Vaucluse is a coastal inner metropolitan suburb of Sydney, in Woollahra Council, with mainly denser housing than a typical suburban neighbourhood. It is close to the Watsons Bay and the Rose Bay. Notable landmarks include Macquarie Lighthouse.
Urban convenience is a major strength. School ICSEA scores are a relative strength. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, placing it among the highest-ranked inner metropolitan suburbs, and reported crime sits a little below the peer median. Reported offences have fallen 13% year on year, and green cover is stronger than in comparable places, with green cover 99% above the peer median. Housing is among the most expensive in its peer group. Median house prices have risen 40% year on year.
Overall, Vaucluse suits people prioritising city life and heritage character over lower housing costs.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Inner metropolitan suburb · compared with inner metropolitan suburbs in New South Wales (70)
Strengths
Urban convenience is a major strength
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
Reported crime sits a little below the peer median
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
School ICSEA scores are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Housing is among the most expensive in its peer group
What stands out
Vaucluse Beach
Milk Beach
Overseas-born and multilingual community
Watsons Bay
Rose Bay
Diamond Bay
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★★☆
Professionals★★★☆☆
Retirees★★★☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★☆☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Vaucluse compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$9.4M
+40% change
Median rent
$1,300/wk
Houses $3,200 · Units $1,100
Population (ERP)
7,871
-0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
10.0%
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
#12
among Coastal & beach · Established
Crime rate
6th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
8th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
25%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
96th
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
60.8/100 — Good
State standing
Top 9% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
444th in Australia
State rank
187th in NSW
Peer rank
#12 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#28 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
99%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$1,100
Houses (January to March 2026)
$3,200
All types (January to March 2026)
$1,300
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
101
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$9,400,000
Median price change
+40.2%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
-0.0% annual · -2.6% over 5 years · 8th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.0%
5-year growth
-2.6%
Change in 1 year
-3
Change in 5 years
-211
Growth rank in NSW
8th 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 (~7,750), extrapolated at -0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
9,510
Median age
43
Median household income / week
$3,418
Dwelling vacancy
10%
Unoccupied private dwellings
364 of 3,655
Median monthly mortgage
$4,200
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$700
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
41% / 33.6% / 25.3%
Employment rate
57%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
51% / 2% / 32.5%
Walked or cycled to work
1.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,606 / 278 / 1,332 (+ 69 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
49.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 5.1% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified49.1% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified8.9% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational5.1% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below36.9% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce32.7%
Society and culture20.7%
Health11%
Creative arts8.2%
Engineering and related technologies6.4%
Education6.1%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$85,534
97th percentile in NSW · +46% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$76,727
86th percentile in NSW · +18% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
25.0%
95th percentile in NSW · +81% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$113,363
87th percentile in NSW · +79% vs Australia
Residents with business income
12.0%
75th percentile in NSW · +15% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2030 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
10,094
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,491
Median net rent
$4,067
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,218
Taxable income vs state median
+53%
Salary / wages vs state median
+22%
Rental investment vs state median
+79%
Super vs state median
+61%
Business income vs state median
+20%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
20.6% speak a language other than English at home; 38.8% born overseas
Language at home
7,217 English only · 1,874 other
Non-English at home
20.6%
Born overseas
3,537 (38.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
29 (0.3%)
Australian citizens
8,328
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
26
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Mandarin135 · 19.5%
Greek118 · 17%
Russian54 · 7.8%
Cantonese50 · 7.2%
Spanish50 · 7.2%
Italian47 · 6.8%
French29 · 4.2%
Portuguese29 · 4.2%
Religion
38.3%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 38.3%, while 27.4% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
27.4%
32.8%
Christianity
38.3%
47.6%
Other / not stated
34.3%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
18.3%
22.4%
Anglican
10.1%
11.9%
Eastern Orthodox
6.1%
