Thinking about buying your first home in Surry Hills (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 Surry Hills 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 Surry Hills a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Surry Hills (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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51 min
37 min
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The verdict
Who it is for
Surry Hills suits a high-earning, car-free professional couple or single buyer who wants to live inside the city rather than commute to it. The median unit price of $965,000 is the realistic entry point here, with 419 sales giving that figure solid weight. A median household income of $2,308 per week and a SEIFA decile of 10 suggest the neighbourhood skews affluent. A walkability score of 95 and 459 cafes within 1.6 kilometres means daily life works entirely on foot.
Who would not love it
Families stretching toward a house will find almost nothing to buy. Separate houses make up just 1% of the housing stock, and the median house price of $2,125,000 has fallen 7.1% year-on-year, which means the market is soft but the price is still steep for what is almost certainly a terrace on a tight block. The First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme does not apply at either price point. With 65% renters and 69% apartments, the streetscape is transient and strata levies will be a permanent fixture of your budget.
What to verify before you bid
- Strata records for any unit: the amenity density and high renter share mean common areas take heavy use, so request two years of meeting minutes and check the capital works fund balance before exchanging. - House price trajectory: at -7.1% year-on-year across only 98 sales, confirm comparable sales from the past 90 days with your conveyancer before setting your ceiling. - Noise and air quality: an AQI of 27 is clean, but proximity to the CBD and 157 transport stops within 1.6 kilometres means street-level noise warrants an in-person visit on a weekday morning.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Surry Hills?
BOCSAR · SURRY HILLS 2010
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K25,29712 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+215%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Trend unavailableCity of Sydney
Within LGA: City of Sydney
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT43%1,116 reports
AGAINST JUSTICE PROCEDURES31%810 reports
DRUG OFFENCES26%662 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED31%
NON-DOMESTIC69%
Across 367 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 Surry Hills
20
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
15:06 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 Surry Hills 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.
Surry Hills is the primary suburb with postcode 2010 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Surry Hills is the main locality.
Which local government area is Surry Hills in?
Surry Hills (2010) is located in the City of Sydney local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Surry Hills?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Surry Hills (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 Surry Hills flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Surry Hills. 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 Surry Hills?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Surry Hills (2010), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Surry Hills (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 Surry Hills (2010). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Surry Hills changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Surry Hills (2010) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
