New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Surry Hills NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Surry Hills, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Surry Hills NSW is 15,828 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Surry Hills is $1,442 per week ($74,984 per year). Median rent in Surry Hills is $550 per week ($2,383 per month). Surry Hills has a median age of 35 years, younger than the national median of 38. Surry Hills has a population density of 12023.7 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Surry Hills is England. The most common religion is No Religion (60% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surry Hills is $2,839.

There were 913 recorded offences in Surry Hills in 2025-26, a rate of 58 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (256 offences).

Surry Hills Map

📍

Loading map…

Surry Hills Population

residents (Census 2021)

Surry Hills Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$1,442/wk

$74,984 per year

#150 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$550/wk

$2,383 per month

#360 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

35years

3 years younger than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$2,839/mo

Avg household size: 1.8 · 1.1 per bedroom

Surry Hills Demographics

Gender Split

Male 58.2% (9,214) Female 41.8% (6,615)

Population Density

12023.7

people per km²

15,828 people · 1.3 km²

Households

1.8

Avg household size

1.1

Persons per bedroom

$3,551

Family income/wk

Surry Hills Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Surry Hills Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

42.8% 1,071 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

57.2% 1,429 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Surry Hills Country of Birth

Australia

76.0%

England

10.5%

China

3.6%

Indonesia

2.0%

India

1.9%

France

1.8%

Brazil

1.4%

Hong Kong

1.0%

Canada

0.9%

Germany

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Surry Hills Religion

No Religion

59.5%

Catholic

15.1%

Not stated

9.6%

Buddhism

5.2%

Anglican

5.2%

Eastern Orthodox

2.2%

Islam

1.7%

Christian (other)

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Surry Hills Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

89.6%

Year 10 or equivalent

6.0%

Year 11 or equivalent

3.0%

Year 9 or equivalent

1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Surry Hills Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin

16.5%

Spanish

14.8%

Thai

14.8%

Other

13.4%

Cantonese

13.0%

SAL Tot

11.9%

French

9.0%

Italian

6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Surry Hills Employment

💼

Employed full-time

55.1% 7,113 people

⏰

Employed part-time

16.5% 2,136 people

🔍

Unemployed

3.9% 507 people

🏠

Not in labour force

24.5% 3,163 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Surry Hills Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

51.6%

Postgraduate Degree

22.8%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

12.4%

Certificate III/IV

7.9%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.6%

Certificate I/II

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Surry Hills Occupation

Professionals

50.7%

Managers

20.8%

Clerical & Administrative

8.6%

Technicians & Trade Workers

5.4%

Community & Personal Service

5.4%

Sales Workers

4.9%

Labourers

2.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Surry Hills Field of Study

Management & Commerce

31.0%

Society & Culture

19.5%

Creative Arts

12.6%

Health

8.2%

Engineering

6.9%

Information Technology

5.4%

Natural & Physical Sciences

4.6%

Architecture & Building

4.3%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

3.4%

Education

3.3%

Agriculture & Environment

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Surry Hills Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

92.9%

Separate house

3.6%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Surry Hills Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.6%

$1-$149/wk

0.6%

$150-$299/wk

1.8%

$300-$399/wk

3.5%

$400-$499/wk

4.4%

$500-$649/wk

2.7%

$650-$799/wk

3.3%

$800-$999/wk

3.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

4.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.1%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.0%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

14.2%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

4.9%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

7.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

3.4%

$4,000+/wk

29.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Surry Hills Marital Status

💍

Married

19.5% 2,910

↔️

Separated

2.2% 324

📋

Divorced

7.7% 1,151

🕊️

Widowed

2.2% 334

👤

Never married

68.4% 10,234

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Surry Hills Ancestry

English

25.8%

Other

17.0%

Australian

16.7%

Irish

10.8%

Chinese

8.2%

Scottish

7.7%

Italian

3.8%

German

3.3%

Indian

1.8%

Greek

1.8%

French

1.8%

Spanish

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Surry Hills School & University Attendance

