The Rocks zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of The Rocks (Sydney, NSW) - 0.2 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.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
0.2 km² - 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 The Rocks'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.
The Rocks at a glance
How The Rocks is zoned
Buying in The Rocks? 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 0.2 km², The Rocks 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 103 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Public Recreation. The median lot measures about 272 m² across 234 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 The Rocks
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the The Rocks suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 1197, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of The Rocks's 629 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Sydney (North) - Millers Point, the wider ABS statistical area containing The Rocks. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than The Rocks 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.
The Rocks 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.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 The Rocks 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 →The Rocks planning - frequently asked
Is The Rocks flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering The Rocks, 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 The Rocks bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers The Rocks 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 The Rocks?
The dominant planning zone in The Rocks is Public Recreation, though the suburb also includes Metropolitan Centre and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does The Rocks have heritage-listed places?
The Rocks has 103 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 The Rocks?
Across 234 surveyed parcels in The Rocks, the median lot size is about 272 m².
What is the population of The Rocks?
At the 2021 Census The Rocks had 629 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 1.7 people. The wider Sydney (North) - Millers Point statistical area, which contains The Rocks, 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 The Rocks alone.
Is The Rocks an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), The Rocks scores 1197 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 The Rocks?
Median household income in The Rocks was $4,374 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,276 for the typical suburb in Sydney. Median rent was $850 a week and the median mortgage repayment $4,333 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a The Rocks property?
A The Rocks 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes Point | 0.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Millers Point | 0.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Barangaroo | 0.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Sydney | 1.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Milsons Point North Sydney |
1.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Kirribilli North Sydney |
1.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Balmain East Inner West |
1.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Mcmahons Point North Sydney |
1.6 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Lavender Bay North Sydney |
1.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Woolloomooloo | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |