Sydney’s biggest ‘boys club’ suburbs have been revealed, as a new report exposes where massive gender pay gaps are locking women out of the property market.
While the mining industry has largely driven inequity in other states, the story of Sydney’s gender pay gap lies within its affluent waterfront locales, where men are in some cases taking home over $600 more than women per week.
According to the report, the North Shore’s Balgowlah, Clontarf and Seaforth showed the largest disproportion in income, with men taking home an extra $627.95 per week, or $32,653.40 a year.
Vaucluse is among the Sydney suburbs with largest income disparity.
In the Sutherland Shire, Lilli Pilli, Port Hacking and Dolans Bay recorded an income difference of $602 per week, while the gap in the eastern suburbs of Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay and Dover Heights was $579 per week.
Stop Renting Australia founder Shawn Waugh said gender pay gaps were “not just a workplace issue” as they have the potential to “shape property markets”.
“In Sydney’s elite suburbs, it’s about male professional salaries shaping property prices,” he said.
In these suburbs, Mr Waugh said women are typically earning substantially less, affecting their ability to buy independently.
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This Balgowlah home sold for $7.2m in June 2025.
Balgowlah was among the trio of Northern Beaches suburbs with Sydney’s largest gender pay gap.
Laing+Simmons CEO Leanne Pilkington said the pay gap “makes it harder for women to buy property”, though she said it has “never been any different”.
“Back when I was selling real estate, a woman’s salary wasn’t even considered – they would only consider the male salary,” she said.
“The expectation was that the woman was going to go and have babies – banks wouldn’t even look at their salary.”
While much has changed since then, Ms Pilkington said caring responsibilities were still a major factor.
“A lot of the reason that women are earning less is because of caring responsibilities,” she said.
“There’s still a lot of women out there that are the primary carers and they just can’t do the big jobs – not because they’re not capable, but because they don’t have anyone to look after their kids.
“Or, they choose to be spending time with their kids instead of behind a desk.”
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Mosman recorded a gender pay gap of $584.46 per week.
Sourced Property director and buyers agent Rhiannan Jenkins said while a majority of her clients were young professional couples, her next most common group of clients were women buying alone.
“Maybe it’s more the types of clients that I attract rather than a reflection of the whole market, but a lot of women in their late 20s to 30s are coming to me as single professionals that work in the city,” she said.
“And I do notice a theme – they are quite nervous about getting into the process.”
Being based in the Inner West, Ms Jenkins said individual female buyers tended to seek out one-to-two-bedroom homes in suburbs like Marrickville, Kedersham, Newtown.
Ms Jenkins said these properties were usually priced around the $1m mark.
“A lot of people do get support from parents,” she said, “whether it’s deposit or entry costs like stamp duty.
“But some people are just extremely good savers.”
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Rhiannan Jenkins of Sourced Property. Picture: Justin Lloyd
Ms Jenkins also partners with Head Start Homes, a not-for-profit program helping families and single women transition from affordable housing into homeownership across NSW.
“A lot of the people I’ve worked with are young single women, and there are a few older single women over 55 as well,” she said.
Through providing services like property coaching, discounted home loans and build-to-rent schemes, such organisations present a counter to the gender pay imbalance.
“It’s all about putting the framework around them to help boost them, so they actually have all the skills and the know-how, but also the financial support, to actually have a seat at the table,” Ms Jenkins said.
“Otherwise, they just wouldn’t have the support system that a lot of other people might.”
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Single mum Kamini (centre) purchased her first home with the help of Head Start Homes. Picture: Supplied.
With the support of Head Start Homes, Sydney mum Kamini was able to become a home owner.
A single mum in her 50s, she experienced decades of housing instability which saw her move 23 times.
In April 2024, she was able to settle on her first home in Parramatta.
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TOP SYDNEY SUBURBS BY MALE–FEMALE WAGE GAP
| Suburb | Difference in weekly pay (AUD) | Male:Female Ratio |
| Balgowlah – Clontarf – Seaforth | 627.95 | 1.47 |
| Lilli Pilli – Port Hacking – Dolans Bay | 602.02 | 1.52 |
| Pymble | 600.54 | 1.49 |
| Mosman – South | 584.46 | 1.39 |
| Dover Heights | 579.9 | 1.44 |
| Rose Bay – Vaucluse – Watsons Bay | 579.85 | 1.4 |
| St Ives | 573.62 | 1.5 |
Source: Stop Renting Australia
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