Rockdale, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Rockdale NSW is 15,475 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Rockdale is $801 per week ($41,652 per year). Median rent in Rockdale is $460 per week ($1,993 per month). Rockdale has a median age of 34 years, younger than the national median of 38. Rockdale has a population density of 6,336 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Rockdale is Nepal. The most common religion is No religion (21.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Nepali. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rockdale is $2,167.

There were 257 recorded offences in Rockdale in 2025-26, a rate of 17 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (99 offences).

Population
15,475
Census 2021
Median income
$801/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$460/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
34years
Census 2021

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

Rockdale vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Rockdale is $801 a week, 5% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 949th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $460 a week, $75 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 24.1% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 34, 9 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.
MeasureRockdaleTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$801/wk$765/wk +5%$766/wk
Household income$1,906/wk$1,704/wk +12%$1,637/wk
Rent$460/wk$385/wk +19%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,167/mo$1,965/mo +10%$1,733/mo
Median age3443 −9 yrs42
Rent share of household income24.1%22.6% +1.5 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 Rockdale, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Rockdale Population

15,475 residents at the 2021 Census.

Rockdale Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$801/wk
$41,652 per year
Ranked 3,609 of 14,663
Median Rent
$460/wk
$1,993 per month
Ranked 939 of 14,663
Median Age
34years
4 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg household size: 2.6 · 1.1 per bedroom

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

Rockdale Rent Prices & Affordability

24% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,906/wk
Median rent $460/wk
Rent to income 24.1%

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

Median rent in Rockdale against your income

About $8,259 a month
Median rent $460/wk
Left after rent $1,446/wk
Rent share 24.1%

Rockdale Schools

42
schools nearby
25
government
1072
avg ICSEA score
17,503
total students
St George Christian School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 845 students
1159
ICSEA
St George Girls High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 908 students
1148
ICSEA
Sydney Technical High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 907 students
1136
ICSEA
St Raphael's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 210 students
1130
ICSEA
St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox College Independent
Primary · K-12 · 372 students
1123
ICSEA
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 416 students
1117
ICSEA
St Francis Xavier's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 292 students
1116
ICSEA
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 374 students
1110
ICSEA
Earlwood Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 600 students
1107
ICSEA
Hurstville Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 1,048 students
1102
ICSEA
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 204 students
1092
ICSEA
St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School Brighton Le Sands Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 198 students
1090
ICSEA
St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School Bexley Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 179 students
1089
ICSEA
St Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 408 students
1088
ICSEA
Bardwell Park Infants School Government
Primary · K-2 · 33 students
1088
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 42 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 Rockdale, with a map

Rockdale Map

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

Rockdale, New South Wales: 33.9543°S, 151.1404°E

Rockdale Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (42)

People in Rockdale

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 51.6% (7,988) Female 48.4% (7,487)

Population Density

6,336
people per km²
15,475 people · 2.4 km²

Households

2.6
Avg household size
1.1
Persons per bedroom
$2,024
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

Nepal
15.8%
China
6.5%
North Macedonia
3.5%
Bangladesh
3.4%
Philippines
3.2%
India
3.0%
Brazil
2.0%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Nepali
16.1%
Mandarin
5.5%
Macedonian
5.2%
Arabic
4.6%
Cantonese
4.1%
Bengali
3.8%
Greek
3.0%

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

Ancestry

Chinese
12.8%
Australian
9.5%
English
9.3%
Macedonian
6.0%
Lebanese
4.0%
Greek
4.0%
Filipino
3.9%
Indian
3.6%
Italian
3.2%
Irish
3.1%
Scottish
2.0%

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
21.0%
Hinduism
18.2%
Catholic
16.4%
Islam
10.6%
Eastern Orthodox
9.9%
Not stated
7.2%
Buddhism
5.7%
Christian (other)
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
47.6% 6,357
Separated
3.1% 415
Divorced
7.6% 1,008
Widowed
3.6% 483
Never married
38.1% 5,087

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.9%
Couple: no children
31.2%
Couple: no children under 15
15.7%
One parent: no children under 15
7.2%
One parent: children under 15
4.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
23.7%
2 persons
32.2%
3 persons
20.1%
4 persons
14.5%
5 persons
6.0%
6+ persons
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Rockdale

Housing Tenure

Of the 5,592 occupied private dwellings in Rockdale at the 2021 Census, 47.0% were rented, 22.3% owned outright and 27.4% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.3% 73 dwellings
Owned outright
22.3% 1,248 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
27.4% 1,533 dwellings
Rented
47.0% 2,627 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.8% 101 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
86.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
10.3%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
10.0%
2 bedrooms
58.0%
3 bedrooms
19.9%
4 bedrooms
8.2%
5 bedrooms
2.7%
6+ bedrooms
1.1%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.5%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.2%
$600-$799/mo
3.2%
$800-$999/mo
2.5%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.8%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
12.5%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
28.4%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
20.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
14.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
19.7%
1 vehicle
52.1%
2 vehicles
21.1%
3 vehicles
4.8%
4+ vehicles
2.3%