Vocational Education

42.9%

Primary — Government

24.3%

Pre-school

9.8%

Secondary — Government

8.9%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

5.8%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

3.4%

Secondary — Catholic

3.4%

Primary — Catholic

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Surry Hills Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

4.0% 1,164

✅

No need for assistance

96.0% 28,050

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Surry Hills Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

14.7% 2,023

—

Not a volunteer

85.3% 11,696

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Surry Hills Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

6.8%

$300-$449/mo

1.4%

$450-$599/mo

1.1%

$600-$799/mo

3.2%

$800-$999/mo

2.9%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

9.7%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

11.5%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

20.4%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

16.5%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

26.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Surry Hills How People Get to Work

Walked only

27.2%

Did not go to work

23.4%

Car (driver)

21.8%

Train

9.0%

Bus

5.9%

Bicycle

3.9%

Tram/Light Rail

2.3%

Car (passenger)

2.3%

Motorbike/Scooter

1.8%

Other

1.3%

Taxi/Rideshare

1.0%

Truck

0.2%

Ferry

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Surry Hills Car Ownership

0 vehicles

48.2%

1 vehicle

42.3%

2 vehicles

8.0%

3 vehicles

1.0%

4+ vehicles

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Surry Hills Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

39.9%

2 bedrooms

39.4%

3 bedrooms

14.4%

4 bedrooms

4.5%

5 bedrooms

1.3%

6+ bedrooms

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Surry Hills Population Mobility

33.0%

moved in the last year

65.6%

moved in the last 5 years

4.7%

unemployment rate (Census)

70.9%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Surry Hills Indigenous Population

1.0%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

288

Indigenous residents

29,251

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Surry Hills Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

1,641

Asthma

642

Arthritis

338

Heart disease

287

Diabetes

248

Cancer

175

Lung condition

150

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Surry Hills Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

4.6%

$1-$149/wk

1.1%

$150-$299/wk

2.8%

$300-$399/wk

3.0%

$400-$499/wk

3.0%

$500-$649/wk

2.8%

$650-$799/wk

6.0%

$800-$999/wk

7.0%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.0%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

8.5%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

7.2%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

17.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.7%

$3,500+/wk

13.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Surry Hills Family Structure

Couple — no children

64.0%

Couple — children under 15

22.9%

Couple — no children under 15

5.6%

One parent — no children under 15

4.1%

One parent — children under 15

3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Surry Hills Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

0.5% 65

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.1% 14

🏅

Previously served

1.0% 140

👤

Never served

98.4% 13,500

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Surry Hills Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

6.7% 923

—

Did not provide

93.3% 12,786

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Surry Hills Children Ever Born

No children

74.9%

1 child

10.6%

2 children

10.2%

3 children

3.3%

4 children

0.9%

5+ children

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Surry Hills When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

282

1971–1980

388

1981–1990

686

1991–2000

857

2001–2010

1,177

2011–2015

1,125

2016

405

2017

381

2018

460

2019

610

2020

276

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Surry Hills Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

28.0%

5–14 hours

33.9%

15–29 hours

8.0%

30+ hours

3.3%

Did not do domestic work

26.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Surry Hills Household Size

1 person

46.8%

2 persons

37.5%

3 persons

9.1%

4 persons

5.0%

5 persons

1.2%

6+ persons

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Surry Hills Where Residents Moved From

Same address

9,741

Moved from NSW

2,958

Moved — same area (SA2)

851

Moved from overseas

393

Moved from VIC

210

Moved from QLD

140

Moved from WA

Moved from SA

Moved from ACT

Moved from NT

Moved from TAS

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Surry Hills Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

88.4%

Step family — no other children

10.2%

Blended family — no other children

0.7%

Intact family — other children present

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Surry Hills Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 913 total

