Paddington, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Paddington NSW is 12,701 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Paddington is $1,698 per week ($88,296 per year). Median rent in Paddington is $650 per week ($2,817 per month). Paddington has a median age of 38 years, equal to the national median. Paddington has a population density of 7,808 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Paddington is England. The most common religion is No religion (49.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is French. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Paddington is $4,000.

There were 153 recorded offences in Paddington in 2025-26, a rate of 12 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (66 offences).

Population
12,701
Census 2021
Median income
$1,698/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$650/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
38years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Paddington vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Paddington is $1,698 a week, 122% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 12th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $650 a week, $265 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 20.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 38, 5 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasurePaddingtonTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,698/wk$765/wk +122%$766/wk
Household income$3,131/wk$1,704/wk +84%$1,637/wk
Rent$650/wk$385/wk +69%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$4,000/mo$1,965/mo +104%$1,733/mo
Median age3843 −5 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.8%22.6% −1.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Paddington, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Paddington Population

12,701 residents at the 2021 Census.

Paddington Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,698/wk
$88,296 per year
Ranked 48 of 14,663
Median Rent
$650/wk
$2,817 per month
Ranked 121 of 14,663
Median Age
38years
Same as the national median
Mortgage
$4,000/mo
Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Paddington Rent Prices & Affordability

21% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $3,131/wk
Median rent $650/wk
Rent to income 20.8%

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

Median rent in Paddington against your income

About $13,568 a month
Median rent $650/wk
Left after rent $2,481/wk
Rent share 20.8%

Paddington Schools

62
schools nearby
22
government
1109
avg ICSEA score
27,554
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
Reddam House Independent
Combined
1203
ICSEA
Conservatorium High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 156 students
1194
ICSEA
Sydney Girls High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 929 students
1193
ICSEA
Woollahra Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 667 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
Emanuel School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 849 students
1186
ICSEA
Cranbrook School Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 1,693 students
1181
ICSEA
Glenmore Road Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 263 students
1176
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
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 196 students
1164
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 62 schools.

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

All schools near Paddington, with a map

Paddington Map

Paddington, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Paddington, New South Wales: 33.8833°S, 151.2278°E

Paddington Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (62)

People in Paddington

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.2% (6,120) Female 51.8% (6,584)

Population Density

7,808
people per km²
12,701 people · 1.6 km²

Households

2.1
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$4,686
Family income/wk

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 and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
8.0%
New Zealand
3.5%
United States of America
2.1%
South Africa
1.2%
France
0.9%
Ireland
0.8%
Germany
0.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

French
1.4%
Spanish
1.2%
Greek
1.0%
Italian
1.0%
Mandarin
0.7%
Cantonese
0.7%
German
0.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
40.5%
Australian
26.7%
Irish
16.8%
Scottish
12.8%
Italian
4.9%
German
4.6%
Chinese
3.6%
Greek
3.1%
French
2.0%
Polish
1.7%
Dutch
1.4%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
49.4%
Catholic
19.4%
Anglican
12.0%
Not stated
6.4%
Eastern Orthodox
2.6%
Judaism
2.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.4%
Buddhism
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
35.3% 3,898
Separated
2.0% 221
Divorced
8.7% 956
Widowed
3.0% 331
Never married
51.0% 5,626

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.0%
Couple: no children
38.5%
Couple: no children under 15
11.5%
One parent: children under 15
5.5%
One parent: no children under 15
4.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
37.1%
2 persons
33.9%
3 persons
14.4%
4 persons
11.3%
5 persons
2.9%
6+ persons
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Paddington

Housing Tenure

Of the 5,498 occupied private dwellings in Paddington at the 2021 Census, 44.6% were rented, 27.1% owned outright and 25.5% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.9% 105 dwellings
Owned outright
27.1% 1,489 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
25.5% 1,400 dwellings
Rented
44.6% 2,452 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.8% 45 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)
83.6%
Separate house
9.8%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
17.0%
2 bedrooms
30.3%
3 bedrooms
36.7%
4 bedrooms
14.0%
5 bedrooms
1.6%
6+ bedrooms
0.3%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
10.2%
$300-$449/mo
1.4%
$450-$599/mo
2.4%
$600-$799/mo
3.0%
$800-$999/mo
2.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.3%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
8.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
18.9%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
13.8%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
29.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
21.3%
1 vehicle
53.7%
2 vehicles
20.2%
3 vehicles
3.5%
4+ vehicles
1.4%

