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Suburb profile ·Bayside (NSW) LGA · NSW ·2216

Rockdale NSW 2216

Rockdale is in Bayside (NSW) LGA, NSW, postcode 2216, with population 15,475.

The read

Premium-market

There are enough stretched or weaker signals here that you should assume trade-offs rather than a clean story. Use compare mode to see whether the downside is price, local quality, or weaker momentum before treating it as a target suburb.

$750/wk
Rising
+7.1% YoY
Mar 2025 → May 2026 · 15 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2216 · May 2026
$750
$670
Mar 2025May 2026
Why it fits

Population scale is large enough to avoid reading this as a tiny locality only. School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

What to check

Premium pricing raises the bar for yield, affordability, and downside checks. Gross yield looks low for an income-first use case.

Read full evidence → Compare suburb Run calculator
Median house
$1.8M
House median, latest period
→0.0%YoY D9 vs AU
Median rent
$750/wk
Income-stretched rent market
↑7.1%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
2.1%
Low yield band
D6 vs AU
Population
15,475
15K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
4
Matched school context
D10 vs AU
Drive to city
19 min
16.3 km to Sydney CBD · free-flow
Transit to city
56 min
Public transport to Sydney CBD · weekday 8am
Solar
1,200
112 added 12mo · 9MW
Price cycleAt its peak
LowPeak

At / near its all-time high

See trend depth →

Price history

House and unit medians · ABS + state datasets

Houses to Q4'25 · Units to Q2'26 — house and unit medians are released on separate cycles, so their latest period can differ.

Trend & investor depth

Derived from this suburb's own price, rent and income history
Cycle positionAt its peak
Low · 2006Peak · 2025

At / near its all-time high

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
+7.3%
5-yr
+4.2%
10-yr
+5.2%
Affordability trajectoryWorsening
Price
+8.8%/yr
Income
+7.2%/yr

Growth in median price vs median household income — worsening — prices outgrowing incomes.

Indicative cashflow-$1,181/wk (-$61,394/yr) · interest-only @ 6.2%, 80% LVR
Market turnover2.7% of homes traded/yr (163 sales · -49% vs 3-yr avg)
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±2.9% around trend (short window, 15 pts)
Value vs advantage+161% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 3)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Composite · growth · yield · stability
Fgrade · 18/100 · top 82% of 3,605AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 18% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth19
Rental yield22
Stability41
Volatility-11.1ppCycle-2.0Affordability-1.5

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Rockdale

Owner-occupied 51%Rented 49%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared7.4%
1,434 of 2,907 landlords
Avg rental loss$10,063/yr
Landlords (rental income)2,907
Reported capital gains1,250
Investor exposure index(moderate vs national)61.2/100
The read

Renter-heavy market

50% of homes here are owner-occupied and 47% rented, with 7% of landlords negatively geared.

What to check

47% rented — renter-heavy areas turn over faster and are more exposed to rate moves and investor sentiment. Gross yield 2.1% is thin for a rental-led market.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

RBA rate · ABS Census 2021 household income
106%
of household income to service a new loan
24.6 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $8,765/mo vs median rent $3,250/mo (+170% · +$1273/wk)

If rates move

At 4.0%: $6,980/mo (-1,786) · at 6.0% (current): $8,765/mo · at 8.0%: $10,728/mo (+1,962)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Similar-priced suburbs in other council areas that rate higher on a metric.

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying & renting · ABS Census + state data
Buying
18.4x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
39%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $2,167/mo, while renters pay about $3,250/mo — renting runs $1,083/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$1.83M
Household income · yr
$99K
Median rent · wk
$750
Owner mortgage · mo
$2,167
Gross yield
2.1%

Household income

ABS Census · ATO
$99K household · yr+20.4% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$42K
Family
$105K
Household
$99K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)fewer than 11% could service the median house
Under $300
206
$300-649
526
$650-999
569
$1,000-1,499
779
$1,500-1,999
700
$2,000-2,999
1,307
$3,000-3,999
627
$4,000+
582

Serviceability line: a household needs about $6,743/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 68% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,500/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$43K → $56K

Housing stock and tenure

ABS Census 2021
Tenure (5,592 households)2.2% social housing
Owned outright
22%
Owned with mortgage
27%
Rented
47%
Dwelling structure10.4% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
24%
Townhouse / semi
4%
Flat / apartment
70%

Getting to work: 38% drive, 18% public transport, 4% walk or cycle, 31% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

ACARA 2025
Total4
Avg ICSEA1064
Students770
Catholic1
Government2
Independent1
  • St Dominic Savio SchoolPrimary · Independent · ICSEA 1053
  • Kyeemagh Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1057
  • Rockdale Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1053Zoned
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1092

1 of 4 schools here operate published enrolment zones (catchments). Zone boundaries set eligibility — check the official source for the exact catchment. Not enrolment advice.

Livability

OSM · GTFS · schools + hospitals
88/ 100 livability index

Top 12% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 88% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access94
Public transport (34 stops)72
Schools & hospitals81

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
4,378
2,355 per 100k
D4 vs AU

Crime

lga
Rate · per 100k2,355
Total incidents4,378· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault1,01265%
  • Sexual Offences23915%
  • Robbery181%
  • Break And Enter29719%

Bushfire exposure

NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land
No mapped exposure ~0.0%
~0.0% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Short-term rentals

Inside Airbnb
60
active listings · ~3.9 per 1,000 residents
43%
entire homes (vs private rooms)
67%
run by multi-listing operators

Active Airbnb listings point-mapped to this suburb from Inside Airbnb (CC BY 4.0). Occupancy and revenue are estimates from Inside Airbnb's San Francisco model (review-rate proxy, minimum-stay assumption, occupancy capped at 70%) — they are gross, indicative, and not a guarantee of returns. Short-stay letting is subject to state and local regulation.

