Rushcutters Bay

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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of the Rushcutters Bay statistical area (Lv2) is around 2,532. This reflects an increase of 197 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,335. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and six validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 15,825 persons per square kilometer, placing Rushcutters Bay (SA2) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 8.4% since the 2021 Census exceeded the state average of 7.6%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

AreaSearch is using 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 utilises 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, the Rushcutters Bay (SA2) population is forecasted to increase by 1,026 persons, reflecting a total increase of 39.6% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Rushcutters Bay had around 3 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21 and FY25, approximately 18 homes were approved, with 3 more in FY26 so far.

The population has declined recently, but development activity has been adequate relative to this decline. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,870,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rushcutters Bay has 73.0% fewer dwelling approvals per person. This constrained new construction often supports demand and pricing for existing homes. Recent development has been entirely attached dwellings, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 1646 people per dwelling approval, the market is highly mature.

By 2041, Rushcutters Bay is expected to grow by 1,003 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects potentially influencing this region. Notable ones are The Potts Point Hotel Redevelopment (Queensgate), Minerva Theatre Restoration, 45-53 Macleay Street Mixed-Use Development (The Chimes), and MONA. Below is a list of 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 Rushcutters Bay remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Rushcutters Bay has a highly educated workforce. The technology sector is prominently represented.

Its unemployment rate is 4.9%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,672 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate at 4.9%. This is 0.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Rushcutters Bay is 70.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area has a significant specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, indicated by the count of Census working population to local population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 1.2%, while employment declined by 1.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. As of 25-November-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rushcutters Bay's employment mix, local employment is expected to increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

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

The suburb of Rushcutters Bay had a median taxpayer income of $71,419 and an average income of $132,415 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. These figures place Rushcutters Bay among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003 in the same period. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, estimated incomes would be approximately $77,747 (median) and $144,147 (average). According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Rushcutters Bay stood at the 97th percentile nationally ($1,480 weekly), but household income ranked lower at the 57th percentile. The largest segment of earners comprised 31.1% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (787 residents). High housing costs consumed 21.0% of income, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 51st percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

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

The latest Census data shows that in Rushcutters Bay, 0.5% of dwellings were houses while the remaining 99.5% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments and other types of dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan area's dwelling structure which had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rushcutters Bay stood at 18.2%, higher than the Sydney metro average. Mortgaged dwellings made up 16.9% and rented ones accounted for 64.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rushcutters Bay was $2,600, lower than the Sydney metro average of $2,705. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure in Rushcutters Bay was $450 compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Rushcutters Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national average of $375.

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

Family households account for 31.9% of all households, including 5.9% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 3.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 68.1%, with lone person households at 62.0% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 1.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

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

Rushcutters Bay has a notably higher educational attainment than national and state averages. As of 2016, 65.5% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. The area's most common qualification is the Bachelor degree (42.0%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 20.3%, with advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 9.5%.

Notably, 23.3% of the population was actively pursuing formal education in 2016, including 10.6% in tertiary education, 3.7% in primary education, and 1.7% in secondary education.

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

Rushcutters Bay has four active public transport stops, all offering bus services. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 2,357 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents situated an average of 115 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 336 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 589 weekly trips per individual stop.

Rushcutters Bay's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Rushcutters Bay with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (2,000 people), compared to 68.5% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.7 and 7.8% of residents respectively, while 71.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney.

Rushcutters Bay has 20.2% of residents aged 65 and over (511 people), which is higher than the 9.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Rushcutters 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

Rushcutters Bay, as per the Australian Census data from June 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas. Specifically, 20.1% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home and 40.4% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Rushcutters Bay, comprising 33.9% of the population.

However, Judaism showed significant overrepresentation, with 2.4% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 1.1%. Regarding ancestry (country of birth of parents), English heritage dominated at 26.4%, substantially higher than the regional average of 19.8%. Australian heritage followed at 14.0%, and Other ancestry made up 12.5% of Rushcutters Bay's population. Notable differences in ethnic group representation included French (1.8% vs regional 1.1%), Spanish (1.1% vs regional 1.0%), and Hungarian (0.6% vs regional 0.4%).

Rushcutters Bay's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Rushcutters Bay is 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rushcutters Bay has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 75-84 has increased from 6.0% to 7.6%, while those aged 15-24 have risen from 4.8% to 6.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 29.0% to 27.7%. By 2041, Rushcutters Bay's age composition is expected to change significantly, with the 85+ group projected to grow by 170%, reaching 287 residents from a previous count of 106.