Rose Bay, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Rose Bay NSW is 9,911 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Rose Bay is $1,398 per week ($72,696 per year). Median rent in Rose Bay is $630 per week ($2,730 per month). Rose Bay has a median age of 40 years, older than the national median of 38. Rose Bay has a population density of 3,917 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Rose Bay is South Africa. The most common religion is Judaism (29.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rose Bay is $3,250.

There were 74 recorded offences in Rose Bay in 2025-26, a rate of 7 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (22 offences).

Population
9,911
Census 2021
Median income
$1,398/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$630/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
40years
Census 2021

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

Rose Bay vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Rose Bay is $1,398 a week, 83% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 67th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $630 a week, $245 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 24.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 40, 3 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.
MeasureRose BayTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,398/wk$765/wk +83%$766/wk
Household income$2,539/wk$1,704/wk +49%$1,637/wk
Rent$630/wk$385/wk +64%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$3,250/mo$1,965/mo +65%$1,733/mo
Median age4043 −3 yrs42
Rent share of household income24.8%22.6% +2.2 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 Rose Bay, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Rose Bay Population

9,911 residents at the 2021 Census.

Rose Bay Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,398/wk
$72,696 per year
Ranked 178 of 14,663
Median Rent
$630/wk
$2,730 per month
Ranked 162 of 14,663
Median Age
40years
2 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$3,250/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.9 per bedroom

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

Rose Bay Rent Prices & Affordability

25% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $2,539/wk
Median rent $630/wk
Rent to income 24.8%

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

Median rent in Rose Bay against your income

About $11,002 a month
Median rent $630/wk
Left after rent $1,909/wk
Rent share 24.8%

Rose Bay Schools

35
schools nearby
11
government
1144
avg ICSEA score
16,521
total students
Ascham School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,182 students
1217
ICSEA
Reddam House Independent
Combined
1203
ICSEA
Woollahra Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 667 students
1193
ICSEA
Montessori East Independent
Primary · K-6 · 80 students
1188
ICSEA
Cranbrook School Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 1,693 students
1181
ICSEA
Bronte Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 257 students
1176
ICSEA
Kambala Independent
Combined · K-12 · 986 students
1169
ICSEA
McAuley Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 273 students
1168
ICSEA
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 196 students
1164
ICSEA
The Scots College Independent
Combined · K-12 · 2,076 students
1162
ICSEA
St Charles' Catholic Primary School Waverley Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 308 students
1161
ICSEA
Galilee Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 88 students
1160
ICSEA
Kincoppal - Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart Independent
Combined · K-12 · 851 students
1160
ICSEA
Bellevue Hill Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 573 students
1156
ICSEA
Waverley Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 263 students
1150
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 35 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 Rose Bay, with a map

Rose Bay Map

Rose Bay, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Rose Bay

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 46.5% (4,610) Female 53.5% (5,297)

Population Density

3,917
people per km²
9,911 people · 2.5 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,510
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

South Africa
9.3%
England
5.6%
New Zealand
2.1%
China
2.1%
United States of America
1.1%
Italy
0.9%
Brazil
0.9%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
2.3%
Russian
2.0%
Spanish
1.5%
Italian
1.4%
Greek
1.2%
Portuguese
1.1%
French
1.0%

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

Ancestry

English
28.3%
Australian
20.4%
Irish
9.2%
South African
6.9%
Scottish
6.8%
Italian
5.0%
Chinese
4.5%
German
3.9%
Polish
3.4%
Russian
3.3%
Greek
3.0%

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

Judaism
29.0%
No religion
28.3%
Catholic
17.2%
Not stated
8.0%
Anglican
7.7%
Eastern Orthodox
3.2%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.1%
Buddhism
1.1%

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
45.8% 3,800
Separated
2.2% 185
Divorced
8.6% 714
Widowed
6.0% 497
Never married
37.4% 3,100

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
41.5%
Couple: no children
31.4%
Couple: no children under 15
15.0%
One parent: no children under 15
6.3%
One parent: children under 15
5.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
30.0%
2 persons
36.6%
3 persons
14.5%
4 persons
12.5%
5 persons
5.2%
6+ persons
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Rose Bay

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,006 occupied private dwellings in Rose Bay at the 2021 Census, 42.4% were rented, 30.0% owned outright and 23.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
2.4% 98 dwellings
Owned outright
30.0% 1,202 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
23.8% 954 dwellings
Rented
42.4% 1,700 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.2% 49 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
70.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
20.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
9.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
11.4%
2 bedrooms
41.6%
3 bedrooms
28.4%
4 bedrooms
13.1%
5 bedrooms
4.3%
6+ bedrooms
1.2%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
13.5%
$300-$449/mo
2.7%
$450-$599/mo
1.4%
$600-$799/mo
1.0%
$800-$999/mo
2.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.1%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
8.9%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
15.4%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
19.9%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
25.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
12.0%
1 vehicle
46.8%
2 vehicles
31.6%
3 vehicles
6.7%
4+ vehicles
2.9%

