Wolli Creek vs Earlwood

Wolli Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 44 in Earlwood. In Wolli Creek, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Earlwood, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Earlwood is closer to the city centre: 12.7 km, against 17.1 km. On these figures, Wolli Creek tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Earlwood suits couples and older residents.

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

Earlwood

ahead on 6 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (80% vs 1%)
  • has more childcare (11 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs unit prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wolli Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (65% vs 21%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Wolli Creek gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (22% vs 3%)
  • Earlwood sits closer to the CBD (12.7 km vs 17.1 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Earlwood

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 3%)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 65/100)
  • But Wolli Creek has more units and townhouses to downsize into (99% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Wolli Creek

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (66.6% vs 1.8%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.4% vs 3.9%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wolli Creek Earlwood
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.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Walkability 96 / 91
Wolli Creek — Walkability: 96/100 Earlwood — Walkability: 91/100
Safety 35 / 67
Wolli Creek — Safety: 35/100 Earlwood — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 100 / 79
Wolli Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Earlwood — Low fire risk: 79/100

Demographics

Earlwood has more residents (18,053 vs 10,654); Earlwood skews older (44 vs 30).

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Population 10,654 18,053
+69% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +66.6% +1.8%
Median age 30 44
Median household income $112,476/yr $112,528/yr
Median weekly rent $540/wk $570/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
0-4 5.1% / 4.8%
Wolli Creek — 0-4: 5.1% Earlwood — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 2.9% / 11.8%
Wolli Creek — 5-14: 2.9% Earlwood — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 1.6% / 6.1%
Wolli Creek — 15-19: 1.6% Earlwood — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 12.8% / 5.4%
Wolli Creek — 20-24: 12.8% Earlwood — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 46.7% / 10.2%
Wolli Creek — 25-34: 46.7% Earlwood — 25-34: 10.2%
35-44 18.2% / 12.6%
Wolli Creek — 35-44: 18.2% Earlwood — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 5.6% / 15.7%
Wolli Creek — 45-54: 5.6% Earlwood — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 4.0% / 12.6%
Wolli Creek — 55-64: 4.0% Earlwood — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 2.3% / 9.5%
Wolli Creek — 65-74: 2.3% Earlwood — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 0.8% / 7.6%
Wolli Creek — 75-84: 0.8% Earlwood — 75-84: 7.6%
85+ 0.1% / 3.5%
Wolli Creek — 85+: 0.1% Earlwood — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (46.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wolli Creek 22.8% couple families
Wolli Creek — Couple Families: 22.8% Wolli Creek — Lone Person: 41.8% Wolli Creek — Group Household: 24.8% Wolli Creek — One Parent Families: 6.1% Wolli Creek — Other Families: 4.6%
Earlwood 54.3% couple families
Earlwood — Couple Families: 54.3% Earlwood — Lone Person: 24.8% Earlwood — Group Household: 3.4% Earlwood — One Parent Families: 16.0% Earlwood — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wolli Creek 64.6% renting
Wolli Creek — Owned Outright: 7.3% Wolli Creek — Mortgage: 28.1% Wolli Creek — Renting: 64.6%
Earlwood 21.1% renting
Earlwood — Owned Outright: 45.6% Earlwood — Mortgage: 33.3% Earlwood — Renting: 21.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Bachelor Degree 32.3% / 16.4%
Wolli Creek — Bachelor Degree: 32.3% Earlwood — Bachelor Degree: 16.4%
Postgraduate Degree 17.4% / 6.0%
Wolli Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 17.4% Earlwood — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 7.8%
Wolli Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Earlwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 9.4%
Wolli Creek — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% Earlwood — Certificate III & IV: 9.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.8%
Wolli Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Earlwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.3%).

