Is Chippendale a nice place to live?

Chippendale is an inner-city Sydney suburb centred on a tight grid of laneways and artisan workshops, and it includes the Central Park precinct and Kensington Street’s cafe and dining strip. The community is young, with many renters and couples without children at home, and 78.0% of homes are rented. Day-to-day amenity includes cafes, galleries, small parks and public art, plus good public transport via Central station, nearby light rail and buses, and the Central Park precinct's Chippendale Green; the City of Sydney has progressed work on a Chippendale Community Sustainability Precinct, seeking advice on a Sustainability Precinct Plan to develop the area as a community sustainability hub.

Is it expensive to live in Chippendale?

Rents in Chippendale take a large share of what local households earned at the most recent Census. A typical local household earned about $1,606 a week then, so a house renting for $1,200 a week would use about 75% of that weekly income and a unit renting for $900 a week would use about 56%. On the buying side, the median unit price of $827,500 works out to about 9.9 times a typical local annual household income, placing buying well above local incomes. If you're renting rather than buying, the rent share is likely the figure that matters most; whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Chippendale a good place to invest?

A clear split appears in Chippendale: over the past 12 months unit values rose a strong 15.3% while house values fell 1.4%, a slight decline. On the rental side, house rents jumped 14.3% and unit rents rose 5.9%. That means for houses rental income increased faster than capital value, while for units capital growth outpaced rent growth. 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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Chippendale suburb profile

Chippendale is an inner-city Sydney suburb close to the CBD and Central station, known for a tight grid of laneways, artisan workshops and a mix of nineteenth-century terraces, warehouse conversions and modern apartment buildings. The suburb includes the Central Park precinct and Kensington Street's cafe and dining strip, with small parks and public art tucked through the streets.

Days here move between studio activity, galleries and busy eateries, while evenings retain a strong dining scene. Good public transport links at Central station and nearby light rail and buses make the city and neighbouring precincts readily accessible, and the built form shifts from low terraces to contemporary residential towers.

Chippendale property market performance

Current median dwelling price$1,382,500Past 3 months

Property growth+7.0%Past 12 months

Chippendale's median unit price is $827,500 and unit values rose sharply, up 15.3% over the last 12 months. There is no reliable median for houses because too few properties of that type have sold here recently for a median to be published.

In Chippendale house rents grew strongly, up 14.3% over the last 12 months, while unit rents rose 5.9% over the same period, a notable increase, so house rents rose faster than unit rents.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	N/A	$828K
Change in value Past 12 months	-1.4%	15.3%
Sold Past 3 months	5	47
Median days on market Past 12 months	N/A	71
Average rent Past 12 months	$1200	$900
Change in rent Past 12 months	14.3%	5.9%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Chippendale demographics

Chippendale is a young community with many renters and couples without children at home.

Couples without children make up 72.8% of families and renters account for 78.0% of homes. At the 2021 Census, 7,803 people lived in Chippendale.

Chippendale and NSW

	Suburb	NSW
Median age years	28	39
Median household income weekly	$1,606	$1,829
Couples with children share of families	13.7%	44.7%
Couples without children share of families	72.8%	37.9%
One-parent families share of families	6.6%	15.8%
Homes owned outright share of homes	9.0%	32.6%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	13.0%	33.6%
Homes rented share of homes	78.0%	33.7%

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

Chippendale infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Chippendale's Central Park precinct is a major mixed-use urban renewal on the former Carlton & United Brewery site; its public park, Chippendale Green, opened in 2012 and provides about 6,400 square metres of parkland.

In 2025 the City of Sydney progressed work on a Chippendale Community Sustainability Precinct, seeking advice on a Sustainability Precinct Plan to develop the area as a community sustainability hub. In 2024 the City also recorded a light-rail alignment proposal running along Parramatta Road and Broadway to Green Square via Central Station.

Suburbs near Chippendale

Some popular suburbs near Chippendale include:

How does Chippendale compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Chippendale’s median house price is 23.7% lower than Glebe’s.
Median unit prices: Chippendale’s median unit price is 5.4% higher than Ultimo’s.
House price growth: Property prices in nearby Darlington have risen 33.5% more than in Chippendale over the past year.
Unit price growth: Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Chippendale have grown 4.6% higher than in Ultimo.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Chippendale are selling 9.0% faster than in Haymarket.
Investment considerations: In Chippendale, the rental yield for house is 30.0% higher than the Sydney average, while the rental yield for units is 13.9% higher.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Chippendale have grown 4.7% lower than the average rate of growth across Sydney.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Chippendale have grown 4.6% lower than the average rate of growth for units across Sydney.

Common questions about Chippendale

Is Chippendale a nice place to live?
Chippendale is an inner-city Sydney suburb centred on a tight grid of laneways and artisan workshops, and it includes the Central Park precinct and Kensington Street’s cafe and dining strip.

The community is young, with many renters and couples without children at home, and 78.0% of homes are rented. Day-to-day amenity includes cafes, galleries, small parks and public art, plus good public transport via Central station, nearby light rail and buses, and the Central Park precinct's Chippendale Green; the City of Sydney has progressed work on a Chippendale Community Sustainability Precinct, seeking advice on a Sustainability Precinct Plan to develop the area as a community sustainability hub.
Is it expensive to live in Chippendale?
Rents in Chippendale take a large share of what local households earned at the most recent Census. A typical local household earned about $1,606 a week then, so a house renting for $1,200 a week would use about 75% of that weekly income and a unit renting for $900 a week would use about 56%.

On the buying side, the median unit price of $827,500 works out to about 9.9 times a typical local annual household income, placing buying well above local incomes. If you're renting rather than buying, the rent share is likely the figure that matters most; whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Chippendale a good place to invest?
A clear split appears in Chippendale: over the past 12 months unit values rose a strong 15.3% while house values fell 1.4%, a slight decline.

On the rental side, house rents jumped 14.3% and unit rents rose 5.9%. That means for houses rental income increased faster than capital value, while for units capital growth outpaced rent growth.

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 Chippendale

There are 81 real estate agents in Chippendale, but they don’t all deliver the same results.

Some agents have a much stronger presence in the suburb, with just 5 agents handling around 18.1% of all sales in the past year.

Commission rates in Chippendale typically range from 1.88% to 2.06%. Comparing agents—including what they charge, what’s included, and how they structure their fees—is not only important when choosing an agent, the right structure can help ensure your chosen agent is motivated to achieve the best possible result.