The Sydney suburbs where it’s impossible to snag a man

Finding it hard to date in Sydney as a straight woman? These statistics reveal parts of the city are suffering from a man drought. How does your suburb fare?

Sydney’s affluent suburbs are in the grips of a “man drought” with some of the wealthiest suburbs the worst places for heterosexual women to date — with almost 20 fewer men for every 100 women.

The sex ratio was the worst for women in Woollahra with 82 men for every 100 women while in Double Bay and Darling Point there were 83 men for every 100 women, according to the latest ABS data.

Experts say the skewed sex ratio was making it harder for single women looking for male partners living close to them and Sydney women on the dating scene said the gap was being made worse by the fact that Australian men were very “shy”.

22yr old friends Sophie Sweeting and Izzy Reynolds pictured at Bronte Beach. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

While women outnumbered men across Sydney and NSW as well as in every capital city in Australia, Castle Hill in Sydney’s northwest also had a similarly dire rate with 82 men for every 100 women.

Those looking to snag a male partner could have better luck in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst where there were about 140 men for every 100 women but locals reported the regions — the heart of Sydney’s gay scene — had few options for heterosexual women.

Other areas like Badgerys Creek, the site of the new Western Sydney airport, had 109 men for every 100 women — a trend that was similar in other industrial heavy areas like Wetherill Park where there were 60 more men for every 100 women.

The numbers also painted a woman drought in Sydney’s growing Western Suburbs CBD of Parramatta with 112 men for every 100 women in Northern Parramatta and 119 men for every 100 women in South Parramatta.

Surry Hills had plenty of men but locals say many are gay. Picture: Roni Bintang/Getty Images

Nearby Wentworthville and Westmead had a ratio 109 to 100 in favour of more men.

Demographer Mark McCrindle attributed the trend to more young men working in the trades across Western Sydney while older more established people lived in affluent suburbs with women commonly outliving men.

“With western Sydney its more working age and you get more industrial area, you have more people working in construction and infrastructure and trade and they are more likely to be men than women,” he said.

“You also get more women than men in Randwick and Maroubra and that’s younger people, it’s to do with the universities. There are more women at those Sydney-based universities than men.”

Demographer Clare Madden said the “man drought” had featured in parts of Sydney and other capital cities but the challenges of increasingly busy lives meant the sex divide made it harder to date.

“It’s been termed the man drought in certain parts of Sydney and other capital cities but women do outnumber men in many areas. It might be because some areas have more girls’ boarding schools which changes the numbers,” she said.

Sydney singles said the city was hard to date in. Picture: AFP

There might be more female university students in an area. Other areas have a large retirement population and women live longer than men.”

Ms Madden said Sydney had a “tribe” culture with people sticking to their local suburbs when finding a partner.

“The northern beaches are a different tribe to the eastern suburbs which are different to the eastern suburbs or the north shore so people can get comfortable with what is familiar to them,” she said.

“It can feel out of your comfort zone to build a relationship with someone in the same city as you but in a different region because there are different mini cultures in the region.

“With the logistics of a busy city … it’s not a long distance relationship but it can feel that way when you are going to the other side of the city a few times a week.

Sophie is single and looking for a partner in Sydney’s east. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Surry Hills local nurse Molly Fallon moved to Sydney from the UK and has found it “impossible” to find a partner in the harbour city.

The 27-year-old said her suburb was popular with gay men because of nearby Oxford St’s buzzing LGBTQI+ night-life.

“At home, men used to approach me, I’d be in a bar and they’d use a pick up line and I don’t think that happens here,” she said.

Bondi local Sophie Sweeting was looking for the iconic “Aussie surfer dude” on her visit from London but said men were in short supply in Sydney.

“When you go out you think there would be guys everywhere but there’s not and no one makes moves,” the 22 year – old said.

“I came here looking for the stereotypical Aussie surfer dude.

“100 per cent we have noticed a lot less guys. It’s easier to date in London.”

Ms Sweeting said of the male dating pool, most appeared “shy”.