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 Rushcutters Bay is around 2,525. This figure reflects an increase of 190 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,335. The current estimate is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, showing a resident population of 2,536. This growth rate of 8.1% exceeds both the state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, positioning Rushcutters Bay as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase. AreaSearch's projections for Rushcutters Bay are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a 2022 base year.

For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government SA2 level projections from 2022 with a 2021 base year are used. These projections anticipate significant population growth nationwide, with Rushcutters Bay expected to increase by 1,034 persons to reach 3,559 by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 40.3% 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 indicates Rushcutters Bay had virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years. Between FY21 and FY25, an estimated 4 homes were approved, with another 3 approved so far in FY26. The population has declined over recent years, yet development activity has been adequate relative to this decline, which is positive for buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $1,870,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This year, $47,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rushcutters Bay records markedly lower building activity, at 94.0% below the regional average per person. The scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though recent periods show an increase in development activity. This is under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. All new construction has been townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The location has approximately 1234 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Rushcutters Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. These include The Potts Point Hotel Redevelopment (Queensgate), 45-53 Macleay Street Mixed-Use Development (The Chimes), MONA, and Barncleuth Square, Elizabeth Bay.

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

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The employment landscape in Rushcutters Bay shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Rushcutters Bay has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 4.7%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relatively consistent. The area's unemployment rate is 0.5% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, while workforce participation stands at 70.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.9 times the regional level), finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. Construction employment is limited at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.4%, while employment decreased by 0.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rushcutters Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows median income in Rushcutters Bay at $71,419 and average income at $132,415. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856 for the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from financial year ending June 2022 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $80,425 (median) and $149,113 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings in Rushcutters Bay rank at the 97th percentile nationally ($1,480 weekly), but household income ranks lower at the 57th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 31.1% of locals (785 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort also represents 30.9%. High housing costs consume 21.0% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 51st percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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

In Rushcutters Bay, as per the latest Census, 0.5% of dwellings were houses while 99.5% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Sydney metropolitan areas where 2.3% were houses and 97.7% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Rushcutters Bay stood at 18.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 16.9% and rented dwellings at 64.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, below the Sydney metro average of $2,705. Weekly rent median in Rushcutters Bay was $450, compared to Sydney's $550. Nationally, Rushcutters Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure 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 constitute 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 higher educational attainment than national and state averages. 65.5% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 42.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational pathways account for 20.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 9.5%.

A total of 23.3% of the population is actively pursuing education, including 10.6% in tertiary education, 3.7% in primary education, and 1.7% in secondary education. Educational facilities seem to be located outside Rushcutters Bay's immediate boundaries, necessitating families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Rushcutters Bay has three active public transport stops, each serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are serviced by five individual routes in total, collectively providing 2063 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 115 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 294 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 687 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 was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (1,995 people), compared to 69.7% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues impacting 10.7% of residents and asthma impacting 7.8%, while 71.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney.

As of a recent report (2021), Rushcutters Bay has 20.4% of residents aged 65 and over (515 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's population, as per the 2016 Census, showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas. 20.1% spoke a language other than English at home, while 40.4% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 33.9%.

However, Judaism's representation stood out at 2.4%, more than double Greater Sydney's average of 1.1%. In terms of ancestry, English (26.4%) and Australian (14.0%) were the top groups, with Other (12.5%) also notable. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French was overrepresented at 1.8% compared to 1.1% regionally, Spanish at 1.1% versus 1.0%, and Hungarian at 0.6% against 0.4%.

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

The median age in Rushcutters Bay is 38 years, which is 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 (27.6%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.5%). This proportion is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 6.0% to 7.7%, while those aged 15 to 24 have increased from 4.8% to 6.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 29.0% to 27.6%. By the year 2041, Rushcutters Bay is projected to experience significant shifts in its age composition, with the population aged 85 and above expected to grow by 169%, reaching 292 people from an initial count of 108.