$475 —
Higher than 95% of urban centre areas.
- 2016: $450
- 2021: $475
Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.
Sydney · Urban Centre
Housing & Dwellings in Sydney
Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.
Typical monthly mortgage payments of $2,500 make Sydney one of the most expensive places to live in the country. High costs define the housing market here, where rents and loans are well above national figures. This financial pressure is reflected in a growing number of renters and a decline in those who own their homes outright.
$475
—
- $0–$21: 2 areas
- $21–$43: 6 areas
- $43–$64: 18 areas
- $64–$86: 38 areas
- $86–$107: 35 areas
- $107–$129: 46 areas
- $129–$150: 25 areas
- $150–$171: 104 areas
- $171–$193: 82 areas
- $193–$214: 143 areas
- $214–$236: 130 areas
- $236–$257: 175 areas
- $257–$279: 114 areas
- $279–$300: 125 areas
- $300–$321: 194 areas
- $321–$343: 101 areas
- $343–$364: 128 areas
- $364–$386: 82 areas
- $386–$407: 92 areas
- $407–$429: 41 areas
- $429–$450: 24 areas
- $450–$471: 32 areas
- $471–$493: 13 areas
- $493–$514: 19 areas
- $514–$536: 14 areas
- $536–$557: 9 areas
- $557–$579: 6 areas
- $579–$600: 15 areas
All urban centre areas, 2021. The marker is Sydney — higher than 95% of areas.
| Sydney | $475 |
|---|---|
| 2165, NSW | $400 |
| New South Wales | $420 |
| Australia | $375 |
Housing costs
Rents, mortgages and crowding.
Typical weekly rents are $475, which is well above the Australian figure of $375. Home loans are also costly, with the usual monthly payment of $2,500 sitting well above the national figure of $1,863.
$2,500 ▲ +14.0%
Higher than 99% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: $2,193
- 2016: $2,167
- 2021: $2,500
Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.
Weekly rent distribution
View on map →In Sydney, the largest group is $350–$549 at 44%, followed by $550–$749 (24%) and $200–$349 (12%).
Monthly mortgage distribution
View on map →Sydney splits fairly evenly between $3,000 or more (38%) and $1,800–$2,999 (34%), with $1,000–$1,799 at 17%.
Owning & renting
How homes are owned or rented.
Renters make up 37.3% of households, a figure well above the national average. Meanwhile, the proportion of people who own their home outright is 26.8%, which is well below the Australian figure of 31.0%.
37.3% ▲ +14.8%
Higher than 85% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 32.5%
- 2016: 35.3%
- 2021: 37.3%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.
26.8% ▼ -9.9%
Lower than 81% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 29.8%
- 2016: 28.3%
- 2021: 26.8%
Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).
How homes are owned or rented
View on map →Sydney splits fairly evenly between Rented (37%) and Owned with a mortgage (33%), with Owned outright at 27%.
Types of homes
Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.
Separate houses make up 52.5% of homes, far below the national figure of 72.3%. Because there are fewer large homes, the number of people per bedroom is 1.00, which is well above the national average.
1.00 ▼ -16.7%
Higher than 90% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 1.20
- 2016: 1.00
- 2021: 1.00
Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.
52.5% ▼ -9.2%
Lower than 99% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 57.9%
- 2016: 53.7%
- 2021: 52.5%
Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.
62.3% ▼ -3.1%
Lower than 89% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 64.3%
- 2016: 63.1%
- 2021: 62.3%
Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.
Types of homes
View on map →In Sydney, Separate house is the majority at 53%; Flat or apartment is next at 34%.
Bedrooms per home
View on map →Sydney splits fairly evenly between 3 bedrooms (31%) and 2 bedrooms (27%), with 4 bedrooms at 24%.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Sydney
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Housing & Dwellings in Sydney [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL101001/sydney/topic/housing-dwellings