Thinking about buying your first home in Darlinghurst (2010)? This page brings together 17 data cards from NSW government, the ABS, Transport for NSW, and Domain auction results to help you decide if Darlinghurst is the right fit. The analysis covers affordability and FHB scheme eligibility, schools and childcare, dealbreakers like flood and bushfire, and how the suburb is changing. Jump between the four sections using the sticky navigation, or scroll through the full analysis below.
Is Darlinghurst a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Darlinghurst (2010) scores a Stickybeak Grade across safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle. Scroll down for the full 17-card analysis, or use the section navigation to jump to what matters most.
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4 min
12 min
51 min
37 min
18 min
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The verdict
Who it is for
Darlinghurst suits professional singles and couples in their mid-to-late thirties who want to live inside the city rather than commute to it. The two-minute drive to the CBD is essentially a walk or bike ride. With a walkability score of 95 and 459 cafes within 1.6 kilometres, daily life runs without a car. The unit median sits at $1,000,000, which is the realistic entry point here, given separate houses make up just 1% of stock.
Who would not love it
Families chasing a backyard will find almost nothing. Separate houses are 1% of dwellings, and the median house price of $2,516,500 puts that category well out of reach for most buyers. The suburb is 62% renters, which means many strata buildings carry the dynamics of a transient population. The unit median fell 1.5% over the past year, and at 256 sales in the window, that softness is statistically meaningful, not noise.
What to verify before you bid
- Strata records for your specific building: a 62% renter share across the suburb means some buildings carry high investor-owner ratios, which affects levy arrears, maintenance decisions, and your ability to get renovations approved. - The unit price trend warrants a closer look. The -1.5% annual movement on 256 sales suggests you should pull comparable sales from the past six months specifically, not the full year, before anchoring your offer. - Confirm the FHBAS position directly with Revenue NSW. At a $1,000,000 unit median, you are sitting exactly at the threshold where eligibility rules can shift depending on contract date and property type.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Darlinghurst?
BOCSAR · DARLINGHURST 2010
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K17,31512 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+116%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Trend unavailableCity of Sydney
Within LGA: City of Sydney
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT44%468 reports
DRUG OFFENCES29%304 reports
ASSAULT28%294 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED23%
NON-DOMESTIC77%
Across 270 assault reports in this window.
DV-flagged assault has risen statewide as reporting has improved. Compare with caution to suburbs whose population has changed materially.
BOCSAR Recorded Criminal Incidents · Updated March 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Air quality
Air quality in Darlinghurst
20
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
15:03 AEST
Cook and Phillip station · 1.1 km from centroid
12-month median:AQI 27 · Good
Air quality is generally safe for outdoor activity.
Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
4.9µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
7.4µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
1.4pphm
1hr reading
AQI · last 12 months · daily mean
Cook and Phillip station · 365 daily points
Source: NSW DCCEEW Air Quality API↗ (CC BY 4.0). Historical data updated weekly; live readings cached 60 minutes.
Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Based on 162 new bond lodgements this quarter.
Rents here are at the higher end for Sydney. Higher holding costs for investors; higher savings pressure for renters.
Median weekly rent · Unit · 2 bed
$1,000per week
Sep 2025 · 162 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Redfern2016
$945▼$55
1.4 km away
Paddington2021
$850▼$150
1.5 km away
Haymarket2000
$1,250▲$250
1.6 km away
Ultimo2007
$1,050▲$50
1.6 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board↗ · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.
DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2010
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2010. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare Darlinghurst with another suburb
Also in City of Sydney
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other City of Sydney postcodes, or explore the full City of Sydney suburb index.
Darlinghurst is the primary suburb with postcode 2010 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Darlinghurst is the main locality.
Which local government area is Darlinghurst in?
Darlinghurst (2010) is located in the City of Sydney local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Darlinghurst?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Darlinghurst (2010) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Darlinghurst flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Darlinghurst. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Darlinghurst?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Darlinghurst (2010), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Darlinghurst (2010) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Darlinghurst (2010). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Darlinghurst changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Darlinghurst (2010) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
