Darlinghurst vs Surry Hills.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $2,392,500 and $2,345,000. Surry Hills edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Surry Hills (median $2,345,000) is roughly 2% cheaper to buy into than Darlinghurst ($2,392,500). Over the past year, Surry Hills (+4%) ran 3.2 percentage points ahead of Darlinghurst (+0.8%) on house-price growth.
On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Darlinghurst (1121) sits above Surry Hills (1080).
For buyers
Surry Hills is the lower entry point at $2,345,000 median, 2% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Surry Hills carries both higher gross yield (1.22% vs 1.20%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
Darlinghurst edges out on average school ICSEA (1121 vs 1080).
Common questions
Is Darlinghurst or Surry Hills cheaper to buy in?
Surry Hills has the lower median house price at $2,345,000, roughly 2% below Darlinghurst ($2,392,500). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Darlinghurst or Surry Hills?
Over the past 12 months, Surry Hills grew +4% vs +0.8% in Darlinghurst, a gap of 3.2 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Darlinghurst or Surry Hills have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Darlinghurst scores 1121 vs 1080 in Surry Hills. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Darlinghurst or Surry Hills?
Gross rental yield on houses is 1.22% in Surry Hills vs 1.20% in Darlinghurst. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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