Theft

256

Other Against Property

254

Drug Offences

150

Assault

Property Damage

Other Against Person

Weapons

Sexual Offences

Traffic

Robbery

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Surry Hills Schools

schools nearby

government

1096

avg ICSEA score

21,838

total students

Sydney Grammar School Independent

Secondary · K-12 · 1,925 students

1274

ICSEA

Ascham School Independent

Combined · K-12 · 1,182 students

1217

ICSEA

SCEGGS Darlinghurst Independent

Combined · K-12 · 936 students

1209

ICSEA

Conservatorium High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 156 students

1194

ICSEA

Sydney Girls High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 929 students

1193

ICSEA

St Andrew's Cathedral School Independent

Combined · K-12 · 1,436 students

1189

ICSEA

Sydney Boys High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 1,205 students

1189

ICSEA

Glenmore Road Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 263 students

1176

ICSEA

Balmain Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 321 students

1172

ICSEA

International Grammar School Independent

Combined · K-12 · 1,224 students

1170

ICSEA

Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain - Rozelle Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 349 students

1170

ICSEA

St Francis of Assisi Regional Catholic Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 151 students

1167

ICSEA

Coogee Boys' Preparatory School Independent

Primary · K-6 · 102 students

1165

ICSEA

Forest Lodge Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 307 students

1161

ICSEA

Darlinghurst Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 210 students

1156

ICSEA

Showing 15 of 58 schools

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Surry Hills with map →

Surry Hills Rent Prices & Affordability

24%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $2,308/wk

Median Rent $550/wk

Rent-to-Income 23.8%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Surry Hills

Your weekly income

≈ $10,001/month

Median rent $550/wk

Left after rent $1,758/wk

Rent share 23.8%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Enmore (Inner West - NSW)

Income: $1,245/wk Rent: $500/wk Save: $50/wk

Meadowbank (NSW)

Income: $1,184/wk Rent: $430/wk Save: $120/wk

Petersham

Income: $1,223/wk Rent: $450/wk Save: $100/wk

Summer Hill (Inner West - NSW)

Income: $1,317/wk Rent: $460/wk Save: $90/wk

Lane Cove North

Income: $1,374/wk Rent: $480/wk Save: $70/wk

Stanmore (NSW)

Income: $1,283/wk Rent: $490/wk Save: $60/wk

Centennial Park (NSW)

Income: $1,415/wk Rent: $500/wk Save: $50/wk

Redfern

Income: $1,191/wk Rent: $500/wk Save: $50/wk

Surry Hills vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Tweed Heads South

Pop: 7,941 Income: $561/wk Rent: $390/wk

Collaroy (NSW)

Pop: 7,944 Income: $1,074/wk Rent: $600/wk

Rosemeadow

Pop: 8,007 Income: $703/wk Rent: $380/wk

Fletcher (NSW)

Pop: 8,014 Income: $1,019/wk Rent: $510/wk

Cromer (NSW)

Pop: 8,030 Income: $949/wk Rent: $650/wk

Balgowlah

Pop: 8,068 Income: $1,264/wk Rent: $640/wk

Compare Surry Hills

Surry Hills vs Tweed Heads South →Surry Hills vs Collaroy (NSW) →Surry Hills vs Rosemeadow →Surry Hills vs Fletcher (NSW) →

Frequently Asked Questions About Surry Hills

What is the population of Surry Hills NSW?

The population of Surry Hills NSW is 15,828 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 12023.7 people per km².Surry Hills is ranked #247 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Surry Hills?

The median personal income in Surry Hills NSW is $1,442 per week, or $74,984 per year.The median household income is $2,308 per week.Family income is $3,551 per week.Surry Hills is ranked #150 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Surry Hills?

Median rent in Surry Hills NSW is $550 per week ($2,383 per month).Rent represents 23.8% of household income, which is considered affordable.Surry Hills ranks #360 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Surry Hills?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surry Hills NSW is $2,839. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Surry Hills?

The median age in Surry Hills NSW is 35 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Surry Hills a good suburb to live in?

Surry Hills is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 15,828.The median income is $1,442/wk, which is above the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

📊 Australian Average Salary 🏘️ Australian House Prices 🌆 Sydney Cost of Living

Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13714. All dollar figures in AUD.