Considering The Rocks? This page brings together 17 data cards on what it’s like to live there, what the catchments and amenities are, and where the suburb is heading. The analysis covers safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle.
Is The Rocks a good suburb to buy in 2026?
The Rocks (2000) 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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The verdict
Who it is for
The Rocks suits high-income buyers who want to live inside Sydney's cultural and architectural core without a commute. The median unit sits at $2,900,000, so you need serious borrowing capacity or equity behind you. Walkability scores in the 90th percentile citywide, 640 cafes and 275 parks within 1.6 kilometres, and a two-minute drive to the CBD make this a genuine lifestyle purchase. The above-average ICSEA score of 1144 offers reassurance for families with school-age children.
Who would not love it
The 17.1% year-on-year price fall is a real concern and should not be dismissed as noise, particularly with only 38% owner-occupancy and a 58% renter share. This is a predominantly transient neighbourhood, which affects community feel and building maintenance culture in strata schemes. Buyers wanting a house, a garden, or a quieter residential atmosphere will find nothing here. The price point also places this well outside First Home Buyer scheme eligibility for most applicants.
What to verify before you bid
- The 17.1% median price fall across 56 sales warrants a close look at comparable sales in the specific building you are targeting, not just the suburb-wide figure. - With 95% of dwellings being flats, obtain the strata records and check the owners corporation meeting minutes for deferred maintenance, special levies, or ongoing disputes. - Confirm the building's short-term rental exposure, given the high renter share and tourist-heavy location, as this can affect lender appetite and building condition.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in The Rocks?
BOCSAR · HAYMARKET 2000
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K71,27012 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+788%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Trend unavailableCity of Sydney
Within LGA: City of Sydney
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
TRANSPORT REGULATORY OFFENCES65%2,838 reports
THEFT23%1,009 reports
DRUG OFFENCES12%513 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED17%
NON-DOMESTIC83%
Across 385 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 The Rocks
21
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
14:17 AEST
Cook and Phillip station · 0.5 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 469 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
$1,250per week
Sep 2025 · 469 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Elizabeth Bay2011
$1,100▼$150
1.2 km away
Ultimo2007
$1,050▼$200
1.5 km away
Darlinghurst2010
$1,000▼$250
1.6 km away
Pyrmont2009
$980▼$270
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 · 2000
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2000. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare The Rocks 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.
The Rocks is the primary suburb with postcode 2000 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — The Rocks is the main locality.
Which local government area is The Rocks in?
The Rocks (2000) is located in the City of Sydney local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for The Rocks?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for The Rocks (2000) 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 The Rocks flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in The Rocks. 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 The Rocks?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for The Rocks (2000), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is The Rocks (2000) 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 The Rocks (2000). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is The Rocks changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for The Rocks (2000) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
