Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay
Statistical Area - sa2

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 Aug 2021. As of Aug 2025, the population is around 11,881, a decrease of 43 people (0.4%). This change is inferred from ABS estimates: 11,858 in Jun 2024 and an additional 81 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 2,311 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the population is projected to increase by 1,102 persons, a gain of 9.1% over 17 years.

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. A total of 213 homes were approved during this period, with an additional 12 approved so far in FY-26. Despite a decrease in population, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a well-balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $3,324,000, 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, with 20.0% 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 also under the national average. This suggests 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 suggest that the area will add approximately 1,078 residents by 2041. Based on 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 10% nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 41 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Kew Hillcrest Rose Bay, Kincoppal-Rose Bay School Campus Masterplan, Atlas Rose Bay, and Everose Rose Bay - Luxury Apartments. 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 June 2025, which is lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. There were 6,554 residents employed while workforce participation was 58.0%, slightly below Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Professional & technical services have a particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence with only 1.7% of employment compared to the regional average of 5.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.3% while labour force grew by 2.4%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable at 1.7%. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion in employment over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.6% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay has an exceptionally high national income level according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $78,430 and the average income stands at $210,505, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $88,320 (median) and $237,050 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly in Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay, between the 97th and 99th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 45.5% of residents (5,405 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, diverging 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, and residents rank 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 dwelling structure, 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 the 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 average of $3,600. Median weekly rent in the area was $713, compared to Sydney metro's $670. Nationally, Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $4,195 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national 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 comprise the remaining 26.6%, with lone person households at 24.1% and group households making up 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. 55.0% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees lead at 36.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational pathways account for 17.6%.

Advanced diplomas make up 9.8% and certificates 7.8%. Educational participation is high, 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. A robust network of 7 schools operates within the area, educating approximately 2,741 students. The area demonstrates exceptional educational performance (ICSEA: 1156), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (23.1 places per 100 residents vs 15.9 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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 104 active public transport stops. These include a mix of ferry and bus services. There are 41 individual routes operating in total.

Collectively, these routes provide 4,117 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 126 meters. Service frequency averages 588 trips per day across all routes. This 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 (11,156 people) has private health cover, compared to 89.7% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.1%) and asthma (5.3%), with 76.1% of residents reporting no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 77.6%.

The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.6% (2,800 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 16.4%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's health profile.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Rose Bay-Vaucluse-Watsons Bay is more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 18.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 37.6% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in this area, comprising 42.9% of people. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented at 23.2%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 16.0%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.3%), Australian (16.9%), and Other (14.7%). Notably, South African descent is overrepresented at 3.8% versus the regional average of 2.4%, Polish at 2.3% versus 1.9%, and Russian at 1.8% versus 1.6%.

Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay is 44, surpassing Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and 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 460. Those aged 65 and above will comprise 80% of the projected population growth, while the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.