 6.3% Arncliffe — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 11.9% / 9.7%
Tempe — 5-14: 11.9% Arncliffe — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 4.8% / 4.6%
Tempe — 15-19: 4.8% Arncliffe — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 4.9% / 7.2%
Tempe — 20-24: 4.9% Arncliffe — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 14.8% / 23.7%
Tempe — 25-34: 14.8% Arncliffe — 25-34: 23.7%
35-44 17.4% / 16.0%
Tempe — 35-44: 17.4% Arncliffe — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 14.6% / 11.0%
Tempe — 45-54: 14.6% Arncliffe — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 10.8% / 9.1%
Tempe — 55-64: 10.8% Arncliffe — 55-64: 9.1%
65-74 8.6% / 6.4%
Tempe — 65-74: 8.6% Arncliffe — 65-74: 6.4%
75-84 4.6% / 4.3%
Tempe — 75-84: 4.6% Arncliffe — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 1.3% / 2.0%
Tempe — 85+: 1.3% Arncliffe — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tempe 46.7% couple families
Tempe — Couple Families: 46.7% Tempe — Lone Person: 24.7% Tempe — One Parent Families: 17.0% Tempe — Group Household: 9.3% Tempe — Other Families: 2.3%
Arncliffe 43.0% couple families
Arncliffe — Couple Families: 43.0% Arncliffe — Lone Person: 29.9% Arncliffe — One Parent Families: 15.2% Arncliffe — Group Household: 9.5% Arncliffe — Other Families: 2.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tempe 26.1% renting
Tempe — Owned Outright: 30.8% Tempe — Mortgage: 43.1% Tempe — Renting: 26.1%
Arncliffe 41.9% renting
Arncliffe — Owned Outright: 24.8% Arncliffe — Mortgage: 33.3% Arncliffe — Renting: 41.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Tempe Arncliffe
Bachelor Degree 21.0% / 19.0%
Tempe — Bachelor Degree: 21.0% Arncliffe — Bachelor Degree: 19.0%
Postgraduate Degree 8.4% / 7.8%
Tempe — Postgraduate Degree: 8.4% Arncliffe — Postgraduate Degree: 7.8%
Certificate III & IV 8.4% / 7.7%
Tempe — Certificate III & IV: 8.4% Arncliffe — Certificate III & IV: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.6% / 7.7%
Tempe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6% Arncliffe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.3%
Tempe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Arncliffe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

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.

Tempe Arncliffe
China 1.8% / 5.9%
Tempe — China: 1.8% Arncliffe — China: 5.9%
Lebanon — / 5.7%
Tempe — Lebanon: not among its largest Arncliffe — Lebanon: 5.7%
Vietnam 3.4% / 1.6%
Tempe — Vietnam: 3.4% Arncliffe — Vietnam: 1.6%
England 3.3% / 1.2%
Tempe — England: 3.3% Arncliffe — England: 1.2%
Philippines 1.9% / 2.1%
Tempe — Philippines: 1.9% Arncliffe — Philippines: 2.1%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.4%
Tempe — New Zealand: 2.1% Arncliffe — New Zealand: 1.4%
Greece 1.9% / —
Tempe — Greece: 1.9% Arncliffe — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tempe 67.5% houses
Tempe — Houses: 67.5% Tempe — Flats / Apartments: 5.9% Tempe — Townhouses: 26.6%
Arncliffe 40.0% houses
Arncliffe — Houses: 40.0% Arncliffe — Flats / Apartments: 49.2% Arncliffe — Townhouses: 10.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Tempe Arncliffe
Median house price $1,800,000 $1,850,000
Median unit price $897,000 $770,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 19 sales
 24 days
from 70 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.

