Petersham NSW 2049
Petersham sits 8 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 15 minutes by car. Census data records 8,200 residents with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $115,284 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 1.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $450 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,900. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 3 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Petersham a good suburb?
Petersham scores a A (81/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices.
Mixed results
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 99/100 · 8 km · 15 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $2.15M · Less affordable than 79% of NSW
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 64/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 36 · 8,200 residents
Liveability Rating
81 / 100 · Ranked #151 in NSWEach bar is Petersham's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Petersham?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
81 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataPetersham's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $898,000, about 9% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$897,500
6% below its 5 neighbours (median $950,000)
Based on 116 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 22 days — median across 51 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 59 sales $760K
- 2 bed 50 sales $1.21M
Houses
$2,147,500
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $2,110,000)
Based on 86 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 20 days — median across 36 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 18 sales $1.8M
- 3 bed 42 sales $2.12M
- 4 bed 15 sales $2.65M
- 5 bed 8 sales $3.23M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Petersham are currently listed at around $2 million on average. Based on 8 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$2M
8 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$799K
17 units listed in the last 6 months.
25 of the suburb's 3,426 dwellings (0.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Petersham rent for around $1,200 a week on average, based on 20 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,200/wk
9% above its 4 neighbours (median $1,100/wk)
20 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$688/wk
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $700/wk)
44 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
64 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,768 rented homes (3.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,000/wk
- 14 bonds
- +33% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $750/wk
- 74 bonds
- +51% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2049 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025108 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2049.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,200/week ($62,000 a year) on a $2 million median
$688/week ($36,000 a year) on a $799,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
32 active Airbnb listings: 28 whole homes and 4 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.7% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Petersham safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Petersham sits in the moderate band, with 407 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 1% on the prior year.
407 offences
1.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202525 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Inner West Council has published 11 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Dobroyd Canal and Hawthorne Canal Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2020
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2017
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan: Flood Study Addendum 2017
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Study 2017
- Marrickville Valley Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2017
Schools
Three schools serve Petersham, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Fort Street High School leads the pack.
- • 937 students across 2 schools (avg 468)
- • ICSEA 1129-1176, median 1152 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Fort Street High School (917 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 2.6 kmThe University of SydneyThe University of Sydney · 599 courses
- 4.9 kmUniversity of Technology Sydney (City Campus)University of Technology Sydney · 524 courses
- 5.4 km1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010Torrens University Australia · 165 courses
3.3% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Petersham is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 99/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 4 parks and 35 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Petersham.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 178.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 137.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 118.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 24.4 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 6 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Petersham.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 9%
- Premises covered
- 4,629
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Inner West: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 20 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Petersham is home to about 8,200 residents, with a median age of 36, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $115,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
8,200
Median Age
36
Median Household Income
$115,284/yr
Census Median Rent
$450/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,900/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$63,596/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
13.3%
Total Dwellings
3,426
Owner-Occupier Rate
48.4%
Houses
22.5%
Rental Stress
20.3%
Mortgage Stress
30.2%
Work From Home
62.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
76 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 75 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,738 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 67.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 75.1%
- Employment Rate
- 66.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 64.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
335 residents (4.1%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,860 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
44% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,093 of 4,755).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 2,574 people work here; 4,755 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 42% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,342 a year through Inner West based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 72%
- Infrastructure and transport 14%
- Commercial 7%
- Parks and recreation 6%
- Not zoned 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of the suburb's area. 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Inner West
In the year to August 2026, 849 new dwellings were approved across Inner West. That mix is 87 houses and 762 units. Approvals are down 25.3% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.5 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 16.1 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.79 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Earlwood monitoring station, 3.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Sydney Airport AMO, 6.0 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 37 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,129 mm
- 99 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 27.5°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 9.5°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
6 facilities within 5 km- 2.0 km
- 2.5 kmRailway Rolling Stock Manufacturing and Repair ServicesTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 3.4 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 3.7 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Manganese & compounds · Fluoride compounds
- 4.2 kmAir and Space TransportTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 2049, 130 of 6,527 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.7% (369 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 7.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2049, 670 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,727 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 64 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
9 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 10 across postcode 2049.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $897,500 this is $297,500 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Anthony Albanese Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anthony Albanese | 80.2% | 19.8% | +3.5 |
| 2022 | Anthony Albanese | 78.8% | 21.1% | -5.0 |
| 2019 | Anthony Albanese | 73.8% | 26.2% | -1.5 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Jenny Leong The Greens
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jenny Leong GRN | 62.1% |
| 2019 | Jenny Leong GRN | 63.8% |
| 2015 | Jenny Leong GRN | 59.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Petersham?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 8,200 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Sydney There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Sydney suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Compare Petersham to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Petersham
Is Petersham a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Petersham is moderate (64/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Petersham?
Petersham has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Petersham a good place to live?
Petersham has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (81/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Petersham?
Petersham, NSW had a population of 8,200 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Petersham, NSW?
The postcode for Petersham, NSW is 2049.
How far is Petersham from Sydney?
Petersham is 8 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 15 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Petersham?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Petersham was $115,284 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Petersham?
The median advertised rent in Petersham is $1,200 a week for houses (20 listings) and $688 a week for units (44 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Petersham?
The median age of residents in Petersham was 36 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Petersham?
There are 3 schools inside the Petersham boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Petersham walkable?
Petersham scores 99/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Petersham?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Petersham (Earlwood) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 16.1 µg/m³. That puts Petersham below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Petersham?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Petersham, Sydney Airport AMO (6 km away), summer days average 27.5°C, winter nights 9.5°C, 1,129 mm of rain a year over 99 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Petersham?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Petersham belong to?
Petersham sits within the Inner West local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Petersham?
The average residential rates bill through Inner West is $1,342 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Petersham?
Across Inner West, 849 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 25.3% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Petersham in?
Petersham sits within the federal Division of Grayndler, currently held by Anthony Albanese (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.