2.5%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2030, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
203
Against the person
53
Against property
79
Rate per 1,000 residents
25.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 179 residents
State crime-rate percentile
6th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-12.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
64
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
8.13
Most common offence types
Domestic Violence Related Assault14
Fraud18
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment18
Malicious Damage To Property20
Other Offences17
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
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
6
Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
1,152.5
Median ICSEA percentile
96th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
Vaucluse Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1145 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 38% · 217 students · Top SEA quarter 60% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
Kincoppal - Rose Bay School of the Sacred HeartCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1160 · 97th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 851 students · Top SEA quarter 66% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
KambalaCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1169 · 98th percentile · LBOTE 33% · 986 students · Top SEA quarter 70% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
McAuley Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1168 · 98th percentile · LBOTE 35% · 273 students · Top SEA quarter 66% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Kesser Torah CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1082 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 484 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Rose Bay Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1145 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 55% · 377 students · Top SEA quarter 59% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Rose Bay PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Rose Bay SCGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Vaucluse PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Sandstone Heritage and Geological ForcesInformation
Surviving in the CityInformation
That Looks Like FunInformation
The Greycliffe EstateInformation
The Water SupplyInformation
Tresillian VaucluseInformation
Bellevue Hill LocksmithsLocksmith
44 Old South Head Road, Vaucluse
Vaucluse NewsagencyNewsagent
66 New South Head Road
Estate Vaucluse HouseOutdoor Seating
Outdoor Seating
Parking (9)
Picnic Table (23)
St Michael’s Anglican Church VauclusePlace of worship
Wentworth Memorial ChurchPlace of worship
32B Fitzwilliam Road
Australia PostPost Box
Post Box (2)
New South Head Rd after Hopetoun AvShelter
Shelter (2)
Shower (6)
Social Facility (2)
Telephone
Waste Basket (12)
Waste Disposal
Vaucluse CellarsWine
New South Head Road
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
St Michael’s Anglican Church Vaucluse
Wentworth Memorial Church
32B Fitzwilliam Road
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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.
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 (12%)
Residential flat building; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
43 CAMBRIDGE AVENUE VAUCLUSE 2030Under Assessment
Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
24 WENTWORTH ROAD VAUCLUSE 2030Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Barbecues and other outdoor cooking structures; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Skylights, roof windows and ventilators; Stairway
45 THE CRESCENT VAUCLUSE 2030Under Assessment
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Semi-detached dwelling; Swimming pool
4-6 ETHEL STREET VAUCLUSE 2030Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
3 VILLAGE LOWER ROAD VAUCLUSE 2030Additional Information Requested
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
7 CHAPEL ROAD VAUCLUSE 2030Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
Check signage. Avoid the area. Sydney Water Infrastructure Upgrade - Closure of Parsley Bay Reserve Car Park and Horler Avenue.Horler Avenue21 May 2024 – 31 Dec 2026
Data sources & freshness
Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Heritage
9 heritage places
GreenwayVaucluseSHR
Macquarie Lighthouse SiteOld South Head Road, VaucluseSHR
Nielsen Park and the Hermitage Foreshore ReserveGreycliffe Avenue, VaulcuseSHR
South Head General Cemetery793 Old South Head Road, VaucluseSHR
South Head Signal StationOld South Head Road, Watsons BaySHR
Strickland House52 Vaucluse Road VaucluseSHR
Vaucluse House69A Wentworth Road, VaucluseSHR
Wentworth Mausoleum and siteChapel Road, VaucluseSHR
Wentworth Memorial Church and Moveable Heritage Collection32B Fitzwilliam Street, VaucluseSHR
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Wentworth
Member of Parliament
Allegra SPENDER (Independent)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,463
Turnout (2025)
89.1%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.7 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 49.4%Labor 50.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.2 km away).
Coalition 64.4%Labor 35.6%
15.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Vaucluse EastLabor 37.1% · Coalition 62.9% TPP (2025)0.3 km away
VaucluseLabor 25.5% · Coalition 74.5% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
Watsons BayLabor 35.2% · Coalition 64.8% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
EdgecliffLabor 44.7% · Coalition 55.3% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
Rose Bay CentralLabor 35.2% · Coalition 64.8% TPP (2025)1.9 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.
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 (12%)