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

Work, income and education in Rockdale

Employment

Employed full-time
35.1% 4,077 people
Employed part-time
24.3% 2,830 people
Unemployed
4.9% 575 people
Not in labour force
35.6% 4,142 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
28.7%
Community & Personal Service
13.6%
Clerical & Administrative
11.9%
Technicians & Trade Workers
11.7%
Managers
10.5%
Labourers
10.3%
Sales Workers
8.8%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
4.5%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.6%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
1.9%
$400-$499/wk
4.5%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
5.5%
$800-$999/wk
5.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
15.9%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.6%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.2%
$4,000+/wk
11.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
11.8%
$1-$149/wk
2.4%
$150-$299/wk
4.1%
$300-$399/wk
4.3%
$400-$499/wk
4.3%
$500-$649/wk
4.8%
$650-$799/wk
10.7%
$800-$999/wk
12.8%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
14.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.4%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
7.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.5%
$3,500+/wk
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
44.7%
Train
20.4%
Did not go to work
19.5%
Walked only
4.9%
Car (passenger)
4.3%
Bus
3.3%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.9%
Other
0.8%
Truck
0.6%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.4%
Bicycle
0.3%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
83.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
10.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
4.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.2%

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
42.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.9%
Postgraduate Degree
19.2%
Certificate III/IV
14.4%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.6%
Certificate I/II
1.4%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
34.8%
Information Technology
12.6%
Engineering
11.1%
Society & Culture
10.5%
Health
10.5%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
5.5%
Creative Arts
4.0%
Education
3.8%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.3%
Architecture & Building
3.1%
Agriculture & Environment
0.7%

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

School & University Attendance

Vocational Education
32.2%
Primary: Government
23.6%
Secondary: Government
16.3%
Pre-school
10.8%
Primary: Catholic
7.6%
Secondary: Catholic
4.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
2.0%

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
89.4%
Has need for assistance
4.4%
Need for assistance not stated
6.1%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
645
Diabetes
334
Asthma
302
Arthritis
244
Heart disease
224
Lung condition
122
Cancer
120
Kidney disease
108
Stroke
99
Dementia
40

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
8.5% 1,051
Did not provide
91.5% 11,320

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
7.4% 925
Not a volunteer
92.6% 11,504

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 12
Current ADF: Reserves
0.0% 4
Previously served
0.5% 61
Never served
99.4% 12,415

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
47.8%
1 child
18.4%
2 children
21.9%
3 children
7.9%
4 children
2.8%
5+ children
1.1%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
14
1951: 1960
135
1961: 1970
477
1971: 1980
541
1981: 1990
790
1991: 2000
1,043
2001: 2010
1,776
2011: 2015
1,421
2016
478
2017
654
2018
804
2019
878
2020
208
2021
36

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

Population Mobility

23.5%
moved in the last year
52.2%
moved in the last 5 years
6.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
62.5%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
11,024
Moved from NSW
1,971
Moved: same area (SA2)
1,049
Moved from overseas
233
Moved from QLD
27
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from TAS
9
Moved from SA
8
Moved from NT
6
Moved from WA
5
Moved from ACT
5

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
16.6%
5: 14 hours
23.0%
15: 29 hours
9.6%
30+ hours
7.6%
Did not do domestic work
43.2%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.2%
Step family: no other children
4.6%
Blended family: no other children
1.4%
Intact family: other children present
0.9%
Other couple: children only
0.4%
Step family: other children present
0.2%
Blended family: other children present
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Rockdale Crime Statistics

257 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
99
Traffic
36
Other Against Property
29
Other Against Person
20
Drug Offences
20
Property Damage
18
Assault
16
Sexual Offences
8
Weapons
8
Robbery
3

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Tolland
Income: $666/wk Rent: $220/wk $240/wk less rent
Bellbird
Income: $643/wk Rent: $323/wk $137/wk less rent
Kingswood (Penrith - NSW)
Income: $747/wk Rent: $355/wk $105/wk less rent
South Windsor
Income: $763/wk Rent: $360/wk $100/wk less rent
Thurgoona
Income: $906/wk Rent: $360/wk $100/wk less rent
St Marys (NSW)
Income: $754/wk Rent: $365/wk $95/wk less rent
Mayfield West
Income: $808/wk Rent: $370/wk $90/wk less rent
Rosemeadow
Income: $703/wk Rent: $380/wk $80/wk less rent

Suburbs near Rockdale

The closest suburb to Rockdale is Banksia, 1.0 km away.

Banksia
1.0 km away · income $763/wk · rent $500/wk
Brighton-Le-Sands
1.4 km away · income $814/wk · rent $450/wk
Kogarah
1.6 km away · income $871/wk · rent $450/wk
Arncliffe
1.8 km away · income $856/wk · rent $500/wk
Bardwell Valley
2.0 km away · income $793/wk · rent $550/wk
Bexley
2.1 km away · income $735/wk · rent $470/wk

Compare Rockdale

Frequently Asked Questions About Rockdale

What is the population of Rockdale NSW?

The population of Rockdale NSW is 15,475 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 6,336 people per km². Rockdale is ranked #255 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Rockdale?

The median personal income in Rockdale NSW is $801 per week, or $41,652 per year. The median household income is $1,906 per week. Family income is $2,024 per week. Rockdale is ranked #3,609 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Rockdale?

Median rent in Rockdale NSW is $460 per week ($1,993 per month). Rent represents 24.1% of household income, which is considered affordable. Rockdale ranks #939 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Rockdale?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rockdale NSW is $2,167. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Rockdale?

The median age in Rockdale NSW is 34 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Rockdale a good suburb to live in?

Rockdale is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 15,475. The median income is $801/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (24.1% 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: 13394. All dollar figures in AUD.