Thinking about buying your first home in Rushcutters Bay (2011)? This page brings together 17 data cards from NSW government, the ABS, Transport for NSW, and Domain auction results to help you decide if Rushcutters Bay 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 Rushcutters Bay a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Rushcutters Bay (2011) 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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3 min
8 min
51 min
35 min
22 min
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The verdict
Who it is for
Rushcutters Bay suits a professional couple or single buyer on a solid income, comfortable spending around $870,000 for a unit in one of Sydney's most walkable pockets. A walkability score of 95 and 62 nearby transport options mean a car is genuinely optional. The SEIFA decile of 10 signals a high-income neighbourhood, and the median household income of $1,877 per week reflects that. Childcare coverage is strong if you have young children.
Who would not love it
Families wanting a house will find almost nothing here. Separate houses make up just 1% of stock, so this is an apartment suburb, full stop. At 63% renters and 35% owner-occupiers, the building culture leans transient, which can affect strata engagement and maintenance standards. The composite Stickybeak grade flags "safe insufficient" as a concern, and with 15.3% price growth in a single year, you are buying into a market running warm.
What to verify before you bid
- Pull the strata records for any building you shortlist. A renter-heavy block of 63% can mask deferred maintenance and underfunded capital works levies. - Check the specific "safe insufficient" flag in the Stickybeak safety grade. Understand what local incident data underlies it before you commit. - Confirm the unit's aspect and street position. With 195 cafes and heavy foot traffic within 1.6 km, noise at street level can vary sharply between floors and orientations.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Rushcutters Bay?
BOCSAR · RUSHCUTTERS BAY 2011
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K4,75412 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY−41%Below Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Trend unavailableCity of Sydney
Within LGA: City of Sydney
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT54%38 reports
ASSAULT26%18 reports
DRUG OFFENCES20%14 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED44%
NON-DOMESTIC56%
Across 18 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 Rushcutters Bay
21
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
14:19 AEST
Cook and Phillip station · 1.2 km from centroid
12-month median:AQI 27 · Good
Air quality is generally safe for outdoor activity.
Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
5.2µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
9.1µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
1.7pphm
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 168 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
$1,100per week
Sep 2025 · 168 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Haymarket2000
$1,250▲$150
1.2 km away
Edgecliff2027
$1,100
1.8 km away
Darlinghurst2010
$1,000▼$100
2.0 km away
Kirribilli2061
$1,030▼$70
2.2 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 · 2011
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2011. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare Rushcutters Bay 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.
Rushcutters Bay is the primary suburb with postcode 2011 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Rushcutters Bay is the main locality.
Which local government area is Rushcutters Bay in?
Rushcutters Bay (2011) is located in the City of Sydney local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Rushcutters Bay?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Rushcutters Bay (2011) 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 Rushcutters Bay flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Rushcutters Bay. 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 Rushcutters Bay?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Rushcutters Bay (2011), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Rushcutters Bay (2011) 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 Rushcutters Bay (2011). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Rushcutters Bay changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Rushcutters Bay (2011) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
