Thinking about buying your first home in Newtown (2042)? This page brings together 17 data cards from NSW government, the ABS, Transport for NSW, and Domain auction results to help you decide if Newtown 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 Newtown a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Newtown (2042) 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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11 min
18 min
45 min
36 min
11 min
Approximate off-peak driving times: straight-line distance × a Sydney detour factor at 35 km/h. Real road times will vary. Saved on this device.
The verdict
Who it is for
Newtown suits younger buyers, median age 34, who prioritise walkability and inner-city convenience above space. A walkability score of 95 puts it in the top 10 per cent of Sydney, and the CBD is roughly five minutes away off-peak. The unit median of $823,000 is the realistic entry point here, and that 12 per cent year-on-year movement means you are not buying in quietly. ICSEA of 1135 across local public schools is strong for a dense urban postcode.
Who would not love it
Families wanting a house will find slim pickings. Separate houses make up just 5 per cent of the dwelling stock, and the median house price sits at $1,805,000, which is out of reach for most first home buyers and ineligible for the First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme. With 58 per cent renters and 40 per cent of dwellings being flats, the neighbourhood has a transient character that does not suit everyone. Noise and density are real, not incidental, features of daily life here.
What to verify before you bid
- Strata records for any unit you consider: the composite financial grade is C+, which warrants close scrutiny of the owners corporation financials, outstanding levies, and any deferred maintenance. - Building age and construction type: a postcode this dense carries older stock, so commission an independent building and pest inspection. - Street-level noise: with 164 cafes and 63 transport nodes within 1.6 km, check the specific block at different times before committing.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Newtown?
BOCSAR · NEWTOWN 2042
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K14,73112 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+84%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Inner West
Within LGA: Inner West
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT45%576 reports
AGAINST JUSTICE PROCEDURES37%474 reports
ASSAULT18%229 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED26%
NON-DOMESTIC74%
Across 216 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 Newtown
16
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
14:20 AEST
Alexandria station · 2.0 km from centroid
12-month median:AQI 25 · Good
Air quality is generally safe for outdoor activity.
Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
4.0µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
6.2µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
1.8pphm
1hr reading
AQI · last 12 months · daily mean
Alexandria 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 45 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
$800per week
Sep 2025 · 45 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Erskineville2043
$1,000▲$200
0.9 km away
Camperdown2050
$950▲$150
1.4 km away
Alexandria2015
$900▲$100
1.6 km away
Chippendale2008
$1,190▲$390
2.3 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 · 2042
What’s in the pipeline
Development applications (DAs) lodged, assessed, or approved in Newtown over the past 12 months. Pipeline data from the NSW Planning Portal. Proposed developments may not proceed.
Active applications34
lodged or under assessment
Proposed dwellings58
0.7% of existing households
Declared value$48M
total estimated cost of works, where reported
Residential share44.0%
of active applications
24-month DA trajectory
Pipeline steady at around 34 active applications per month.
Newtown has a modest pipeline relative to its existing housing stock.
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Compare Newtown with another suburb
Also in Inner West
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Inner West postcodes, or explore the full Inner West suburb index.
Newtown is the primary suburb with postcode 2042 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Newtown is the main locality.
Which local government area is Newtown in?
Newtown (2042) is located in the Inner West local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Newtown?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Newtown (2042) 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 Newtown flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Newtown. 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 Newtown?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Newtown (2042), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Newtown (2042) 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 Newtown (2042). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Newtown changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Newtown (2042) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