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.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
China 20.2% / 3.0%
Wolli Creek — China: 20.2% Earlwood — China: 3.0%
Greece — / 7.4%
Wolli Creek — Greece: not among its largest Earlwood — Greece: 7.4%
Vietnam 2.3% / 2.4%
Wolli Creek — Vietnam: 2.3% Earlwood — Vietnam: 2.4%
Indonesia 4.3% / —
Wolli Creek — Indonesia: 4.3% Earlwood — Indonesia: not among its largest
Brazil 3.7% / —
Wolli Creek — Brazil: 3.7% Earlwood — Brazil: not among its largest
Philippines 2.6% / 0.9%
Wolli Creek — Philippines: 2.6% Earlwood — Philippines: 0.9%
India 2.5% / —
Wolli Creek — India: 2.5% Earlwood — India: not among its largest
Lebanon — / 2.4%
Wolli Creek — Lebanon: not among its largest Earlwood — Lebanon: 2.4%
Italy — / 2.2%
Wolli Creek — Italy: not among its largest Earlwood — Italy: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wolli Creek 99.1% flats / apartments
Wolli Creek — Flats / Apartments: 99.1% Wolli Creek — Houses: 0.7% Wolli Creek — Townhouses: 0.2%
Earlwood 11.6% flats / apartments
Earlwood — Flats / Apartments: 11.6% Earlwood — Houses: 80.1% Earlwood — Townhouses: 8.3%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Median house price — $2,080,000
Median unit price $825,000 $881,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 24 days
from 166 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.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
2 bed $867K / $870K
Wolli Creek — 2 bed: $867K (192 sales) Earlwood — 2 bed: $870K (29 sales)

192 vs 29 sales

3 bed $1.07M / $1.24M
Wolli Creek — 3 bed: $1.07M (26 sales) Earlwood — 3 bed: $1.24M (6 sales)

26 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Residential 57% 74%
Infrastructure and transport 22% 2%
Parks and recreation 18% 11%
Environmental 2% 10%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Wolli Creek Earlwood
New dwellings approved 857
across Bayside (NSW)
 1,785
across Canterbury-Bankstown
Approvals change year on year +98% +50%

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.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Houses — 2.8%
$1,140/wk on $2.1M
Units 5.4%
$890/wk on $850K
 3.9%
$640/wk on $848K

Ranking within NSW

Wolli Creek Earlwood
House price Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Income Higher than 78% of NSW
same for both
Schools — Higher than 69% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 15% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW

Liveability

Wolli Creek scores higher overall (82 vs 77).

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Grade A
same for both
Score 82/100 77/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Earlwood carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 0); Wolli Creek carries more crime risk (65 vs 33).

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
21/100
Crime Moderate
65/100
 Low
33/100
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 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of Sydney, 5.5 km
 3
The University of Sydney, 6.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.7% 2.8%

Schools in Wolli Creek

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

Schools in Earlwood

  • Earlwood Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Undercliffe Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 19 8
Parks & reserves 8 16
Childcare 0 11
GPs 6
same for both
Pharmacies 1 6
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Wolli Creek sits further from the CBD (17.1 km vs 12.7 km).

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Walkability score 96/100 91/100
Distance to Sydney 17.1 km
+26% vs other
 12.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 25 min
Public transport score 98/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 57.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 448.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2205
 1.3%
postcode 2206
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 8
postcode 2205
 25
postcode 2206

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.

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Worked from Home 52.1% / 57.6%
Wolli Creek — Worked from Home: 52.1% Earlwood — Worked from Home: 57.6%
Car (driver) 20.8% / 33.9%
Wolli Creek — Car (driver): 20.8% Earlwood — Car (driver): 33.9%
Train 21.8% / 3.0%
Wolli Creek — Train: 21.8% Earlwood — Train: 3.0%
Car (passenger) 2.0% / 2.6%
Wolli Creek — Car (passenger): 2.0% Earlwood — Car (passenger): 2.6%
Walked Only 1.7% / 1.4%
Wolli Creek — Walked Only: 1.7% Earlwood — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.6%).

Setting

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.2 km 4.5 km

NBN connectivity

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Connectivity score 85/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 59%
5,171 premises
 12%
7,143 premises

Climate

Wolli Creek Earlwood
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)

Wolli Creek Earlwood
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

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Average residential rate $1,217/yr $1,322/yr
Council Bayside (NSW) Canterbury-Bankstown

Federal electorate

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Division Barton
same for both
Member Ash Ambihaipahar
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wolli Creek Earlwood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wolli Creek

Apartments Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Professionals River Trains Transport Hub Urban

Earlwood

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wolli Creek

Wolli Creek vs Marrickville Wolli Creek vs Arncliffe Wolli Creek vs Tempe Wolli Creek vs Turrella

Other comparisons with Earlwood

Earlwood vs Marrickville Earlwood vs Campsie Earlwood vs Dulwich Hill Earlwood vs Kingsgrove Earlwood vs Canterbury Earlwood vs Hurlstone Park
Full data on Wolli Creek Full data on Earlwood
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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