Sophia Hills is one of the most quietly distinctive addresses in Singapore’s Core Central Region. Perched on the leafy slopes of Mount Sophia in District 9, the 493-unit development by Hoi Hup Sunway blends three meticulously restored conservation buildings — a former girls’ school, a theological college chapel, and a Methodist Girls’ School annex — with twelve low-rise residential blocks of four to seven storeys. The result is an enclave that feels genuinely unhurried amid one of the most connected transport nodes in the entire island: Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, the only triple-interchange on the network, is a comfortable eight-minute walk away, giving residents simultaneous access to the North–South, North–East, and Circle Lines. Launched by Hoi Hup Sunway in 2014 on a 99-year lease commencing December 2013, Sophia Hills received its Temporary Occupation Permit in 2017 and has since traded 118 units on the resale and sub-sale market, with recent transactions tracking between S$1,855 and S$2,342 per square foot — a range that tells the story of a maturing mid-CCR asset holding its ground in an environment of rising interest rates and cautious luxury demand.
Snapshot as of 2026-05 — figures above reflect publicly available URA/HDB data at the time of this editorial review (as of 2026-05).
Mount Sophia itself is a heritage enclave. The hill was historically home to missionary schools and theological institutions, and URA’s conservation framework protected three of those colonial-era structures when Hoi Hup Sunway redeveloped the site. The Nan Hwa Girls’ School building now operates as a childcare centre and kindergarten, providing an in-development early-education option that is genuinely rare in CCR condominiums. The Trinity Theological College Chapel has been converted into an all-day restaurant with vaulted ceilings and preserved timber rafters, while the Olson Building of the former Methodist Girls’ School serves as the Sophia Clubhouse, housing function rooms, a media room, games room, gymnasium, and steam facilities. This adaptive reuse strategy gives Sophia Hills a sense of architectural narrative that purpose-built luxury developments rarely achieve.
From a macro-market perspective, District 9 remains one of Singapore’s most liquid CCR sub-markets. The corridor stretching from Orchard Road south-east through Dhoby Ghaut to the Civic District underpins consistent rental demand from expatriate professionals, embassy staff, and international students enrolled at the cluster of tertiary institutions nearby — LASALLE College of the Arts, SMU, and the School of the Arts (SOTA) are all within ten minutes on foot or by transit. According to URA transaction data, the median resale price at Sophia Hills stands at approximately S$2,083 psf across 110 recorded transactions, with the 1-bedroom tier commanding a median of around S$2,287 psf and the 4-bedroom–plus-utility tier settling nearer to S$1,946 psf, reflecting the typical inverse relationship between unit size and per-square-foot intensity in Singapore’s CCR. Gross rental yields in the Core Central Region have ranged between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2025–2026, broadly consistent with what a well-located 1- or 2-bedroom unit at Sophia Hills can generate given rental listings tracked between S$2,400 and S$7,400 per month across the unit size spectrum.
We track 118 sales and 1004 rental transaction records for this property. Explore live charts, price trends, rental yields, and investment analytics on the SOPHIA HILLS dashboard.
- Average sale price: $1,495,152 across 118 transactions
- Estimated gross rental yield: 3.4%
- District 9 PSF ranking: Mid-range (top 54%)
- 99 yrs lease commencing from 2013 · CCR · D9 · 493 units
About SOPHIA HILLS
SOPHIA HILLS is a 99 yrs lease commencing from 2013 condominium, located at MOUNT SOPHIA in District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) (Core Central Region), developed by HOI HUP SUNWAY MOUNT SOPHIA PTE LTD, comprising 493 residential units, completed in 2017.
With approximately 86 years remaining on its 99-year lease, the property qualifies for full bank financing and CPF usage.
Unit Mix Distribution
Transaction data breakdown by bedroom type at SOPHIA HILLS:
| Type | Sales | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | $2,151 psf | $995,511 |
| 1 BR | 77 | $2,083 psf | $1,330,532 |
| 2 BR | 21 | $2,077 psf | $1,508,762 |
| 3 BR | 16 | $2,132 psf | $2,139,500 |
| 4 BR | 2 | $1,999 psf | $3,035,000 |
Sales Market Overview
SOPHIA HILLS has recorded 118 sale transactions with an average transaction price of $1,495,152, ranging from $970,000 to $3,150,000.
| Year | Sales | Avg PSF | Avg Price | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 | $1,986 psf | $1,478,111 | — |
| 2022 | 25 | $2,020 psf | $1,468,836 | ↑ 1.7% |
| 2023 | 24 | $2,101 psf | $1,569,710 | ↑ 4.0% |
| 2024 | 23 | $2,132 psf | $1,525,435 | ↑ 1.5% |
| 2025 | 28 | $2,118 psf | $1,435,288 | ↓ 0.7% |
| 2026 | 9 | $2,141 psf | $1,495,333 | ↑ 1.1% |
SOPHIA HILLS ranks in the top 54% of condos in District 9 by average PSF.
