Darlinghurst
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Darlinghurst reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Darlinghurst's population was approximately 11,445 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 830 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,615. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates showing 11,411 residents in June 2024 and 47 additional validated addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 13,308 persons per square kilometer, placing Darlinghurst in the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 7.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the state average of 6.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 97.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch employs NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Darlinghurst is projected to have a population increase just below the median of Australian statistical areas, reaching approximately 12,872 residents with an overall increase of 12.2% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Darlinghurst is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Darlinghurst has received approximately seven dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 37 homes. As of FY26, 14 approvals have been recorded. The population decline in recent years has resulted in adequate development activity relative to other areas, benefiting buyers due to more affordable housing options with an average construction cost value of $118,000. This financial year has seen $142.9 million in commercial development approvals, indicating high local commercial activity.

Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Darlinghurst has significantly less development activity, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings due to constrained new construction. New developments consist of 50% detached houses and 50% townhouses or apartments, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Despite the current mix suggesting otherwise, developers are building more traditional houses than at Census, indicating strong demand for family homes. Darlinghurst is expected to grow by 1,393 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Looking ahead, Darlinghurst is expected to grow by 1,393 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Darlinghurst has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 51 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Oxford & Foley, SCEGGS Darlinghurst Concept and Stage 1, St Vincent's Private Hospital East Wing, and Henri House. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The employment landscape in Darlinghurst shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Darlinghurst has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 4.6%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.6% over the past year as of June 2025.

There are 8,142 residents employed, and the unemployment rate is 0.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Darlinghurst is 72.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (2.1 times the regional level), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. Construction shows lower representation at 2.9% versus the regional average of 8.6%.

The area hosts more jobs than residents with a worker-to-resident ratio of 1.3. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.6%, and labour force increased by 0.4%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Darlinghurst's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.6% over five years and 14.9% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Darlinghurst's median income among taxpayers was $75,490 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $118,909 during the same period. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. By September 2025, based on a 12.61% increase in wages since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest Darlinghurst's median income will be approximately $85,009 and the average income will be around $133,903. Census data shows individual earnings in Darlinghurst are at the 98th percentile nationally, with a weekly income of $1,535. In terms of income distribution, 30.2% of Darlinghurst's population (3,456 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, which differs from regional patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 range dominates with 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (40.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Darlinghurst. High housing costs consume 21.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Darlinghurst features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Darlinghurst, as evaluated at the Census conducted on 9 August 2016, comprised 0.9% houses and 99.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metropolitan area's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Darlinghurst stood at 17.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.7% and rented dwellings at 63.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,964, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $550. Nationally, Darlinghurst's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as of June 2021, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 during the same period.

Darlinghurst features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 39.2% of all households, including 6.6% couples with children, 28.7% couples without children, and 3.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 60.8%, with lone person households at 51.7% and group households comprising 9.1%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

Darlinghurst demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Darlinghurst is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 63.9% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 41.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 18.5%, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 8.5%.

A total of 23.7% of the population is currently engaged in formal education, including 10.1% in tertiary, 3.0% in primary, and 1.8% in secondary education. Darlinghurst's three schools have a combined enrollment of 3,085 students. The area has an ICSEA score of 1211, indicating high educational advantage nationally. It offers one primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school, functioning as an education hub with 27.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 7.7, attracting students from neighboring communities.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis shows 30 active public transport stops in Darlinghurst, with a mix of bus services. These stops are served by 16 different routes, offering a total of 10,008 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 95 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,429 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 333 weekly trips per individual stop.

Darlinghurst's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Darlinghurst shows excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 80%, or 9,144 people, compared to Greater Sydney's 69.7%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in Darlinghurst, impacting 9.6% and 7.1% of residents respectively. A total of 74.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 77.4%. The area has 12.7%, or 1,455 people, aged 65 and over, higher than Greater Sydney's 9.7%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Darlinghurst is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Darlinghurst has a high level of cultural diversity, with 22.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 43.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Darlinghurst, comprising 30.3% of the population. Judaism is overrepresented in Darlinghurst compared to Greater Sydney, making up 2.2% of the population versus 1.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 25.2%, Australian at 14.6%, and Other at 13.9%. Some ethnic groups have notable differences: French is overrepresented at 1.5% compared to 1.1% regionally, Spanish remains the same at 1.0%, and Polish is slightly higher at 1.2% versus 0.9%.

Darlinghurst's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

In Darlinghurst, as of 2021, the median age was nearly 36 years, closely matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Darlinghurst had a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (32.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds was notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the proportion of Darlinghurst residents aged 25 to 34 increased from 30.8% to 32.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 decreased from 13.2% to 11.5%, and those aged 55 to 64 dropped from 11.3% to 10.0%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest significant changes in Darlinghurst's age profile, with the strongest growth expected among residents aged 75-84, projected to increase by 83%, adding 379 residents to reach 835. Residents aged 65 and above are projected to drive 54% of population growth, reflecting broader demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 is projected to decline by 68 people.