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 the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it is estimated to be around 11,909, a decrease of 15 people (0.1%). This change is inferred from an ABS estimate of 11,857 in June 2024 and the addition of 92 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density as of Nov 2025 is 2,316 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for the area are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia figures released in 2024 with a 2022 base year, and NSW State Government SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the population is projected to increase by 1,102 persons, reflecting an 8.8% gain over the 17-year period 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. During this period, a total of 213 homes were approved, with an additional 19 approved so far in FY-26. 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 developed 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, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Comparatively, Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has experienced slightly more development than the Greater Sydney average per person over the past five years, maintaining 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 in the area 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 with future projections estimating an addition of 1,050 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 strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 41 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Kincoppal-Rose Bay School Campus Masterplan, Wilberforce Avenue Car Park Redevelopment, Parsley Bay Pump Station, and 88-96 Newcastle Street Rose Bay. The following list details projects most relevant to the area.

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

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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. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.8%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.3% over the past year.

There are 6,356 residents in work, and the unemployment rate is 1.4% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is 58.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical (1.6 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence with 1.7% employment compared to 5.3% regionally.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data. In the past year, employment increased by 2.3%, while labour force grew by 2.6%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.1% and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. 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.

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 a high national income level according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $78,430 and the average income stood at $210,505. This compares to figures for Greater Sydney's of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on a 12.61% growth in wages since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $88,320 (median) and $237,050 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, between the 97th and 99th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile reveals that 45.5% of residents (5,418 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, differing from the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. A significant 56.0% earn above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 13.5% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 99th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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 dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 46.1% houses and 53.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 18.3% houses and 81.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in this area stood 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 $3,600. Weekly rent median was $713, compared to Sydney metro's $670. Nationally, these figures are significantly higher for mortgage repayments ($1,863) and substantially above the national rent figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

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 shows significant superiority over broader benchmarks. Specifically, 55.0% of residents aged 15 years and above possess university qualifications, compared to Australia's national average of 30.4% and New South Wales' rate of 32.2%. This high educational attainment is primarily composed of bachelor degrees (36.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 17.6%, with advanced diplomas making up 9.8% and certificates comprising 7.8%.

Educational participation in the area is notably high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education programs. 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, and Watsons Bay have 104 active public transport stops. These comprise a mix of ferry and bus services, with 41 individual routes operating in total. Collectively, these routes provide 4,117 weekly passenger trips.

The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 126 meters from the nearest stop. Services run frequently, averaging 588 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 39 weekly trips per individual stop.

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 with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Approximately 94% of its total population (11,182 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 89.7%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.1% and 5.3% of residents respectively. A total of 76.1% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 77.6%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.6% (2,806 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 16.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, closely mirroring the general population's health profile.

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 was found to be culturally diverse, with 18.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. This figure is higher than the national average of 20.9%. Additionally, 37.6% of the population in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay was born overseas, compared to the Australian average of 29.8%.

Christianity was found to be the main religion in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay, with 42.9% of people identifying as such. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented in this area, comprising 23.2% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 16.0%. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay were English (22.3%), Australian (16.9%), and Other (14.7%). There were also notable divergences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: South African was overrepresented at 3.8% compared to the regional average of 2.4%, Polish at 2.3% (regional average: 1.9%), and Russian at 1.8% (regional average: 1.6%).

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

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay has a median age of 44, which exceeds Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and is significantly higher than the national norm of 38. The area has a strong representation of the 75-84 age group at 9.1%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 8.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 7.2% to 9.1% of the population, and the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 13.3% to 14.8%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 15.1% to 13.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's age profile. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 105%, reaching 945 people from 462. Those aged 65 and above will comprise 80% of the projected population growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.