Ultimo vs Pyrmont

Ultimo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 37 in Pyrmont. In both, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in Pyrmont: a median of $1.25 million, against $804,000 in Ultimo, and rent is higher there too. Pyrmont is closer to the city centre: 2.2 km, against 2.6 km. On these figures, Ultimo tends to suit renters, young adults, and share households.

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

Pyrmont

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (34% vs 22%)
  • has more parks and reserves (14 vs 9)
  • carries lower crime risk (77/100 vs 88/100)
  • But Ultimo has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Ultimo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($804,000 vs $1,250,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,580,000 vs $2,387,500)
  • But Pyrmont leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ultimo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($500/wk vs $580/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (73% vs 63%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ultimo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (10% vs 4%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Pyrmont

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (13% vs 6%)
  • carries lower crime risk (77/100 vs 88/100)

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

  • Ultimo returns a higher gross yield on units (5.5% vs 4.1%)
  • Pyrmont is growing faster (-1.2% vs -16.2%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ultimo Pyrmont
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.

Ultimo Pyrmont
Walkability 100 / 99
Ultimo — Walkability: 100/100 Pyrmont — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 12 / 23
Ultimo — Safety: 12/100 Pyrmont — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ultimo — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pyrmont — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Pyrmont has more residents (12,658 vs 7,410); Pyrmont has higher household incomes ($125,944 vs $93,860).

Ultimo Pyrmont
Population 7,410 12,658
+71% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -16.2% -1.2%
Median age 30 37
Median household income $93,860/yr $125,944/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk $580/wk
+16% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ultimo Pyrmont
0-4 3.0% / 4.8%
Ultimo — 0-4: 3.0% Pyrmont — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 3.6% / 5.4%
Ultimo — 5-14: 3.6% Pyrmont — 5-14: 5.4%
15-19 3.6% / 2.3%
Ultimo — 15-19: 3.6% Pyrmont — 15-19: 2.3%
20-24 17.0% / 5.6%
Ultimo — 20-24: 17.0% Pyrmont — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 35.8% / 25.3%
Ultimo — 25-34: 35.8% Pyrmont — 25-34: 25.3%
35-44 17.3% / 21.4%
Ultimo — 35-44: 17.3% Pyrmont — 35-44: 21.4%
45-54 8.1% / 11.8%
Ultimo — 45-54: 8.1% Pyrmont — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 5.2% / 10.5%
Ultimo — 55-64: 5.2% Pyrmont — 55-64: 10.5%
65-74 3.9% / 8.6%
Ultimo — 65-74: 3.9% Pyrmont — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 1.6% / 3.5%
Ultimo — 75-84: 1.6% Pyrmont — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ 0.8% / 0.8%
Ultimo — 85+: 0.8% Pyrmont — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ultimo 50.0% lone person
Ultimo — Lone Person: 50.0% Ultimo — Group Household: 24.6% Ultimo — Couple Families: 14.6% Ultimo — One Parent Families: 7.0% Ultimo — Other Families: 3.8%
Pyrmont 49.1% lone person
Pyrmont — Lone Person: 49.1% Pyrmont — Group Household: 14.4% Pyrmont — Couple Families: 23.9% Pyrmont — One Parent Families: 10.5% Pyrmont — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ultimo 73.4% renting
Ultimo — Owned Outright: 13.4% Ultimo — Mortgage: 13.2% Ultimo — Renting: 73.4%
Pyrmont 63.3% renting
Pyrmont — Owned Outright: 18.2% Pyrmont — Mortgage: 18.5% Pyrmont — Renting: 63.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ultimo Pyrmont
Bachelor Degree 29.2% / 29.0%
Ultimo — Bachelor Degree: 29.2% Pyrmont — Bachelor Degree: 29.0%
Postgraduate Degree 15.3% / 14.8%
Ultimo — Postgraduate Degree: 15.3% Pyrmont — Postgraduate Degree: 14.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 9.2%
Ultimo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Pyrmont — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Certificate III & IV 4.7% / 5.6%
Ultimo — Certificate III & IV: 4.7% Pyrmont — Certificate III & IV: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 2.7%
Ultimo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Pyrmont — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.2%).

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.