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

Work, income and education in Rose Bay

Employment

Employed full-time
42.7% 3,131 people
Employed part-time
20.6% 1,511 people
Unemployed
2.4% 179 people
Not in labour force
34.2% 2,503 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
43.0%
Managers
25.4%
Clerical & Administrative
10.6%
Sales Workers
6.3%
Community & Personal Service
6.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
5.8%
Labourers
1.8%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.0%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.0%
$1-$149/wk
0.6%
$150-$299/wk
0.8%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
3.1%
$500-$649/wk
2.8%
$650-$799/wk
3.2%
$800-$999/wk
3.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.0%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.3%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
4.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.6%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.5%
$4,000+/wk
34.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.1%
$1-$149/wk
2.8%
$150-$299/wk
2.9%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
1.4%
$500-$649/wk
1.9%
$650-$799/wk
5.7%
$800-$999/wk
6.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.6%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
14.5%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.0%
$3,500+/wk
16.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
55.3%
Did not go to work
22.1%
Walked only
6.6%
Car (passenger)
4.1%
Bus
3.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
2.4%
Ferry
2.1%
Other
1.6%
Bicycle
1.2%
Train
0.6%
Truck
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
89.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.4%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.3%

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
49.8%
Postgraduate Degree
18.6%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.7%
Certificate III/IV
9.9%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.0%
Certificate I/II
1.0%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
34.6%
Society & Culture
19.8%
Health
9.8%
Creative Arts
9.7%
Engineering
6.4%
Education
6.0%
Architecture & Building
4.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.8%
Information Technology
2.6%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.6%
Agriculture & Environment
0.8%

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

School & University Attendance

Secondary: Other Non-Govt
22.2%
Primary: Government
19.7%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
17.8%
Pre-school
11.9%
Vocational Education
10.8%
Secondary: Government
8.5%
Primary: Catholic
4.6%
Secondary: Catholic
4.4%

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
90.8%
Has need for assistance
3.2%
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
550
Asthma
285
Heart disease
231
Arthritis
202
Diabetes
160
Cancer
115
Lung condition
93
Stroke
60
Kidney disease
57
Dementia
34

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
11.7% 900
Did not provide
88.3% 6,816

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
18.0% 1,392
Not a volunteer
82.0% 6,356

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.3% 24
Current ADF: Reserves
0.0% 3
Previously served
1.2% 91
Never served
98.5% 7,647

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
42.0%
1 child
14.1%
2 children
27.3%
3 children
13.2%
4 children
2.9%
5+ children
0.4%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
109
1951: 1960
163
1961: 1970
198
1971: 1980
349
1981: 1990
558
1991: 2000
662
2001: 2010
801
2011: 2015
476
2016
100
2017
125
2018
130
2019
133
2020
76
2021
28

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

Population Mobility

20.1%
moved in the last year
49.4%
moved in the last 5 years
3.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
63.6%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,359
Moved from NSW
1,308
Moved: same area (SA2)
260
Moved from overseas
153
Moved from VIC
39
Moved from QLD
34
Moved from ACT
17
Moved from WA
9
Moved from SA
3

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
25.6%
5: 14 hours
32.3%
15: 29 hours
12.1%
30+ hours
6.8%
Did not do domestic work
23.3%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
90.7%
Step family: no other children
7.4%
Blended family: no other children
1.7%
Intact family: other children present
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Rose Bay Crime Statistics

74 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Other Against Property
22
Theft
20
Other Against Person
11
Property Damage
9
Sexual Offences
6
Assault
5
Drug Offences
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Rose Bay

The closest suburb to Rose Bay is Bellevue Hill, 1.1 km away.

Bellevue Hill
1.1 km away · income $1,575/wk · rent $650/wk
Dover Heights
1.4 km away · income $1,404/wk · rent $798/wk
Point Piper
1.5 km away · income $1,835/wk · rent $900/wk
North Bondi
1.7 km away · income $1,493/wk · rent $700/wk
Bondi Beach
2.0 km away · income $1,583/wk · rent $675/wk
Bondi
2.1 km away · income $1,386/wk · rent $656/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Rose Bay

What is the population of Rose Bay NSW?

The population of Rose Bay NSW is 9,911 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 3,917 people per km². Rose Bay is ranked #655 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Rose Bay?

The median personal income in Rose Bay NSW is $1,398 per week, or $72,696 per year. The median household income is $2,539 per week. Family income is $3,510 per week. Rose Bay is ranked #178 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Rose Bay?

Median rent in Rose Bay NSW is $630 per week ($2,730 per month). Rent represents 24.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Rose Bay ranks #162 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Rose Bay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Rose Bay NSW is $3,250. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Rose Bay?

The median age in Rose Bay NSW is 40 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Rose Bay a good suburb to live in?

Rose Bay is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 9,911. The median income is $1,398/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (24.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13412. All dollar figures in AUD.