Waterloo NSW 2017
Waterloo is a suburb in New South Wales, 6 km from Sydney CBD, around 13 minutes by car. Population is 16,379; the median age is 33 and the median household income is $105,456 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 12.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $530 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,500. Waterloo is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 2 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Waterloo a good suburb?
Waterloo scores a A (74/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 99/100 · 6.2 km · 13 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.71M · Pricier than 79% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 89/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 33 · 16,379 residents
Liveability Rating
74 / 100 · Ranked #246 in NSWEach bar is Waterloo's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
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 Waterloo?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
74 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataWaterloo's unit market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $930,000, about 9% below where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$930,000
6% below its 4 neighbours (median $988,000)
Based on 300 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 183 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 103 sales $700K
- 2 bed 156 sales $1.03M
- 3 bed 33 sales $1.34M
Houses
$1,710,000
24% below its 4 neighbours (median $2,236,000)
Based on 17 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 20 days — median across 13 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $1.62M
- 3 bed 8 sales $1.76M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Waterloo are currently listed at around $1.85 million on average. Based on 4 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.85M
4 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$880K
117 units listed in the last 6 months.
121 of the suburb's 8,046 dwellings (1.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Waterloo rent for around $935 a week on average, based on 14 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$935/wk
24% below its 4 neighbours (median $1,225/wk)
14 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$950/wk
10% below its 4 neighbours (median $1,050/wk)
231 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
245 rentals advertised against an estimated 6,051 rented homes (4.0%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,240/wk
- 10 bonds
- +37% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $1,150/wk
- 907 bonds
- +81% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2017 (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 202575 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 40% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2017.
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$935/week ($49,000 a year) on a $1.85 million median
Based on a small sample (4 listings) — indicative only.
$950/week ($49,000 a year) on a $880,000 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
139 active Airbnb listings: 116 whole homes and 23 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.2% 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 Waterloo safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Waterloo sits in the high band, with 1,985 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 11% on the prior year.
1,985 offences
11.4% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202524 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 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
Council Of The City Of Sydney has published 10 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Two schools serve Waterloo, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School leads the pack.
- • 105 students across 2 schools (avg 52)
- • Sectors: 1 Catholic, 1 Government
- • ICSEA 890-938, median 914 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School (76 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 1.6 km1-37 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010Torrens University Australia · 165 courses
- 1.9 kmThe University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales · 590 courses
- 2.1 kmUniversity of Technology Sydney (City Campus)University of Technology Sydney · 524 courses
4.7% 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
Waterloo is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 99/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 9 supermarkets, 20 parks and 67 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Waterloo.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 351.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 251.6 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 217.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 23.3 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 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 Waterloo.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 28%
- Premises covered
- 10,571
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
Sydney: 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 32 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Waterloo is home to about 16,400 residents, with a median age of 33, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $105,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
16,379
Median Age
33
Median Household Income
$105,456/yr
Census Median Rent
$530/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,500/mo
Avg Household Size
1.8
Median Personal Income
$60,944/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
16.8%
Total Dwellings
8,046
Owner-Occupier Rate
24.8%
Houses
0.5%
Rental Stress
26.1%
Mortgage Stress
28.4%
Work From Home
60.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
1,636 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 81 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 5,846 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 37.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 51.8%
- Employment Rate
- 60.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 69.1%
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.
3,302 residents (20.2%) 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 15,693 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
61% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (5,588 of 9,102), an area that takes in all or part of this suburb, so many of them work close to home.
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 5,509 people work here; 9,102 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.6 jobs per working resident. At least 39% 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 $875 a year through Sydney based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 73%
- Commercial 8%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 6%
- Not zoned 6%
Planning zones cover 94% 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: Sydney
In the year to August 2026, 2,350 new dwellings were approved across Sydney. That mix is 21 houses and 2,329 units. Approvals are up 928.8% 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 5.3 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 12.9 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.73 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 1.
From the Alexandria monitoring station, 1.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Sydney Airport AMO, 6.1 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 33 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.2 km
- 4.5 km to a named beach
- 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
8 facilities within 5 km- 1.3 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.7 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.6 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.6 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Manganese & compounds · Fluoride compounds
- 3.4 km
EV adoption
In postcode 2017, 456 of 12,254 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 6.5% (802 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 10.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2017, 193 rooftop-solar systems totalling 2.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 16,552 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 11 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, 23 across postcode 2017.
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 $930,000 this is $330,000 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 Tanya Plibersek Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tanya Plibersek | 78.1% | 21.9% | +2.4 |
| 2022 | Tanya Plibersek | 75.6% | 24.4% | -6.9 |
| 2019 | Tanya Plibersek | 68.7% | 31.3% | -3.4 |
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 Ron Hoenig Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ron Hoenig ALP | 73.3% |
| 2019 | Ron Hoenig ALP | 65.1% |
| 2015 | Ron Hoenig ALP | 64.1% |
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 Waterloo?
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 16,379 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 Waterloo 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 Waterloo
Is Waterloo a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Waterloo is high (89/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Waterloo?
Waterloo has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Waterloo a good place to live?
Waterloo has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (74/100), 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 Waterloo?
Waterloo, NSW had a population of 16,379 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Waterloo, NSW?
The postcode for Waterloo, NSW is 2017.
How far is Waterloo from Sydney?
Waterloo is 6 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 13 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Waterloo?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Waterloo was $105,456 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 Waterloo?
The median advertised rent in Waterloo is $935 a week for houses (14 listings) and $950 a week for units (231 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Waterloo?
The median age of residents in Waterloo was 33 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Waterloo?
There are 2 schools inside the Waterloo boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Waterloo walkable?
Waterloo 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 Waterloo?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Waterloo (Alexandria) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 12.9 µg/m³. That puts Waterloo 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 Waterloo?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Waterloo, Sydney Airport AMO (6.1 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 Waterloo?
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 Waterloo belong to?
Waterloo sits within the Sydney local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Waterloo?
The average residential rates bill through Sydney is $875 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Waterloo?
Across Sydney, 2,350 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 928.8% 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 Waterloo in?
Waterloo sits within the federal Division of Sydney, currently held by Tanya Plibersek (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
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.