Ultimo Pyrmont
China 16.8% / 6.2%
Ultimo — China: 16.8% Pyrmont — China: 6.2%
Thailand 7.1% / 2.5%
Ultimo — Thailand: 7.1% Pyrmont — Thailand: 2.5%
India 4.4% / 4.0%
Ultimo — India: 4.4% Pyrmont — India: 4.0%
England 2.0% / 4.2%
Ultimo — England: 2.0% Pyrmont — England: 4.2%
Indonesia 4.0% / 2.1%
Ultimo — Indonesia: 4.0% Pyrmont — Indonesia: 2.1%
Malaysia 2.5% / 1.9%
Ultimo — Malaysia: 2.5% Pyrmont — Malaysia: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.6% / 2.2%
Ultimo — New Zealand: 1.6% Pyrmont — New Zealand: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ultimo 88.2% flats / apartments
Ultimo — Flats / Apartments: 88.2% Ultimo — Townhouses: 11.7% Ultimo — Houses: 0.2%
Pyrmont 94.3% flats / apartments
Pyrmont — Flats / Apartments: 94.3% Pyrmont — Townhouses: 5.7% Pyrmont — Houses: 0.0%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Ultimo Pyrmont
Median house price $1,580,000 $2,387,500
Median unit price $804,000 $1,250,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 10 sales
 27 days
from 10 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.

Ultimo Pyrmont
1 bed $685K / $790K
Ultimo — 1 bed: $685K (58 sales) Pyrmont — 1 bed: $790K (63 sales)

58 vs 63 sales

2 bed $1M / $1.28M
Ultimo — 2 bed: $1M (48 sales) Pyrmont — 2 bed: $1.28M (110 sales)

48 vs 110 sales

3 bed $1.6M / $3.1M
Ultimo — 3 bed: $1.6M (9 sales) Pyrmont — 3 bed: $3.1M (39 sales)

9 vs 39 sales

Zoning mix

Pyrmont has more commercially zoned land (22% vs 2%).

Ultimo Pyrmont
Residential 79% 49%
Commercial 2% 22%
Parks and recreation 3% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 7%
Planning zones cover 94% of Ultimo and 96% of Pyrmont. 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

Ultimo Pyrmont
New dwellings approved 2,350
across Sydney
same for both
Approvals change year on year +929%
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.

Ultimo Pyrmont
Houses — 3.1%
$1,350/wk on $2.25M
Units 5.5%
$800/wk on $750K
 4.1%
$950/wk on $1.2M

Ranking within NSW

Ultimo Pyrmont
House price Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Income Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools Higher than 6% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 27% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW

Liveability

Pyrmont scores higher overall (82 vs 60).

Ultimo Pyrmont
Grade B A
Score 60/100 82/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ultimo carries more crime risk (88 vs 77).

Ultimo Pyrmont
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 High
77/100
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 6
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Ultimo Pyrmont
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
University of Technology Sydney (City Campus), 0.7 km
 3
Sydney C.Q.U. Campus, 1.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 11.2% 2.1%

Schools in Ultimo

  • International Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Ultimo Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Westbourne College Sydney Independent · Secondary
  • GOAL College Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Pyrmont

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

Amenities in the suburb

Ultimo Pyrmont
Supermarkets 0 4
Cafes & restaurants 60 59
Parks & reserves 9 14
Childcare 11 6
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Ultimo Pyrmont
Walkability score 100/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 2.6 km
+15% vs other
 2.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 7 min 6 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 79/100
Tram · Bus · Ferry
Peak arrivals per hour 185.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 148.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 2007
 3.2%
postcode 2009
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 1
postcode 2007
 1
postcode 2009

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.

Ultimo Pyrmont
Worked from Home 50.0% / 61.7%
Ultimo — Worked from Home: 50.0% Pyrmont — Worked from Home: 61.7%
Walked Only 16.2% / 12.8%
Ultimo — Walked Only: 16.2% Pyrmont — Walked Only: 12.8%
Car (driver) 11.6% / 15.1%
Ultimo — Car (driver): 11.6% Pyrmont — Car (driver): 15.1%
Train 9.2% / 2.7%
Ultimo — Train: 9.2% Pyrmont — Train: 2.7%
Bus 6.6% / 3.3%
Ultimo — Bus: 6.6% Pyrmont — Bus: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.7%).

Setting

Ultimo Pyrmont
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km
3.9 km to a named beach
 6.3 km
2.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Ultimo Pyrmont
Connectivity score 72/100 68/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
5,723 premises
 7%
8,206 premises

Climate

Ultimo Pyrmont
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)

Ultimo Pyrmont
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

Ultimo Pyrmont
Average residential rate $875/yr
same for both
Council Sydney
same for both

Federal electorate

Ultimo Pyrmont
Division Sydney
same for both
Member Tanya Plibersek
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ultimo Pyrmont
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ultimo

Apartments Arts Cafe Culture Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals River Students Urban

Pyrmont

Apartments Cafe Culture Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ultimo

Ultimo vs Sydney Ultimo vs Glebe Ultimo vs Haymarket Ultimo vs Chippendale

Other comparisons with Pyrmont

Pyrmont vs Sydney Pyrmont vs Glebe
Full data on Ultimo Full data on Pyrmont
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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