The highest-income suburbs in Australia, ranked by average employee income from the ABS's Personal Income in Australia (2022–23, the latest available).
Key facts
- The highest-earning area in Australia is Mosman - South, where employees earned an average of $170,509 (median $86,269) in 2022–23 (ABS).
- That's more than double the Australian average employee income of $74,579 (median $61,966).
- The top 30 areas all have average employee incomes above $121,604.
- Averages in wealthy areas are pulled up by very high earners, so the median (middle) income is much lower than the average.
- Figures are wages and salaries from tax returns, by ABS Statistical Area Level 2 (a suburb or group of suburbs), for areas with at least 1,000 employees.
Top 30 suburbs by average employee income (2022–23)
| Rank | Area (ABS SA2) | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mosman - South | $170,509 | $86,269 | 8,125 |
| 2 | Mosman - North | $161,697 | $82,207 | 7,571 |
| 3 | Woollahra | $158,609 | $85,546 | 4,291 |
| 4 | Castle Cove - Northbridge | $149,568 | $78,563 | 7,034 |
| 5 | Bellevue Hill | $149,010 | $76,312 | 8,271 |
| 6 | Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay | $148,559 | $72,735 | 6,068 |
| 7 | Hunters Hill - Woolwich | $147,287 | $77,439 | 5,032 |
| 8 | Balmain | $143,442 | $96,199 | 9,346 |
| 9 | Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth | $141,607 | $78,733 | 11,915 |
| 10 | Cottesloe | $140,558 | $74,329 | 4,353 |
| 11 | Greenwich - Riverview | $139,320 | $85,506 | 7,582 |
| 12 | Double Bay - Darling Point | $138,388 | $89,206 | 5,773 |
| 13 | Paddington - Moore Park | $136,143 | $86,953 | 9,645 |
| 14 | Cremorne - Cammeray | $134,376 | $93,529 | 11,527 |
| 15 | City Beach | $133,527 | $66,400 | 3,646 |
| 16 | Brighton (Vic.) | $130,302 | $71,936 | 11,798 |
| 17 | Lindfield - Roseville | $128,737 | $76,242 | 13,336 |
| 18 | Bondi - Tamarama - Bronte | $128,536 | $79,999 | 13,077 |
| 19 | Swanbourne - Mount Claremont | $128,416 | $78,794 | 5,224 |
| 20 | Lilyfield - Rozelle | $128,400 | $98,000 | 8,463 |
| 21 | Floreat | $125,918 | $78,035 | 4,994 |
| 22 | Yarralumla | $125,675 | $89,834 | 1,623 |
| 23 | Toorak | $125,638 | $71,121 | 6,835 |
| 24 | North Sydney - Lavender Bay | $125,019 | $93,935 | 8,502 |
| 25 | Wahroonga (East) - Warrawee | $123,645 | $78,401 | 9,607 |
| 26 | Willoughby | $123,628 | $83,333 | 7,066 |
| 27 | Forrest | $123,430 | $89,523 | 1,159 |
| 28 | Neutral Bay - Kirribilli | $122,911 | $89,116 | 10,898 |
| 29 | Barton | $121,904 | $108,941 | 1,262 |
| 30 | Manly - Fairlight | $121,604 | $80,266 | 15,060 |
Top 5 in each capital city
Sydney
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mosman - South | $170,509 | $86,269 | 8,125 |
| 2 | Mosman - North | $161,697 | $82,207 | 7,571 |
| 3 | Woollahra | $158,609 | $85,546 | 4,291 |
| 4 | Castle Cove - Northbridge | $149,568 | $78,563 | 7,034 |
| 5 | Bellevue Hill | $149,010 | $76,312 | 8,271 |
Melbourne
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton (Vic.) | $130,302 | $71,936 | 11,798 |
| 2 | Toorak | $125,638 | $71,121 | 6,835 |
| 3 | Hampton | $114,582 | $73,331 | 10,210 |
| 4 | Albert Park | $113,588 | $75,550 | 10,137 |
| 5 | Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury | $112,810 | $70,000 | 8,671 |
Brisbane
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fig Tree Pocket | $117,198 | $76,344 | 2,465 |
| 2 | Bardon | $115,892 | $81,890 | 6,027 |
| 3 | Hawthorne | $115,102 | $77,223 | 3,462 |
| 4 | Bulimba | $114,256 | $82,307 | 4,576 |
| 5 | Grange | $110,585 | $81,938 | 2,849 |
Perth
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottesloe | $140,558 | $74,329 | 4,353 |
| 2 | City Beach | $133,527 | $66,400 | 3,646 |
| 3 | Swanbourne - Mount Claremont | $128,416 | $78,794 | 5,224 |
| 4 | Floreat | $125,918 | $78,035 | 4,994 |
| 5 | Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove | $114,852 | $64,651 | 6,111 |
Adelaide
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walkerville | $90,838 | $65,053 | 4,153 |
| 2 | Beaumont - Glen Osmond | $89,972 | $64,387 | 5,287 |
| 3 | Mitcham (SA) | $89,543 | $65,903 | 8,807 |
| 4 | Goodwood - Millswood | $86,205 | $67,158 | 10,115 |
| 5 | Unley - Parkside | $86,169 | $66,509 | 11,127 |
Canberra
| Rank | Area | Average income | Median income | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yarralumla | $125,675 | $89,834 | 1,623 |
| 2 | Forrest | $123,430 | $89,523 | 1,159 |
| 3 | Barton | $121,904 | $108,941 | 1,262 |
| 4 | Red Hill (ACT) | $119,485 | $84,277 | 1,856 |
| 5 | Deakin | $118,270 | $91,665 | 1,664 |
Common questions
What is the richest suburb in Australia?
By average employee income, Mosman - South in Sydney ($170,509 in 2022–23), followed by Mosman - North and Woollahra.
Which city has the most high-income suburbs?
Sydney: 21 of the top 30 areas are in Greater Sydney, mostly on the lower North Shore and in the eastern suburbs. Perth's western suburbs (Cottesloe, City Beach) and Melbourne's Brighton and Toorak are the highest outside Sydney.
What is the richest suburb in Melbourne?
Brighton (Vic.), with an average employee income of $130,302, then Toorak ($125,638).
Is this household income or personal income?
Personal: it's each employee's wage and salary income from tax returns, averaged over the area. It doesn't include investment or business income, so areas with many wealthy retirees can rank lower than you'd expect.
See also richest suburbs in Sydney, richest suburbs in Melbourne, average salary in Australia and median income.
Source: ABS Personal Income in Australia, 2022–23, Table 5.4 (employee income by SA2; next release 27 November 2026). Checked 22 October 2026.