Is Canterbury a nice place to live?

Canterbury centres on Canterbury Road with small shops and ethnic food outlets, lies near the Cooks River and has a transport-oriented precinct at Canterbury station. The community is young, with 49.0% of homes rented while most remain owner-occupied, and couples without children are the largest family group; buses, major roads, several parks and community spaces provide everyday amenity, and the Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre is under construction and will include an outdoor 50-metre heated pool.

Is it expensive to live in Canterbury?

In Canterbury a typical local household earned about $1,882 a week at the most recent Census. On those figures, renting would take a large share of income: a house rent of $800 a week would be roughly 43% of that weekly household income, and a unit rent of $675 a week would be about 36%. Buying is more stretched against local incomes. The median house price of $2,104,400 works out to about 21.5 times a typical local annual household income, while the median unit price of $656,500 is about 6.7 times annual income. On the figures, both purchase options sit well above local incomes, with houses especially far above. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Canterbury a good place to invest?

In Canterbury over the past 12 months, median house values rose 8.9% while median house rents fell 9.1%. For houses, that means capital value moved up as rental income moved down over the same period. Units tell a different story: median unit values rose 6.3% and unit rents rose 3.8% in the last 12 months, with value growth outpacing rent growth for units. This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

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Canterbury suburb profile

Canterbury is an inner-west Sydney suburb in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, sitting near the Cooks River and framed by mature street trees and long-established residences. Its centre follows Canterbury Road, where a mix of small shops, ethnic food outlets and local services gives the area a practical, everyday feel.

Housing ranges from early 20th century cottages and terraces to low-rise apartment blocks and later infill, producing a varied streetscape with private gardens and verandahs. The suburb is well connected by buses and major roads, and several parks and community spaces provide informal recreation and weekend activity.

Canterbury property market performance

Current median dwelling price$1,380,450Past 3 months

Property growth+7.6%Past 12 months

Canterbury's median house price is $2,104,400, up 8.9% over 12 months, a notable rise. The median unit price is $656,500, up 6.3% over 12 months, a solid rise. House values rose more strongly than unit values during the year.

In Canterbury, house rents fell 9.1% over 12 months, a marked decline, while house values rose over the same period.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$2.10M	$657K
Change in value Past 12 months	8.9%	6.3%
Sold Past 3 months	12	37
Median days on market Past 12 months	36	32
Average rent Past 12 months	$800	$675
Change in rent Past 12 months	-9.1%	3.8%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Canterbury demographics

Canterbury is a young community, where 49.0% of homes are rented but most homes are still owner-occupied.

Couples without children are the largest family group, at 41.2% of families. At the 2021 Census 9,430 people lived in Canterbury.

Canterbury and NSW

	Suburb	NSW
Median age years	34	39
Median household income weekly	$1,882	$1,829
Couples with children share of families	40.4%	44.7%
Couples without children share of families	41.2%	37.9%
One-parent families share of families	15.6%	15.8%
Homes owned outright share of homes	21.6%	32.6%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	29.4%	33.6%
Homes rented share of homes	49.0%	33.7%

Source: ABS 2021 Census. Shares of homes exclude other and not-stated tenure.

Canterbury infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Canterbury's Transport Oriented Development (TOD) precinct around Canterbury railway station moved to council controls in 2025. The suburb is also seeing the new Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre under construction, scheduled for completion in 2026 and to include an outdoor 50-metre heated pool.

In 2024 council developed a Tasker Park precinct plan proposing a new bridge across the Cooks River. The Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink secured state funding in 2023 and council approved a 21-year lease in 2024, with the upgrade to include a new roof. A shared-path underpass on Canterbury Road opened on 20 December 2024, and the Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown conversion was in final testing in 2026 with platform screen doors being installed at stations including Canterbury.

Suburbs near Canterbury

Some popular suburbs near Canterbury include:

How does Canterbury compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Canterbury’s median house price is 52.5% higher than Campsie’s.
Median unit prices: Canterbury’s median unit price is 21.4% lower than Hurlstone Park’s.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Canterbury have grown 2.2% higher than in Hurlstone Park.
Unit price growth: Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Canterbury have grown 1.4% higher than in Hurlstone Park.
Selling speed for houses: Properties in Canterbury are selling 39.0% faster than in Hurlstone Park.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Canterbury are selling 38.5% faster than in Earlwood.
Investment considerations: In Canterbury, the rental yield for house is 13.3% lower than the Sydney average, while the rental yield for units is 14.6% lower.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Canterbury have grown 0.6% lower than the average rate of growth across Sydney.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Canterbury have grown 19.2% lower than the average rate of growth for units across Sydney.

Common questions about Canterbury

Is Canterbury a nice place to live?
Canterbury centres on Canterbury Road with small shops and ethnic food outlets, lies near the Cooks River and has a transport-oriented precinct at Canterbury station.

The community is young, with 49.0% of homes rented while most remain owner-occupied, and couples without children are the largest family group; buses, major roads, several parks and community spaces provide everyday amenity, and the Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre is under construction and will include an outdoor 50-metre heated pool.
Is it expensive to live in Canterbury?
In Canterbury a typical local household earned about $1,882 a week at the most recent Census. On those figures, renting would take a large share of income: a house rent of $800 a week would be roughly 43% of that weekly household income, and a unit rent of $675 a week would be about 36%.

Buying is more stretched against local incomes. The median house price of $2,104,400 works out to about 21.5 times a typical local annual household income, while the median unit price of $656,500 is about 6.7 times annual income. On the figures, both purchase options sit well above local incomes, with houses especially far above.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Canterbury a good place to invest?
In Canterbury over the past 12 months, median house values rose 8.9% while median house rents fell 9.1%. For houses, that means capital value moved up as rental income moved down over the same period.

Units tell a different story: median unit values rose 6.3% and unit rents rose 3.8% in the last 12 months, with value growth outpacing rent growth for units.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

Choose the right real estate agents in Canterbury

Currently, there are 66 real estate agents working in Canterbury—but not all agents deliver the same results. The right agent could make a huge difference to your final sale price.

Only 5 out of these 66 agents sold 46.7% of all properties in Canterbury over the past year. Choosing one of these top-performing agents means tapping into proven expertise for a better sale outcome.

Real estate agents in Canterbury typically charge a commission of 1.67% to 2.28%. Negotiating a fair commission rate and the right structure can motivate your agent to work even harder, helping you sell for more and potentially saving you thousands of dollars.