Compared to the CCR average of $2,447 psf, SOPHIA HILLS trades 14.7% below the segment benchmark.
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Rental Market Overview
SOPHIA HILLS has recorded 1004 rental transactions with monthly rents averaging $4,245/mo.
| Type | Leases | Avg Rent | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 310 | $3,586/mo | $2,500/mo | $5,100/mo |
| 2 BR | 552 | $4,051/mo | $1,550/mo | $7,000/mo |
| 3 BR | 121 | $6,114/mo | $3,000/mo | $8,900/mo |
| 4 BR | 21 | $8,310/mo | $6,500/mo | $10,500/mo |
| Year | Leases | Avg Rent |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 177 | $3,384/mo |
| 2022 | 217 | $3,925/mo |
| 2023 | 180 | $4,762/mo |
| 2024 | 182 | $4,418/mo |
| 2025 | 199 | $4,630/mo |
| 2026 | 49 | $4,677/mo |
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Investment Analysis
Based on average rents and sale prices, SOPHIA HILLS delivers an estimated gross rental yield of 3.4%. This is above the Singapore-wide benchmark of approximately 3%.
Competing Condos in District 9
Side-by-side comparison against the most actively traded condos in District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley):
| Condo | Tenure | Units | Avg PSF | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 540 | $2,730 psf | 582 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 524 | $3,138 psf | 491 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | $3,239 psf | 421 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 376 | $3,190 psf | 322 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 378 | $2,513 psf | 253 |
Location Map
Map shows SOPHIA HILLS (centre marker) with nearby MRT stations and schools. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom.
- SOPHIA HILLS
- Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Dhoby Ghaut MRT
- Bencoolen MRT
- Bras Basah MRT
- Singapore Management University
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
- School of the Arts
Nearby MRT Stations
SOPHIA HILLS is 310m from Dhoby Ghaut MRT (North-South Line), with 17 stations within 1.5 km.
| Station | Code | Line | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhoby Ghaut | NS24 | North-South Line | 310m |
| Dhoby Ghaut | NE6 | North-East Line | 310m |
| Dhoby Ghaut | CC1 | Circle Line | 310m |
| Bencoolen | DT21 | Downtown Line | 340m |
| Bras Basah | CC2 | Circle Line | 520m |
| Rochor | DT13 | Downtown Line | 640m |
| Little India | NE7 | North-East Line | 680m |
| Little India | DT12 | Downtown Line | 680m |
Nearby Schools
There are 14 schools within 2 km of SOPHIA HILLS, including 5 within the 1 km priority zone.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Management University | Tertiary | 480m |
| Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts | Tertiary | 560m |
| School of the Arts | Jc | 700m |
| ACS (Junior) | Primary | 810m |
| LASALLE College of the Arts | Tertiary | 810m |
| Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | Primary | 1.2 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | Secondary | 1.5 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | Primary | 1.5 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior School | Primary | 1.6 km |
| St. Andrew's Secondary School | Secondary | 1.6 km |
| St. Andrew's Junior College | Jc | 1.6 km |
| Kheng Cheng School | Primary | 1.6 km |
The single most compelling selling point of Sophia Hills is its proximity to Dhoby Ghaut MRT interchange. In a city where commute time is a primary driver of residential demand, the ability to board the North–South Line, the North–East Line, or the Circle Line within an eight-minute walk — without changing buses or riding a feeder shuttle — positions Sophia Hills at the intersection of convenience and connectivity that only a handful of CCR condominiums can credibly claim. Raffles City, City Hall, and Clarke Quay are one to two stops away; Bishan, Serangoon, and Harbourfront are direct without any line transfer. The practical effect is that Sophia Hills is genuinely accessible from virtually every residential corridor on the island, a characteristic that underpins rental resilience even during softer leasing periods.
The conservation integration adds a second, harder-to-replicate strength. Heritage buildings cannot be demolished and rebuilt, so the Sophia Clubhouse, the in-development restaurant, and the childcare centre will remain as permanent anchors of the development’s identity. Buyers who value architectural distinctiveness — and the aesthetic calm that low-rise conservation streetscapes provide — will find that Sophia Hills genuinely cannot be replicated on any other site in Singapore. The twelve residential blocks are low to mid-rise (four to seven storeys), meaning that the development has a human scale at odds with the monolithic towers that define much of the CCR; sky views and natural breezes are broadly available across the development rather than reserved for upper-floor units.
