Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's population was 11,924 as of May 2021. By May 2026, it decreased to around 11,903, a drop of 21 people (0.2%). This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,846 in June 2025 and an additional 98 validated new addresses since May 2021. The population density was 2,315 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovered areas, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 using 2021 as the base year are applied. Growth rates by age group are used for all areas from 2032 to 2041. By 2041, a population increase of around 1,016 persons is projected, reflecting an 8.1% gain over 16 years based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has averaged approximately 42 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with a total of 213 homes approved during this period. In FY-26, up to June, there have been 36 dwelling approvals. Despite a decline in population, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average value of new dwellings is $1,502,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $443.4 million in commercial approvals, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has slightly more development, approximately 22.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods, which is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 31.0% detached dwellings and 69.0% townhouses or apartments.

This shift towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns, which are currently 46.0% houses. This trend may indicate diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 527 people per dwelling approval, Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay shows a developed market. Future projections estimate that the area will add approximately 959 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Kincoppal-Rose Bay School Campus Masterplan, Wilberforce Avenue Car Park Redevelopment, 88-96 Newcastle Street Rose Bay, and Parsley Bay Pump Station. 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.5% as of December 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.1%.

There were 6,404 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 1.7% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 65.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. A high 57.7% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance sectors.

The area has a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical services with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. Meanwhile, transport, postal & warehousing sector has limited presence with 1.7% employment compared to 5.3% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 3.1% while the labour force grew by 3.2%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay SA2 had exceptionally high national income levels according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $80,453 and the average income stood at $207,015, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $88,756 (median) and $228,379 (average) as of March 2026. Census data revealed household, family and personal incomes all ranked highly in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, between the 97th and 99th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile showed the $4000+ bracket dominated with 45.5% of residents (5,415 people), diverging from the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominated at 30.9%. A significant 56.0% earned above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounted for 13.5% of income while strong earnings ranked residents within the 99th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 46.1% houses and 53.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in the area was at 44.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.2% and rented ones at 27.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,195, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in the area was $713, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.4% of all households, including 36.8% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 26.6%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households comprising 2.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay is notably higher than national and state averages. Specifically, 55.0% of residents aged 15 years and over have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.9% and graduate diplomas at 3.3%. Vocational pathways account for 17.6% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, with advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 7.8%.

Educational participation is high in the area, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in secondary education, 9.8% in primary education, and 7.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has 135 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 41 individual routes, collectively providing 6,651 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 126 meters from the nearest stop. The area is primarily residential, with most commuters traveling outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 76%, while 9% walk. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 57.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 950 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 49 weekly trips per individual stop. The map accompanying this analysis shows the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence (reported on 20th April 2021). The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, with arthritis being the most common at 6.1%, followed by asthma at 5.3%. A total of 76.1% of residents reported no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney.

The area has a high private health cover rate of approximately 92% (11,010 people), which is significantly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 59.9%, and the national average of 55.7%. As of 30th June 2020, 23.8% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,831 people), higher than the Greater Sydney average of 15.5%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in the area are strong and largely in line with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 18.3% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 37.6% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay, comprising 42.9%. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented, making up 23.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (22.3%), Australian (16.9%), and Other (14.7%). Notably, South Australian ancestry was higher at 3.8% than the regional average of 0.5%, Polish was 2.3% compared to 0.6%, and Russian was 1.8% versus 0.4%.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay is 44, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeds the national norm of 38. The age group of 75-84 years has a strong representation at 9.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 9.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 7.2% to 9.0% of the population between 2016 and 2021. During this period, the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.3% to 15.0%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group declined from 15.1% to 13.4%, and the 5 to 14 age group dropped from 13.0% to 11.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 85%, reaching 925 people from the current figure of 499. This growth will be led by an aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 78% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.