Dulwich Hill (NSW 2040) in Focus 2026: $2,181,000 Median, 2.5% Yield & 84/100 R-Score

Market Classification: Affluent Owner-Occupier Upgrader Market · R-Score: 84/100 (National Rank #2,544 of 15,286) · Street Average: 23/100 across 82 streets.

Dulwich Hill is an established, high-income owner-occupier market where land scarcity and school/amenity appeal drive long-term capital values ($2,181,000 median). Because gross rental yields sit at 2.5%, this is not a cashflow play—it is a scarcity and land-banking market suited to high-income investors or rentvestors who prioritise street-level prestige and long-term compounding over immediate net yield.

Below is our full September 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Dulwich Hill (NSW 2040), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Inner West (NSW), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 9,562 residential addresses.

1. Dulwich Hill (NSW) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (September 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Dulwich Hill’s median house price moved -2.2% (from $2,230,000 to $2,181,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to -2.2% (from $2,229,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +0% over the past year to $1050/wk (+18.2% over 36 months), equating to a 2.5% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Dulwich Hill carried an R-Score of 54/100—its current composite R-Score of 84/100 represents a +30-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Dulwich Hill (NSW) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	84 / 100	Ranked #2,544 of 15,286 suburbs (was 54/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$2,181,000	12m change: -2.2% · 36m change: -2.2%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$1050/wk (2.5%)	12m rent change: +0% · 36m rent change: +18.2%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	1.8% vacancy	Median selling time: 46 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	37 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	30 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	60 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Inner West & NSW
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	49 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Dulwich Hill (NSW)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Dulwich Hill achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 9,562 addresses across 82 streets in Dulwich Hill through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 10 streets (13% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Dulwich Hill rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 6 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 59 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Dulwich Hill (NSW)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 82 streets in Dulwich Hill):

Top Street in Dulwich Hill	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Rosedale Street	75/100	34	78%	0%	$1235/wk (2.6%)
#2 Jesmond Avenue	75/100	24	76%	0%	$850/wk (1.6%)
#3 May Street	75/100	18	76%	0%	$850/wk (1.6%)
#4 Weston Street	75/100	82	75%	0%	$950/wk (2.8%)
#5 Channel Street	75/100	8	75%	0%	$950/wk (2.8%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Dulwich Hill Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Dulwich Hill:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Riverside Crescent	0/100	39	51%	6.6%	$600/wk
Ewart Lane	0/100	36	51%	6.6%	$600/wk
Balfour Street	0/100	27	51%	6.6%	$600/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Inner West Council (New South Wales)

Dulwich Hill sits within the Inner West Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 193,125 (+5.2% population movement over the past 3 years) and 80,616 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Dulwich Hill’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Inner West are Health Care and Social Assistance (13%), Retail Trade (11%), Accommodation and Food Services (9%), Education and Training (9%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Inner West approved 1% new dwelling stock (~907.323 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Inner West currently has $38.6 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 97th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Dulwich Hill (September 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Dulwich Hill at today’s median price of $2,181,000 and median rent of $1050/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Dulwich Hill Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$2,181,000	Settled house median as of September 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$540,888	$436,200 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$104,688 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$1,744,800	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$54,600/yr ($1050/wk)	2.5% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$133,041/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($109,050/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($23,991/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$1508/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Dulwich Hill—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

High Land Scarcity and Deep Homeowner Wealth, But Cashflow-Intensive. Based on our September 2026 data, Dulwich Hill is best suited to higher-income professionals, medical practitioners, and upgraders with strong cashflow buffers targeting scarce land in an owner-occupier dominated suburb.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Dulwich Hill, 59 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Dulwich Hill Street Score Hub and target the 10 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Rosedale Street, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.