Newtown (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Newtown is an inner-western suburb of Sydney, about 4 km south-west of the city centre and split between the City of Sydney and Inner West councils. It is best known for King Street — a long strip of Victorian and Federation shopfronts lined with cafes, bookshops, live-music rooms such as the Enmore Theatre, and some of the city's most prominent street art — and for a long-standing bohemian, alternative character. Rows of terrace houses surround it, and the University of Sydney sits on its edge. The origin of the name is disputed, but is usually traced to a 'New Town' store of the 1830s. The area lay within the country of the Cadigal people of the Eora nation.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Newtown (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1143, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Newtown (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 14,690
- Median age
- 34
- Median weekly household income
- $2,330
- SEIFA score
- 1143
- Coordinates
- -33.8976, 151.1804
Newtown (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Newtown (NSW) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 46%, 57% of homes are rented, and 32% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,411 | 10% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,919 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,755 | 46% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,409 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,197 | 8% |
Share of the 14,691 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,128 | 17% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,532 | 23% |
| Rented | 3,762 | 57% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 330 | 5% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3,399 | 52% |
| Flats & apartments | 2,598 | 40% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,531 occupied private dwellings in Newtown (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $550
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,000
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,383
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,309
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,544 (32%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,486 (18%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 188 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 10,784 (83%)
- Labour-force participation
- 74.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.1%
- Employed full-time
- 6,275
- Employed part-time
- 2,353
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Newtown (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Newtown (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 26.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.2°C). The area receives roughly 902 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.6°C | 19.6°C | 80 mm |
| Feb | 25.9°C | 19.2°C | 103 mm |
| Mar | 24.8°C | 18.2°C | 149 mm |
| Apr | 22.6°C | 14.8°C | 82 mm |
| May | 19.9°C | 11.4°C | 46 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 9.5°C | 69 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 8.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 18°C | 8.6°C | 54 mm |
| Sep | 20.4°C | 10.7°C | 44 mm |
| Oct | 22.6°C | 13.6°C | 78 mm |
| Nov | 23.7°C | 15.5°C | 70 mm |
| Dec | 25.6°C | 17.7°C | 68 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Newtown (NSW)
Where is Newtown (NSW)?
Newtown (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Newtown (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Newtown (NSW) had a population of about 14,690.
Is Newtown (NSW) an advantaged area?
Newtown (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1143, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 99 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Newtown (NSW)?
Newtown (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 22°C and overnight lows of about 13.9°C, with roughly 902 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Nearby suburbs in New South Wales
More suburb guides in New South Wales
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.