Planning Maps / Areas / Sydney / Sydney

Sydney zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Sydney (Sydney, NSW) - 3.04 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Sydney's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Sydney at a glance

Parcels 1,288 Median lot 402 m² Mapped easements 7 Train Acc To Light Rail E, Bridge Street Light Rail, Circular Quay Light Rail, Circular Quay Station, Convention Light Rail, ENT Light Rail, Exhibition Centre Light Rail, Martin Place Station Bus stops 142 Ferry terminals 17

How Sydney is zoned

Metropolitan Centre 59%
Public Recreation 36%
Infrastructure 4%
Mixed Use 1%

Buying in Sydney? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 3.04 km², Sydney is relatively unconstrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. There are 497 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Metropolitan Centre. The median lot measures about 402 m² across 1,288 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in Sydney

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Sydney suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
16,667
usual residents, 2021
Median age
32
years
Median household income
$2,227
per week, Sydney suburb typical $2,276
Median rent
$600
per week, Sydney suburb typical $565
Median mortgage
$2,691
per month
Household size
2.1
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1107, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Sydney's 16,667 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.5%
5-14 2.6%
15-19 1.8%
20-24 11.0%
25-34 39.3%
35-44 20.6%
45-54 8.9%
55-64 6.2%
65-74 4.2%
75-84 2.2%
85+ 0.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Sydney (North) - Millers Point, the wider ABS statistical area containing Sydney. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Sydney itself.

5,088 in 2001 to 9,305 in 2025, up 83%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

Sydney data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Sydney address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

Sydney planning - frequently asked

Is Sydney flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Sydney, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Sydney is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Sydney bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Sydney and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone. Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.

What is the zoning in Sydney?

The dominant planning zone in Sydney is Metropolitan Centre, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Sydney have heritage-listed places?

Sydney has 497 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in Sydney?

Across 1,288 surveyed parcels in Sydney, the median lot size is about 402 m². There are also 7 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Sydney have a train station?

Yes - Sydney has 8 train stations: Acc To Light Rail E, Bridge Street Light Rail, Circular Quay Light Rail, Circular Quay Station, Convention Light Rail, ENT Light Rail, Exhibition Centre Light Rail, Martin Place Station. It is also served by 142 bus stops and 17 ferry terminals.

What is the population of Sydney?

At the 2021 Census Sydney had 16,667 usual residents, with a median age of 32 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Sydney (North) - Millers Point statistical area, which contains Sydney, went from 5,088 people in 2001 to 9,305 in 2025, up 83%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Sydney alone.

Is Sydney an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Sydney scores 1107 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in Sydney?

Median household income in Sydney was $2,227 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,276 for the typical suburb in Sydney. Median rent was $600 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,691 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Sydney property?

A Sydney planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Woolloomooloo 1.0 km Not mapped 0%
The Rocks 1.0 km Not mapped 0%
Millers Point 1.1 km Not mapped 0%
Barangaroo 1.2 km Not mapped 0%
Dawes Point 1.3 km Not mapped 0%
Potts Point 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Darlinghurst 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Haymarket 1.6 km Not mapped 0%
Pyrmont 1.6 km Not mapped 0%
Ultimo 1.7 km Not mapped 0%

See all Sydney suburb profiles →