Tempe Arncliffe
2 bed $1.6M / $1.49M
Tempe — 2 bed: $1.6M (13 sales) Arncliffe — 2 bed: $1.49M (11 sales)

13 vs 11 sales

3 bed $1.78M / $1.75M
Tempe — 3 bed: $1.78M (23 sales) Arncliffe — 3 bed: $1.75M (39 sales)

23 vs 39 sales

4 bed $2.05M / $2.15M
Tempe — 4 bed: $2.05M (12 sales) Arncliffe — 4 bed: $2.15M (25 sales)

12 vs 25 sales

Zoning mix

Tempe has more industrially zoned land (30% vs 2%).

Tempe Arncliffe
Residential 28% 57%
Industrial 30% 2%
Parks and recreation 19% 6%
Other and special use 0% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 10%
Environmental 9% 2%
Commercial 0% 5%
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

Tempe Arncliffe
New dwellings approved 849
across Inner West
 857
across Bayside (NSW)
Approvals change year on year -25% +98%

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.

Tempe Arncliffe
Houses 4.1%
$1,275/wk on $1.6M
 3.1%
$950/wk on $1.6M
Units — 5.2%
$750/wk on $750K

Ranking within NSW

Tempe Arncliffe
House price Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Income Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 41% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 73% of NSW

Liveability

Arncliffe is more walkable (96 vs 86).

Tempe Arncliffe
Grade A
same for both
Score 74/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Tempe carries more crime risk (70 vs 47).

Tempe Arncliffe
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 Moderate
47/100
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 9
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Tempe Arncliffe
Inside the suburb 2 5
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 1 2
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 4.4 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 6.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 2.5%

Schools in Tempe

  • Tempe High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Tempe Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Arncliffe

  • Kingdom Culture Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Al Zahra College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Francis Xavier's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Arncliffe Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Athelstane Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Tempe Arncliffe
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 3 7
Parks & reserves 5 10
Childcare 5 11
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 2
same for both

Mobility

Tempe sits further from the CBD (32.7 km vs 16.4 km).

Tempe Arncliffe
Walkability score 86/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 32.7 km
+50% vs other
 16.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 33 min 20 min
Public transport score 80/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 64.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 74.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 2044
 1.6%
postcode 2205
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 2044
 8
postcode 2205

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.

Tempe Arncliffe
Worked from Home 54.3% / 43.9%
Tempe — Worked from Home: 54.3% Arncliffe — Worked from Home: 43.9%
Car (driver) 29.1% / 38.0%
Tempe — Car (driver): 29.1% Arncliffe — Car (driver): 38.0%
Train 7.5% / 11.3%
Tempe — Train: 7.5% Arncliffe — Train: 11.3%
Car (passenger) 1.9% / 4.1%
Tempe — Car (passenger): 1.9% Arncliffe — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 3.7% / 1.7%
Tempe — Walked Only: 3.7% Arncliffe — Walked Only: 1.7%
Bus 1.9% / 0.7%
Tempe — Bus: 1.9% Arncliffe — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.3%).

Setting

Tempe Arncliffe
Elevation 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km 2.0 km

NBN connectivity

Tempe Arncliffe
Connectivity score 75/100 86/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 1%
1,533 premises
 44%
4,997 premises

Climate

Tempe Arncliffe
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)

Tempe Arncliffe
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

Tempe Arncliffe
Average residential rate $1,342/yr $1,217/yr
Council Inner West Bayside (NSW)

Federal electorate

Tempe Arncliffe
Division Grayndler Barton
Member Anthony Albanese Ash Ambihaipahar
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tempe Arncliffe
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tempe

Coastal Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

Arncliffe

Apartments Coastal Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tempe

Tempe vs Marrickville Tempe vs Mascot Tempe vs Wolli Creek Tempe vs St Peters Tempe vs Sydenham

Other comparisons with Arncliffe

Arncliffe vs Mascot Arncliffe vs Bexley Arncliffe vs Rockdale Arncliffe vs Wolli Creek Arncliffe vs Banksia Arncliffe vs Turrella
Full data on Tempe Full data on Arncliffe
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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