Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay is well-off — but expensive to rent
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay 2030 · Eastern Suburbs - North, Greater Sydney, NSW
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay is among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA decile 10 of 10); well served for the everyday — 6 schools and 4 supermarkets. The trade-offs: renting is expensive, a median of $1,300 a week (DCJ, 2026-Q1); the population is barely moving — in fact it is shrinking.
A mix of houses and units, with a median age of 44 and households on a median $3,469 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, NSW DCJ median rents, NSW DCJ median sale prices, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reported offences, OpenStreetMap and ACARA Schools NSW / NSW Dept of Education · figures current to September 2026.
What it costs to buy
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2025-Q4Median sale price from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's recorded property sales. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2025-Q4 quarter
| Type | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| House | $9,400,000low sample |
| Unit / flat | $1,700,000n=41 |
The median sale price across all dwellings in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay was $3,025,000, based on sales in postcode 2030, for the 2025-Q4 quarter. That is $1,825,000 above the Greater Sydney median. By type: a house $9,400,000 and a unit / flat $1,700,000.
This is the median price of properties recorded as sold this quarter — settlement can lag a purchase decision by weeks, so the most recent quarter can revise slightly as more sales are recorded.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median price | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q4 | $3,025,000 | — | $1,200,000 |
Sale price data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on sales in postcode 2030, December 2025 release. Figures are the median for properties sold in the quarter. DCJ suppresses a median where too few properties sold.
What it costs to rent
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2026-Q1Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
By dwelling type — 2026-Q1 quarter
| Type | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | — | — | $3,550low sample |
| Unit / flat | — | — | $1,100n=43 | $1,300low sample | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure marked low sample as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay was $1,300, based on new bonds lodged in postcode 2030, for the 2026-Q1 quarter. That is $520 a week above the Greater Sydney median. By type: a 2-bedroom unit $1,100.
This is the median rent on new leases signed this quarter, not what existing tenants pay. It usually runs higher than the Census figure.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | $1,300 | — | $930 |
Rent data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, based on new bonds in postcode 2030, March 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. DCJ suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, NSW.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay against the New South Wales average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay population grew from 12,570 in 2016 to 11,846 in 2025, a change of -5.8% over the period, against the New South Wales average.
Show the data table
| Year | Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay | New South Wales average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12,570 | 7,732,858 |
| 2017 | 12,566 | 7,855,316 |
| 2018 | 12,503 | 7,954,476 |
| 2019 | 12,392 | 8,046,748 |
| 2020 | 12,288 | 8,110,610 |
| 2021 | 12,034 | 8,097,062 |
| 2022 | 11,885 | 8,182,098 |
| 2023 | 11,874 | 8,356,387 |
| 2024 | 11,879 | 8,492,050 |
| 2025 | 11,846 | 8,592,524 |
Where the growth is coming from
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay gained 885 residents from internal migration and 399 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 1,323 people moved away — a net addition of -39 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+885
- Internal migration out+1,059
- Overseas migration in+399
- Natural increase+6
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,844 | 11,924 | +0.7% |
| Median age | 41 | 44 | +3 yrs |
| Median household income | $2,898/wk | $3,469/wk | +20% |
| Median weekly rent | $670/wk | $713/wk | +6.4% |
| Born overseas | 36.4% | 37.6% | +1.2 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 42.3%
- Mortgaged 26.9%
- Rented 26.0%
- Other / not stated 4.9%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 10score 1,114
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 10score 1,175
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 10score 1,094
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 10score 1,184
Safety context
NSW BOCSAR · June 2026How much crime is reported in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
Most-reported offences · Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, last 12 months
- Malicious damage to property599 /100k+109% vs Greater Sydney↑ 25%
- Intimidation, stalking and harassment582 /100k+87% vs Greater Sydney↑ 57%
- Assault304 /100k+476% vs Greater Sydney↓ 12%
- Theft270 /100k+602% vs Greater Sydney↑ 14%
- Drug offences118 /100k+622% vs Greater Sydney↓ 7%
- Robbery17 /100k+494% vs Greater Sydney↑ 100%
Rate per 100,000 people in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, malicious damage to property is reported most in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay over the last 12 months, running 109% above the Greater Sydney rate and up on the year before.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Suburb | Greater Sydney | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malicious damage to property | 599 per 100k | 287 per 100k | ↑ 25% vs prior year |
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 582 per 100k | 312 per 100k | ↑ 57% vs prior year |
| Assault | 304 per 100k | 53 per 100k | ↓ 12% vs prior year |
| Theft | 270 per 100k | 38 per 100k | ↑ 14% vs prior year |
| Drug offences | 118 per 100k | 16 per 100k | ↓ 7% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 17 per 100k | 3 per 100k | ↑ 100% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of New South Wales (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research), used under CC BY 4.0, updated June 2026. Matched to this suburb from BOCSAR’s own locality-level data — see the safest/highest-crime rankings’ methodology for the locality-to-suburb matching used. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay SA2, OpenStreetMap records 6 schools, 3 childcare and kindergarten centres, 2 GP or clinic locations, 4 supermarkets and 27 green spaces. For families: 1 library and 3 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 14 cafés, 20 restaurants and 3 pubs and bars. Staying active: 1 gym and 138 sports fields. The nearest train station, Edgecliff, is about 4,100 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 100 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart
- Kambala
- McAuley Primary School
- Vaucluse Public School
- Rose Bay Public School
- Cranbrook Junior School
Childcare & kindergartens
- Greenwood Rose Bay
Libraries
- Watsons Bay Library
Gyms & fitness
- Anytime Fitness
GPs & clinics
- Rose Bay Family Medical Centre
- Rise Bay Medical Clinic
Supermarkets
- Coles
- IGA
- Woolworths Metro
- Harris Farm
Green spaces
- Vaucluse Park
- Johnstons Lookout
- Samuel Park
- Vaucluse House
- Forsyth Park
- Strickland House Estate
- Beach Paddock
- Parsley Bay Reserve
Schools
Every open NSW school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay SA2 contains 8 schools — 5 primary schools, 1 secondary school and 2 combined schools, of which 2 are government and 6 non-government. Its 5 schools with a published ICSEA average 1157 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay sits in decile 10 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 89% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Rose Bay Secondary College (secondary).
Parts of this SA2 also fall in the catchment of Rose Bay Public School (primary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Want another suburb? Search the catchment finder.
Show school list
- Cranbrook Junior School · Non-Government
- McAuley Catholic Primary School · Non-Government
- Rose Bay Public School · State
- The Scots College ELC campus · Non-Government
- Vaucluse Public School · State
- Kambala, Fernbank Campus · Non-Government
- Kambala · Non-Government
- Kincoppal - Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart · Non-Government
School list: NSW Government open data — ACARA Schools NSW, via the NSW data portal, CC BY 4.0. Catchments: NSW Department of Education “School intake zones” dataset, CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Eastern Suburbs - North
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereRose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay-0.3%
- 01Bondi Junction - Waverly+1.2%
- 02Paddington - Moore Park+0.8%
- 03Dover Heights+0.7%
- 04Bellevue Hill+0.4%
- 05Bondi Beach - North Bondi+0.3%
- 06Bondi - Tamarama - Bronte+0.1%
- 07Woollahra-0.0%
- 08Double Bay - Darling Point-0.5%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay: common questions
Is Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay a good place to live?
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Is Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay a safe suburb?
What schools are in Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay?
What amenities and public transport does Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay have?
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