Leichhardt (NSW)
NSWLeichhardt (NSW) is a stable suburb in NSW with 15,158 residents.
- SAL code
- 12306
- SA2
- 120021675
- Population
- 15,158
Leichhardt (NSW), NSW had 15,158 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.1% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,400 a month. Around 57.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 40.4%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 36.8% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 23 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Leichhardt (NSW), NSW at a glance
Leichhardt is an established inner-west Sydney suburb ~5 km west of the CBD in the Inner West Council area, long known as Sydney's Little Italy. Federation and Victorian terraces dominate, Norton Street anchors the eat-and-shop strip, and the Bay Run circuit hugs Iron Cove. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council-pipeline context.
For homebuyers
Leichhardt is terrace-house Sydney with an Italian accent. Norton Street carries the cafes, restaurants, the Italian Forum, the Norton Street Cinema and the ornate Town Hall; Marketplace Leichhardt covers the supermarket run. The Bay Run circuit (~7 km) starts at Leichhardt Park on Iron Cove for walking, running and cycling. There's no heavy rail in the suburb, but Leichhardt North on the L1 Dulwich Hill light rail is a ~14-min, ~$3-4 ride into Pyrmont Bay; bus routes 437, 438X, 440 and 445 feed the CBD via Parramatta Road. Public primaries Leichhardt and Kegworth and Catholic St Columba's and St Fiacre's all sit inside the suburb; Sydney Secondary College's Leichhardt Campus handles years 7-10. In short: a walkable, cafe-dense inner-west base 5 km from the city, with terrace character, the Bay Run on the doorstep, and light rail instead of heavy rail.
For investors
Leichhardt is a capital-growth play, not a yield play. Median house ~$2.20M against ~$925/wk rent gives ~2.4-2.6% gross yield on houses; units sit higher at ~3.9% on ~$750/wk (Your Investment Property + htag.com.au, May 2026). 12-month house growth ~+11.7%. ~239 house and ~144 unit sales in the past 12 months, vacancy ~1.19%, days-on-market ~34 (houses) and ~36 (units), with auction clearance ~73%.
Strengths
- Strong recent capital growth (~+11.7% YoY houses) on a tightly held terrace stock close to the CBD.
- Deep, liquid market — ~383 combined house + unit sales in 12 months keeps entry and exit clean.
- Affluent buyer base (IRSAD ~1111, propertyvalue.com.au) underpins price floors through softer cycles.
- Listed supply extremely tight (SoM ~0.17%, ~0.5 months inventory) — low overhang of competing stock.
Trade-offs
- Yields are thin (~2.4-2.6% houses, ~3.9% units) — holding costs need other income to absorb.
- Entry price is high — ~$2.20M median house puts this well above Sydney's broader median.
- No heavy rail inside the suburb; reliance on the L1 light rail and bus corridors shapes commute resilience.
- Days-on-market drifting to ~34-43 across sources signals buyers are taking their time at this price point.
What's coming
Inner West Council's 2025/26 capital works budget is ~$119.6M. The Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre upgrade Stage 1 wrapped in December 2025; Stage 2 — including a new 25m moveable-floor pool — kicked off in early 2026. The $40M Leichhardt Oval redevelopment (joint Commonwealth, NSW and Council funding) is set to start construction after the 2026 winter season, targeting 2028 completion.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: terrace-Sydney inner-west living with Norton Street and the Bay Run on the doorstep. For investors: a long-hold capital-growth play on tight stock — not a cashflow story.
Population
?15,158
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+2.1%
3yr: +3.7% · 10yr: +4.6%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,673/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?4.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
4
3 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?21
14 long day, 4 OSHC, 2 family
Parks & green space
?23
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?40
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Population over time — Leichhardt (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Leichhardt (NSW) suburb alone is ~15,158 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 15,121 to 18,357 over 24 years, averaging 0.8% per year.
Schools
3 in suburbSector
3 public
Type
2 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
1,568
Avg per school
523
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Leichhardt PS37.7%
- Kegworth PS 32.8%
- Orange Grove PS 21.4%
- Annandale PS 7.8%
- Haberfield PS 0.2%
- Dobroyd Pt PS 0.0%
Secondary
SSC Blackwattle Bay99.8%
- SSC Leichhardt 99.8%
- Ashfield BHS 0.3%
- Burwood GHS 0.3%
- SSC Balmain 0.0%
Infants
Taverners Hill IS
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 2.1%Mostly detached houses (36.8%), mixed tenure (57.9% own or mortgage), built for families (40% are 2 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
8 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 66.1% | 1.71 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 11.6% | 0.30 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 7.6% | 0.20 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 7.5% | 0.19 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.6% | 0.15 km² |
| SP1 | ZoneSpecial use | 1.0% | 0.03 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 0.3% | 7,854 m² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 0.3% | 6,819 m² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.