NSW · Sutherland Shire Council
Waterfall, 2233
Current weather
16.5°CClear sky
46% humidity · 15.8 km/h wind · 20.5° / 12.8° today · 2.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Set among the hills of Sutherland Shire, Waterfall is a smaller community with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. Regional calm with capital access on standby: close enough for outings, distant enough to feel unhurried. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Reasonable public transport access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 522
- Median age
- 41
- Median household income / week
- $2,232
- Dwelling vacancy
- 2.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 177
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,383
- Employment rate
- 63.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 12 / 0 / 6
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $700
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $900
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $843
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 94
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 12
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 5
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 23
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 130 residents
- State safety percentile
- 3.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault63
- Fraud55
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment68
- Malicious Damage To Property85
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault54
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,031
- Waterfall Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
11 public transport stops in this suburb
- LFT To P1/2
- Waterfall Station
- Waterfall Station, Access Rd, McKell Av
- Waterfall Station, Platform 1
- Waterfall Station, Platform 2
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
12 planning-related records
2025· 4 proposals
August 2025
- Medium Density Housing; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 4-6 KOORABAN STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
March 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)5 4-6 KOORABAN STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure8 WARABIN STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Telecommunications facilityMCKELL AVENUE WATERFALL 2233Deferred Commencement
2024· 1 proposal
August 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Telecommunications facilityMCKELL AVENUE WATERFALL 2233Determined
2022· 2 proposals
October 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development3 KOORABAN STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
March 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing; Earthworks / change in levels; Retaining walls, protection of trees1901 PRINCES HIGHWAY WATERFALL 2233Withdrawn
2021· 3 proposals
December 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development29 YANAGANG STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
September 2021
- Telecommunications and communication facilitiesMCKELL AVENUE WATERFALL 2233Deferred Commencement
January 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development47 YANAGANG STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
2020· 2 proposals
December 2020
- Pools / decks / fencing46 YANAGANG STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
October 2020
- Alterations and additions to residential development17 WARABIN STREET WATERFALL 2233Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Picnic Table
- Public toilets
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Alan Benn ReservePark
- Camp Coutts carparkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 15
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 44.8/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 40% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2647th in Australia
- State rank
- 841st in NSW
- Peer rank
- #93 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #220 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Picnic Tableamenitiespicnic_table
- Public toiletsamenitiestoilets
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime63
- Fraudcrime55
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime68
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime85
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime54
- LFT To P1/2transport
- Waterfall Stationtransport
- Waterfall Station, Access Rd, McKell Avtransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Sutherland Shire Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.