Median house price
$3.3M
+0.8% change
NSW · Canada Bay Council
Russell Lea, 2046
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,413
Growth (1 yr)
+0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+1.7%
Median age
43
Median income
$2,658/wk
Employment rate
62.5%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$3,300,000
Languages at home
26.7%non-English
Most common: Italian, Greek, Mandarin
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- Excellent transport
- Café precinct
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Russell Lea is a practical mid-sized suburb in Canada Bay Council, well placed for families who want metro access without the inner-city squeeze. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The suburb has a clear multicultural mix alongside longer-term local households.
Schooling is a clear local strength compared with many peer areas. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Buses connect the area to surrounding suburbs, keeping the wider city within easy reach.
Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer parks and green space, plus local dining and lifestyle amenities compared with similar metro suburbs, though community and employment remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Russell Lea snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$850/wk
Houses $1,100 · Units $800
Population (ERP)
5,413
+0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#268
among Metro Sydney · Established
Safety
12th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
63rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
92nd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 43.6/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 45% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 3141st in Australia
- State rank
- 954th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #268 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #617 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $800
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $1,100
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $850
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 242
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $3,300,000
- Median price change
- +0.8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
5,413(June 2025)
+0.9% annual · +1.7% over 5 years · 63th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.9%
- 5-year growth
- +1.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +47
- Change in 5 years
- +90
- Growth rank in NSW
- 63th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~5,500), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,920
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $2,658
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 133 of 1,911
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,290
- Employment rate
- 62.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,215 / 138 / 417 (+ 11 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 184
- Against the person
- 46
- Against property
- 96
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 34
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 107 residents
- State safety percentile
- 12.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +9.8%
Most common offence types
- Break And Enter Dwelling84
- Fraud107
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment78
- Malicious Damage To Property80
- Steal From Motor Vehicle79
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 8
- Median school ICSEA (8 schools)
- 1,131
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 92th
School list
- Russell Lea Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1140 · 93th percentile · LBOTE 40% · 428 students · Top SEA quarter 54% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
- All Hallows Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1125 · 90th percentile · LBOTE 55% · 462 students · Top SEA quarter 47% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
- Abbotsford Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1113 · 87th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 368 students · Top SEA quarter 47% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- Drummoyne Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1137 · 93th percentile · LBOTE 44% · 427 students · Top SEA quarter 55% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- St Mark's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1156 · 96th percentile · LBOTE 72% · 310 students · Top SEA quarter 61% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Domremy Catholic CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1091 · 82th percentile · LBOTE 62% · 858 students · Top SEA quarter 34% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Five Dock Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1082 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 42% · 314 students · Top SEA quarter 39% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Dobroyd Point Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1149 · 95th percentile · LBOTE 28% · 116 students · Top SEA quarter 61% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
31 public transport stops in this suburb
- Hampden Rd At Mons St
- Hampden Rd At Sibbick St
- Hampden Rd At Sibbick St
- Hampden Rd At The Parade
- Lyons Rd Opp Mons St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
33 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
4 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 pubs · 2 fast food · 1 places of worship · 1 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Decent local green space — 1 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 31 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 46/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.2
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.63
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.2
Food & drink(8)
- Blue Star Cakes & CafeCafe
- CrustFast food
- Grill'dFast food
- The Birkenhead HotelPub
- Love CrepeRestaurant
- Pizza HutRestaurant
- Prima CucinaRestaurant
- Vito's The Rustic TableRestaurant
Community(1)
- Russell Lea Public SchoolSchool
Health & services(1)
- All Natural Vet CareVeterinary
Sport & outdoors(3)
- Park
- Playground
- Sports field
Transport(13)
13 bus stops
Other(7)
- Bench
- TABBookmaker
- Georges Barber ShopHairdresser
- BK KitchensKitchen
- Merilux PaintPaint
- Place of worship
- Australia PostPost Box
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Hunters Hill Private Hospital (2.8 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 80
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 14.8
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 321 mm · ~40 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 359 mm · ~45 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 17° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 263 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 242 mm · ~30 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 10 proposals
July 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Residential Accommodation60 BOUVARDIA STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 ROWLEY ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Additional Information Requested
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 THE CRESCENT RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
April 2026
- Subdivision33 BYRNE AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Withdrawn
March 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation43 BYRNE AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 HAMPDEN ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation35 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Under Assessment
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure57 RUSSELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport61 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation90 HENLEY MARINE DRIVE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
2025· 32 proposals
December 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces65 EDENHOLME ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 THE CRESCENT RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 HAMPDEN ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
November 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure49 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure29 LENORE STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision7 MOOCULTA STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure90 HENLEY MARINE DRIVE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3 BORONIA AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure51 RUSSELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Subdivision39 BYRNE AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
September 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces65 EDENHOLME ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure25 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
August 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space77 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah3 BOUVARDIA STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation38 TAIT STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure53 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure402 LYONS ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Withdrawn
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure40 CLEMENTS STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation20 LEA AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure37 TAIT STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure50 RUSSELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool16A PINE AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool16 PINE AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
May 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure51 RUSSELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation35 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation7 HAMPDEN ROAD RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
April 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure59 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool27 UNDINE STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
March 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Carport; Residential Accommodation5 JANET STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure6 LAMROCK AVENUE RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
January 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure53 BURNELL STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 MONS STREET RUSSELL LEA 2046Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Reid
- Member of Parliament
- Sally SITOU (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 117,810
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +6.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 38.0%Labor 62.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1.4 km away).
Coalition 40.4%Labor 59.6%
2.4 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +10.3 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Russell LeaLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
- ChiswickLabor 54.3% · Coalition 45.7% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
- Abbotsford EastLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
- Five Dock EastLabor 57.7% · Coalition 42.3% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
- AbbotsfordLabor 59.8% · Coalition 40.2% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Canada Bay Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.