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

Work, income and education in Paddington

Employment

Employed full-time
54.4% 5,385 people
Employed part-time
17.5% 1,736 people
Unemployed
2.9% 289 people
Not in labour force
25.2% 2,490 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
53.7%
Managers
24.2%
Clerical & Administrative
8.3%
Sales Workers
5.2%
Technicians & Trade Workers
3.7%
Community & Personal Service
3.3%
Labourers
0.9%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
0.6%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.0%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
0.6%
$300-$399/wk
1.6%
$400-$499/wk
2.7%
$500-$649/wk
2.7%
$650-$799/wk
3.3%
$800-$999/wk
3.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
5.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
4.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.7%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
9.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
3.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.1%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.5%
$4,000+/wk
41.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.0%
$1-$149/wk
1.8%
$150-$299/wk
2.1%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
1.4%
$500-$649/wk
1.8%
$650-$799/wk
4.5%
$800-$999/wk
5.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.2%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
15.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.8%
$3,500+/wk
23.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
34.7%
Did not go to work
24.5%
Walked only
20.3%
Bus
8.2%
Car (passenger)
3.5%
Bicycle
3.1%
Train
2.6%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.4%
Other
1.0%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.7%
Truck
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
91.7%
Year 10 or equivalent
4.9%
Year 11 or equivalent
2.6%
Year 9 or equivalent
0.8%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
54.4%
Postgraduate Degree
24.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
10.4%
Certificate III/IV
5.5%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.6%
Certificate I/II
0.6%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
33.6%
Society & Culture
24.6%
Creative Arts
11.3%
Health
9.0%
Architecture & Building
5.0%
Engineering
4.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.8%
Education
3.3%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.3%
Information Technology
1.8%
Agriculture & Environment
0.6%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
27.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
21.4%
Pre-school
13.4%
Vocational Education
11.9%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
9.9%
Secondary: Catholic
6.0%
Secondary: Government
5.6%
Primary: Catholic
4.0%

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

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
92.8%
Has need for assistance
2.1%
Need for assistance not stated
5.1%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
855
Asthma
440
Arthritis
256
Heart disease
228
Cancer
153
Diabetes
127
Lung condition
121
Stroke
88
Kidney disease
67
Dementia
33

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
9.9% 1,033
Did not provide
90.1% 9,382

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
18.7% 1,952
Not a volunteer
81.3% 8,489

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.3% 33
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 14
Previously served
1.2% 124
Never served
98.4% 10,287

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
57.7%
1 child
13.2%
2 children
19.7%
3 children
7.6%
4 children
1.5%
5+ children
0.3%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
52
1951: 1960
107
1961: 1970
266
1971: 1980
384
1981: 1990
493
1991: 2000
551
2001: 2010
699
2011: 2015
445
2016
163
2017
132
2018
150
2019
219
2020
115
2021
37

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

Population Mobility

24.4%
moved in the last year
56.1%
moved in the last 5 years
3.7%
unemployment rate (Census)
72.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
9,039
Moved from NSW
1,742
Moved: same area (SA2)
605
Moved from overseas
263
Moved from VIC
108
Moved from QLD
75
Moved from SA
38
Moved from WA
34
Moved from ACT
25
Moved from TAS
6
Moved from NT
4

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
29.1%
5: 14 hours
36.9%
15: 29 hours
11.5%
30+ hours
5.4%
Did not do domestic work
17.2%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
89.8%
Step family: no other children
7.5%
Blended family: no other children
2.4%
Other couple: children only
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Paddington Crime Statistics

153 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
66
Other Against Property
34
Other Against Person
17
Assault
12
Property Damage
10
Drug Offences
8
Sexual Offences
4
Weapons
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Rushcutters Bay
Income: $1,480/wk Rent: $450/wk $200/wk less rent
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Income: $1,485/wk Rent: $490/wk $160/wk less rent
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Income: $1,377/wk Rent: $533/wk $117/wk less rent
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Income: $1,552/wk Rent: $550/wk $100/wk less rent
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Income: $1,442/wk Rent: $570/wk $80/wk less rent
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Income: $1,590/wk Rent: $576/wk $74/wk less rent
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Income: $1,407/wk Rent: $630/wk $20/wk less rent
Potts Point
Income: $1,534/wk Rent: $490/wk $160/wk less rent

Suburbs near Paddington

The closest suburb to Paddington is Darlinghurst, 0.8 km away.

Darlinghurst
0.8 km away · income $1,535/wk · rent $550/wk
Edgecliff
0.9 km away · income $1,510/wk · rent $600/wk
Rushcutters Bay
1.0 km away · income $1,480/wk · rent $450/wk
Elizabeth Bay
1.3 km away · income $1,676/wk · rent $500/wk
Darling Point
1.4 km away · income $1,799/wk · rent $825/wk
Double Bay
1.5 km away · income $1,662/wk · rent $720/wk

Compare Paddington (NSW)

Frequently Asked Questions About Paddington

What is the population of Paddington NSW?

The population of Paddington NSW is 12,701 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 7,808 people per km². Paddington is ranked #393 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Paddington?

The median personal income in Paddington NSW is $1,698 per week, or $88,296 per year. The median household income is $3,131 per week. Family income is $4,686 per week. Paddington is ranked #48 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Paddington?

Median rent in Paddington NSW is $650 per week ($2,817 per month). Rent represents 20.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Paddington ranks #121 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Paddington?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Paddington NSW is $4,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Paddington?

The median age in Paddington NSW is 38 years. This is equal to the national median age of 38 years.

Is Paddington a good suburb to live in?

Paddington is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 12,701. The median income is $1,698/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13126. All dollar figures in AUD.