Ultimo (NSW 2000) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 99/100, 5.1% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: Accelerating Momentum Turnaround · R-Score: 99/100 (National Rank #300 of 15,286) · Street Average: 20/100 across 29 streets.

Lagging 12-month median price tables often miss the inflection point when a suburb transitions from quiet accumulation into active expansion. Over the past year, Ultimo’s R-Score has climbed by +18 points to 99/100 as days on market (34 days) and rental vacancy (6.5%) tightened ahead of the broader NSW market.

“I would not let a 5.1% gross yield settle the argument here. The more useful figure is the minus $300 weekly pre-tax cashflow at 80% LVR, because it tells buyers to price the holding cost properly and be selective about the asset, not just the postcode.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Ultimo (NSW) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Ultimo street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full September 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Ultimo (NSW 2000), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Sydney (NSW), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 9,628 residential addresses.

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

As of September 2026, Ultimo records a settled median house price of $1,500,000. On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +22.9% over the past year to $1460/wk, equating to a 5.1% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Ultimo carried an R-Score of 81/100—its current composite R-Score of 99/100 represents a +18-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Ultimo (NSW) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	99 / 100	Ranked #300 of 15,286 suburbs (was 81/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$1,500,000	12m change: -15.7%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$1460/wk (5.1%)	12m rent change: +22.9%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	6.5% vacancy	Median selling time: 34 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	53 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	29 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	63 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Sydney & NSW
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	53 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

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

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Ultimo achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 9,628 addresses across 29 streets in Ultimo through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 0 streets (0% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Ultimo rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 0 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): 24 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 Ultimo (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 29 streets in Ultimo):

Top Street in Ultimo	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Pyrmont Street	25/100	631	31%	0%	$826/wk (5.2%)
#2 Wattle Lane	25/100	118	31%	0%	$700/wk (3.1%)
#3 Mckee Street	25/100	31	31%	0%	$700/wk (3.1%)
#4 Ada Place	25/100	71	24%	1.3%	$1150/wk (3.5%)
#5 Kirk Street	25/100	13	24%	1.3%	$1150/wk (3.5%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Ultimo 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 Ultimo:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Henry Avenue	0/100	37	18%	54.1%	—
Systrum Street	0/100	16	13%	33%	$730/wk
West End Lane	0/100	13	19%	21.9%	$1050/wk

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

Ultimo sits within the Sydney Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 241,797 (+10.4% population movement over the past 3 years) and 110,036 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Ultimo’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Sydney are Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (19%), Financial and Insurance Services (18%), Accommodation and Food Services (7%), Public Administration and Safety (7%). 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, Sydney approved 1.5% new dwelling stock (~1,683.486 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Sydney currently has $50.8 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 98th percentile of Australian councils).

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

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Ultimo at today’s median price of $1,500,000 and median rent of $1460/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	Ultimo Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$1,500,000	Settled house median as of September 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$372,000	$300,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$72,000 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$1,200,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$75,920/yr ($1460/wk)	5.1% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$91,500/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($75,000/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($16,500/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$300/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

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

R-Score Jumped +18 Points Over the Past 12 Months. Based on our September 2026 data, Ultimo 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 Ultimo, 24 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Ultimo Street Score Hub and target the 0 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Pyrmont 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.