Darlinghurst

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Darlinghurst is around 11,492, reflecting an increase of 877 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents an 8.3% increase from the previous census figure of 10,615 residents. The latest Estimated Residential Population (ERP) data release by the ABS in June 2024 indicates a resident population of 11,411 in Darlinghurst, with an additional 74 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this increase. This results in a population density ratio of 13,362 persons per square kilometer, placing Darlinghurst among the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch due to its high land demand. The suburb's population growth rate of 8.3% since the 2021 Census exceeds the state average of 7.8%, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 97.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, Darlinghurst is expected to grow by approximately 1,432 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 11.8% 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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Darlinghurst has experienced around 7 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 37 homes. So far in FY-26, 14 approvals have been recorded. Commercial development approvals total $142.9 million this financial year.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Darlinghurst has significantly less development activity, with 89.0% below the regional average per person. Recent construction comprises 50.0% detached dwellings and 50.0% attached dwellings. The location has approximately 22535 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate Darlinghurst will gain 1,351 residents by 2041.

Population forecasts indicate Darlinghurst will gain 1,351 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 52 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Oxford & Foley, SCEGGS Darlinghurst Concept and Stage 1, St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst Campus Redevelopment, and East Sydney Collection. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

Employment conditions in Darlinghurst remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Darlinghurst has a highly educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 4.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. By December 2025, Darlinghurst had 7,897 residents employed, with an unemployment rate at 4.2% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

The workforce participation rate was 76.4%, higher than Greater Sydney's 70.2%. According to Census responses, 61.1% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Darlinghurst specializes in professional & technical services with an employment share twice the regional level.

Conversely, construction is under-represented at 2.9% compared to Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a ratio of 1.3 workers per resident, functioning as an employment hub attracting external workers. Between December 2024 and December 2025, Darlinghurst saw its labour force decrease by 0.2% and employment decrease by 0.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Darlinghurst's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Darlinghurst suburb has a median taxpayer income of $75,490 and an average income of $118,909 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, current estimates project the median income to be approximately $82,178 and the average income to be around $129,444, accounting for an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census figures, individual earnings in Darlinghurst stand at the 98th percentile nationally, which is $1,535 weekly. Income analysis reveals that 30.2% of residents (3,470 people) fall into the $4,000+ bracket, contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Darlinghurst demonstrates significant affluence with 40.6% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 21.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 74th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Darlinghurst features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Darlinghurst, as evaluated at the Census conducted in 2016, comprised 0.9% houses and 99.1% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan area's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Darlinghurst was at 17.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (19.7%) or rented (63.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Darlinghurst was $2,964, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $550, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Darlinghurst's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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% composed of couples with children, 28.7% consisting of couples without children, and 3.2% made up of single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 60.8%, with lone person households comprising 51.7% and group households accounting for 9.1%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Darlinghurst's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 63.9% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This high level of educational attainment positions Darlinghurst favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common (41.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%).

Vocational pathways account for 18.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 8.5%. A significant portion of the population is actively engaged in education, with 23.7% pursuing formal education. This includes 10.1% in tertiary education, 3.0% in primary education, and 1.8% in secondary education.

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

Darlinghurst has 42 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These are covered by 17 different routes, offering a total of 11,632 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average 92 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Walking is common at 36%, while 14% use trains. Vehicle ownership averages 0.2 per dwelling, below the regional norm.

As of the 2021 Census, 61.1% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,661 trips daily, equating to about 276 weekly trips per stop.

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

Darlinghurst's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 74% of Darlinghurst's total population (8,474 people) have private health cover, compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 9.6 and 7.1% of residents respectively. Notably, 74.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 13.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,539 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors in Darlinghurst are strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

Darlinghurst 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

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 main religion in Darlinghurst, making up 30.3% of people. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 2.2% of Darlinghurst's population.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.2%), Australian (14.6%), and Other (13.9%). French (1.5%), Spanish (1.0%), and Hungarian (0.5%) ethnicities are notably overrepresented in Darlinghurst compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 0.6%, and 0.3% respectively.

Darlinghurst's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Darlinghurst's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 and modestly under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Darlinghurst has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds at 32.2%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 2.7%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, Darlinghurst's population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 30.8% to 32.2%, while those aged 75 to 84 increased from 3.3% to 4.4%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 13.2% to 11.5%, and the 55-64 group dropped from 11.3% to 10.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Darlinghurst's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 67%, adding 338 residents to reach 844. Meanwhile, the 35-44 age group is expected to contract by 76 residents.