Planning zones

NSW Land Zoning (EPI)
Dominant zone Low Density Residential
Residential 48% Commercial / Mixed 10% Public / Open space 8% Other 8% Industrial 7%
Residential density: Low · 8% growth-zoned

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

ABS projection · Rockdale - Banksia SA2 area · 2022 base
20,212 people · 202224,535 by 2032 (+21.4%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Rockdale - Banksia SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Rockdale NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Rockdale is an established suburb in New South Wales within the Bayside (NSW) local government area (postcode 2216). It is home to about 15,475 residents, with a blend of families and working-age professionals and a median age of 34. Households earn a median income of $99K per year, with an average household size of 2.6 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.9% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, labourers, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are Chinese, Australian, English.

The median house price in Rockdale is $1.8 million, broadly unchanged over the past year. Units have a median price of $713,000 (+1.9% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $750. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,167.

Rockdale is served by 4 schools, including 4 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1064, which is above the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 3 rail stations, 31 bus stops. The crime rate in the Bayside (NSW) LGA is below average at 2,355 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 2.1% (low yield). Property prices are near the state median ($1.8M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 18.4x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +0.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.9% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield2.1%↓ Low Yield
Price vs State$1.8M/$1.5M· Near Median
Affordability18.4x↓ Stretched
Price Momentum+0.0%· Stable
Pop. Growth+0.9%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$2,167
Rent · wk(Census)$460
Market rent · wk(2026-05)$750
Gross yield1.3%
Price / income18.4x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2025-Q4)10
Population growth · Bayside (NSW) LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)187,770
5-year growth+1.3% CAGR
YoY change+0.9%
20012025
Development · Bayside (NSW) LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)590
Houses 22%Units 78%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Bayside (NSW) LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.3%
YoY change+0.1pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2216ATO
Negatively geared7.4%
1,434 of filers
Avg rental loss$10,063/yr
Landlords (rental income)2,907
Reported capital gains1,250
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population15,475
Median age34
Household size2.6
HH income · wk$1,906
Personal income · wk$801
Persons / bedroom1.1
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$56,475
Mean income$64,118
Earners15,615
YoY change+12.2%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)3/10
Education (IEO)8/10
Economic (IER)1/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)7/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,635 → $1,906
Change+16.6%
vs NSW median-4 pp
Median rent-2.1%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Top occupationsCensus
Professionals1,749Labourers1,062Community & Personal Service1,007Clerical & Administrative928Technicians & Trades882
Top industriesCensus
Healthcare1,220Retail Trade821Accommodation & Food815Professional Services645Admin Services508
Top ancestryCensus
Chinese1,984Australian1,463English1,446Macedonian933Lebanese624
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets4
Pharmacies6
GP / clinics1
Fuel stations6
Cafes & dining24
aldi2
woolworths1
TransportGTFS
Rail stations3
Bus stops31
Railway St Before Villiers St
Rockdale Station, Geeves Av, Stand A
Rockdale Station, Princes Hwy, Stand E
Hospitals · Bayside (NSW) LGAAIHW
Public1
Private3
St George Hospital NSWpublic
Aesthetic Day Surgeryprivate
St George Private Hospitalprivate
Wesley Hospital Kogarahprivate
Aged care · Bayside (NSW) LGAGEN
Facilities20
Residential places1,554
Huntingdon Gardens Aged Care Facility171 places
Estia Health Bexley Park146 places
Macquarie Lodge Aged Care Plus Centre130 places
Heritage Botany112 places
Scalabrini Village Nursing Home (Bexley)110 places
St Patrick's Green96 places
+14 more in Bayside (NSW) LGA
Childcare · Bayside (NSW) LGAACECQA
Services120
Approved places6,882
Exceeding NQS23
SCECS OSHC St Therese Mascot164 places
Star Club139 places
Bexley North Public School P and C Before and After Child Care Centre120 places
Daceyville OSHClub120 places
Ramsgate Out of School Hours Care Centre Inc120 places
SCECS OSHC St Francis Xavier's Arncliffe120 places
+114 more in Bayside (NSW) LGA
Nearby in Bayside (NSW) LGA12
Kogarah$2.1M · 16,416Arncliffe$1.9M · 12,023Bexley$1.7M · 19,646Sans Souci$2.0M · 10,864Mascot$1.9M · 21,591Botany$2.4M · 12,960Wolli Creek$1.4M · 10,654Brighton-Le-Sands$2.1M · 8,336Eastlakes$2.2M · 6,347Hillsdale$2.2M · 5,647Bexley North$1.9M · 4,281Bardwell Valley$1.9M · 2,344
Tax calculatorsaustax.tools
Stamp Duty CalculatorNSW ↗Land Tax CalculatorNSW ↗Capital Gains Tax↗Depreciation Calculator↗Investment Property Tax↗
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Rockdale has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2025-Q4 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-05 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 4 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 34 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.
Greater Sydney

Rockdale sits in Sydney — explore the metro.

Rockdale FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Rockdale in?

    Rockdale is in the Bayside (NSW) Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2216. Council-level context for Bayside (NSW) LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Rockdale?

    The current median house price in Rockdale, NSW is $1.8M, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Rockdale?

    The median weekly rent in Rockdale is $750/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Rockdale?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 69% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Rockdale a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Rockdale show: Low Yield, Near Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Rockdale?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Rockdale data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.