Darlinghurst, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Darlinghurst is a dense inner-city suburb immediately east of Sydney's CBD, on the traditional country of the Gadigal people. It was named after Eliza Darling, wife of Governor Ralph Darling, with the old English ending '-hurst' meaning a wooded rise. Grand in colonial days, it slid through the twentieth century into a notorious slum and red-light district before renewal from the 1980s turned it around. Today Darlinghurst is one of the most vibrant parts of the city: a heartland of Sydney's LGBTQ+ community and the Mardi Gras parade, packed with small bars, cafés, restaurants and independent shops, and home to the National Art School in the old Darlinghurst Gaol.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Darlinghurst is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1155, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Darlinghurst at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 10,615
- Median age
- 37
- Median weekly household income
- $2,279
- SEIFA score
- 1155
- Coordinates
- -33.8794, 151.2190
Darlinghurst demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Darlinghurst using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 51%, 62% of homes are rented, and 43% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 556 | 5% |
| Youth (15–24) | 861 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,387 | 51% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,607 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,195 | 11% |
Share of the 10,606 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 907 | 17% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,038 | 19% |
| Rented | 3,332 | 62% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 48 | 1% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,054 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 4,243 | 79% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 5,384 occupied private dwellings in Darlinghurst.
- Median weekly rent
- $550
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,964
- Average household size
- 1.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,913
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,535
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,291 (43%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,201 (22%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 97 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 8,100 (81%)
- Labour-force participation
- 72.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.5%
- Employed full-time
- 4,864
- Employed part-time
- 1,537
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Darlinghurst
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Darlinghurst is January (average daytime high around 26.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.2°C). The area receives roughly 902 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.6°C | 19.6°C | 80 mm |
| Feb | 25.9°C | 19.2°C | 103 mm |
| Mar | 24.8°C | 18.2°C | 149 mm |
| Apr | 22.6°C | 14.8°C | 82 mm |
| May | 19.9°C | 11.4°C | 46 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 9.5°C | 69 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 8.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 18°C | 8.6°C | 54 mm |
| Sep | 20.4°C | 10.7°C | 44 mm |
| Oct | 22.6°C | 13.6°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 23.7°C | 15.5°C | 70 mm |
| Dec | 25.6°C | 17.7°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Darlinghurst
Where is Darlinghurst?
Darlinghurst is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Darlinghurst?
At the 2021 Census, Darlinghurst had a population of about 10,615.
Is Darlinghurst an advantaged area?
Darlinghurst has an ABS SEIFA score of 1155, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 99 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Darlinghurst?
Darlinghurst has average daytime highs of about 22°C and overnight lows of about 13.9°C, with roughly 902 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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