Camperdown: Why students are being priced out of this inner-city suburb

With thousands of students soon to descend on the expansive University of Sydney campus for the first semester of 2025, it’s easy to assume the surrounding residential properties play host to a good number of share-homes. But, like many inner-city suburbs, Camperdown has been slowly gentrifying, and many students can’t afford the rent.

According to census data, the percentage of 15-24-year-olds who reside in the suburb dropped from more than 30 per cent in 2001 to about 19 per cent in 2021.

Lifelong resident Tom Quinn, an experienced local builder who heads Urban Design & Construction Co, says he’s seen a shift to a more well-heeled demographic.

“You can definitely see the area has become more affluent,” he says. “There are more professionals, university and hospital workers, middle managers from government bureaucracy, [and] a lot of health workers.”

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Quinn says his stock in trade is renovating the clutch of two-bedroom cottages that populate the south-west pocket of the suburb, with owners seeking open floor plans connected to tiny courtyard gardens that often double as space for off-street car parking, accessed via rear lanes once used by night soil men.

“I really like the laneways all through the suburb, I used to walk all through them as a kid,” he says. “They’re quiet roads with a lot of history.”

Quinn is also a fan of the parkland within the suburb, with O’Dea Reserve, Camperdown Memorial Rest Park and Camperdown Park offering plenty of green space for sport and recreation.

The latter is also home to the Camperdown Commons, an eatery that has become a popular meeting point for locals, says Belle Property Annandale agent Michael Hallit.

“It’s the perfect place for a lazy Sunday drink where they often have live music,” he says. “With a range of indoor and outdoor options, it’s a great place for a beer or lunch. It also has a community farm and it’s adjacent to the park with its tennis and basketball courts.”

My local

with Michael Hallit from Belle Property Annandale

Best eats

I’ve got to shout out to Deus Cafe. It’s a great place with consistently good coffee and a great mixture of food – the miso salmon soba noodle salad is one of my favourites. The aesthetic is very inviting, and it’s quite a cool, funky place.

Hidden gem
I think until you live here, you don’t realise you’re on the cusp of so many great lifestyle areas. You can hop on a bike and get to the Glebe foreshore fish markets, or you can walk down the road to Broadway and cross over to get to King Street.

Market insight

From an investment point of view, Camperdown has always been an attractive place for investors to park their money. The proximity to Sydney Uni and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the city makes it a desirable place to live, and, as a result, rental returns are high.

Homes for sale in Camperdown

Auction

27/177-179 Salisbury Road, Camperdown NSW 2050

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Set across two levels in Intro, a converted heritage warehouse once home to an ice-cream factory and dance studio, this bright apartment enjoys a leafy, north-easterly outlook. The property comes with a fabulous 52-square-metre terrace, a Miele-appointed island kitchen, spotted gum floors, air-conditioning and generous storage. It’s within easy reach of Camperdown Park and King Street amenities.

SOLD - $2,800,000

49 St Marys Street, Camperdown NSW 2050

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This double-fronted Victorian cottage, which claims a corner block with dual access, offers space to relax, work, and play. The property has been renovated throughout with a neutral palette, allowing the new owner to make the home their own. It features polished timber and concrete floors, an eat-in contemporary kitchen with a gas cooktop and island bench seating, and two more living zones.