Rockdale
NSWRockdale is a growing suburb in NSW with 15,475 residents.
- SAL code
- 13394
- SA2
- 119041381
- Population
- 15,475
Rockdale, NSW had 15,475 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 11.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 34. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,167 a month. Around 49.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 47.0%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 71.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 15 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
Rockdale, NSW at a glance
Rockdale is an established St George suburb in southern Sydney, ~13 km south of the CBD in the Bayside Council LGA. The Princes Highway shopping strip and the rail line cut through the centre, with mid-rise apartments stacked around the station and older detached housing further out toward Bexley and Brighton-Le-Sands. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Rockdale gives you direct CBD access without harbourside pricing — Rockdale Station sits on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line, ~20 minutes to Central, with five platforms and frequent services. The Princes Highway strip and Rockdale Plaza (Woolworths, Big W, ALDI) cover everyday shopping; Brighton-Le-Sands and the Botany Bay foreshore are ~3 km east, Cooks River parklands ~2 km north. The suburb is genuinely multicultural — successive Greek, Chinese and South Asian communities have shaped the dining strip. Family options include Rockdale Public, St Joseph's Catholic Primary and the selective St George Girls High, all within walking distance. Bicentennial Park and Rockdale Park anchor local recreation. In short: an accessible, well-connected inner-south suburb with apartment stock near the station and older houses on the fringes, suited to commuters who want diversity and rail.
For investors
Rockdale is a two-speed market: a deep unit market with workable yields, and a thin, expensive house market that's a capital-growth play. Median house ~$1.81M against $845/week rent gives ~2.76% gross yield; median unit $715K with $700/week rent runs ~5.43% (htag.com.au + Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth +9.71%, units +2.29%. ~56 house and ~275 unit sales in the past 12 months; vacancy sub-1% (~0.6%); days-on-market 32 (houses) / 35 (units).
Strengths
- Deep, liquid unit market — ~275 unit sales/yr around the station make entry and exit straightforward.
- Tight leasing — vacancy ~0.6% (htag.com.au May 2026) supports unit rent stability.
- Strong house capital growth recently — +9.71% YoY (htag.com.au May 2026), reflecting tight detached supply.
- Direct T4 rail to Central in ~20 minutes — durable demand from CBD commuters.
Trade-offs
- House yields are very thin (~2.76%) — heavy negative-gearing exposure unless you're betting on growth.
- Unit growth has lagged at +2.29% over 12 months (htag.com.au May 2026) — supply around the station has absorbed price pressure.
- Days-on-market 32-35 is longer than tighter Perth or outer Sydney comps — vendor pricing matters.
- Ongoing apartment pipeline near the station and the Rockdale Centre Masterplan signal more unit supply ahead — could keep yield compression on units.
What's coming
Bayside Council's 2025/26 budget locks in $70M of infrastructure, including $490K for Banksia, Bardwell Park and Rockdale town-centre upgrades and $15.6M across roads, footpaths and cycleways. The Rockdale Centre Masterplan went on public exhibition in April 2026, signalling more diverse housing, transport and public-realm change. The M6 Stage 1 motorway is targeting reduced congestion along the Princes Highway through Arncliffe, Banksia and Rockdale.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: an established, rail-connected, multicultural suburb with apartments near the line and houses on the fringe. For investors: units offer yield + liquidity, houses are a long-hold growth play with thin cashflow.
Population
?15,475
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+11.4%
3yr: +14.0% · 10yr: +11.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,906/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
34
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?4/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?9
6 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?15
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?54
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)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Rockdale - Banksia (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Rockdale suburb alone is ~15,475 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 15,904 to 23,103 over 24 years, averaging 1.6% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbSector
1 public
Type
1 primary
Total enrolment
321
Avg per school
321
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Rockdale PS58.7%
- Brighton-Le-Sands PS 14.7%
- Bexley PS 12.6%
- Kyeemagh PS 8.9%
- Kogarah PS 5.0%
- Arncliffe PS 0.0%
Secondary
Kogarah HS76.3%
- Bayside HS 23.7%
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 1.3%Predominantly apartments (71.1%), mixed tenure (49.7% own or mortgage), built for families (58% 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
9 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 45.3% | 1.11 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 11.7% | 0.29 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 11.6% | 0.28 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 9.7% | 0.24 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 9.4% | 0.23 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 5.5% | 0.13 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.4% | 0.13 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 0.9% | 0.02 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.6% | 0.01 km² |
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.