The unit mix also deserves mention. Sizes run from 463 sq ft for a 1-bedroom up to 1,539 sq ft for the 4-bedroom-plus-utility-plus-private-lift-lobby configuration, giving the project a genuinely broad appeal profile. The private lift lobby on the largest units is a feature more commonly found in luxury freehold developments; at Sophia Hills it represents a notable premium positioning within a 99-year tenure product. Buyers who use tools such as the Total Cost Calculator or the Stamp Duty Calculator to model acquisition costs will typically find that entry-level 1-bedroom units are attainable for owner-occupiers at single-income qualifying thresholds, while 2- and 3-bedroom units sit comfortably within the TDSR envelope for dual-income professional households — a useful planning check available via the TDSR Calculator.
The 99-year leasehold tenure is the most structurally significant risk factor at Sophia Hills. With the lease running from December 2013, buyers in 2026 are acquiring a property with approximately 87 years remaining — still well within the 60-year threshold that triggers accelerated lease decay pricing in most valuation models, but trending in one direction. Buyers planning a long holding period should model lease decay using the Lease Decay Calculator to stress-test exit prices at their intended holding horizon. The contrast with the freehold and 999-year leasehold stock scattered through the surrounding Orchard–River Valley corridor is a real one; some buyers will anchor their comparison to freehold alternatives even when the price differential is substantial.
A second risk is the limited number of resale transactions relative to the total unit count. With 118 transactions recorded against 493 units, the secondary market is not especially deep, which can compress price discovery during periods of broad market softness and may widen bid-ask spreads in a downturn. Related to this, the 12-block low-rise layout means that units across different blocks, floors, and orientations can vary meaningfully in liveability — units facing the Mount Sophia Road approach benefit from heritage streetscape views, while lower-floor units in interior blocks may receive limited natural light. Buyers should inspect specific stacks rather than rely on development-wide psf averages.
Finally, the surrounding road network on Mount Sophia is narrow and one-way in sections, which can create access friction at peak hours for residents who drive. Car-dependent buyers may find the logistics of the site less convenient than the proximity to Dhoby Ghaut MRT implies, and parking within the development is finite. The in-development restaurant and childcare centre also attract external visitors, which modestly increases internal traffic on weekday mornings and weekend evenings.
- ✅ Expatriate professional on a 2–3 year assignment: Dhoby Ghaut triple-interchange provides frictionless access to the CBD, Marina Bay, and One-North. Heritage ambience and resort-style pool facilities offer a lifestyle step up from corporate apartments at a competitive CCR rent point.
- ✅ Singaporean professional couple buying their first CCR home: 1- and 2-bedroom entry tickets are attainable within standard TDSR limits for dual-income households. The mix of conservation character and modern amenities supports a premium lifestyle without a freehold price tag.
- ✅ Investor targeting 1-bedroom rental income: CCR 1-bedrooms at Sophia Hills command median psf above S$2,280, with rental demand anchored by proximity to SMU, LASALLE, and the Civic District employment cluster. Gross yields of 2.8–3.2% are in line with CCR benchmarks. Use the ROI Calculator to model holding-period returns.
- ⚠️ Family seeking a primary residence with young children: The in-development childcare centre is a genuine plus, and SOTA and local schools are accessible. However, the compact low-rise layout limits the amenity scale compared to larger family-oriented developments, and the 4-bedroom units carry a higher quantum. Worth comparing against other District 9 options.
- ❌ Buyer focused purely on capital appreciation and short-term resale: The 99-year tenure and shallow resale pool constrain upside relative to freehold CCR peers. Price growth has been measured since TOP. Buyers seeking aggressive capital gains within a 5-year window should model lease decay carefully and consider the limited transaction depth.
Sophia Hills occupies a genuinely rare position in Singapore’s residential market: a CCR development where the conservation buildings are not a marketing backdrop but a permanent, functioning part of daily life. The Dhoby Ghaut triple-interchange access, the heritage clubhouse, the in-development childcare facility, and the low-rise neighbourhood scale combine to produce a living environment that cannot be replicated at any other address on the island. For owner-occupiers who value connectivity, architectural distinctiveness, and a measured pace of CCR living, the development makes a compelling case at current resale psf levels of S$1,900–S$2,350. Investors with a 5–10 year holding horizon and a preference for steady CCR rental income will find the profile rational, provided they model the 99-year tenure trajectory honestly. The development is less suited to buyers seeking large-quantum family space or short-cycle capital gain plays where freehold proximity-comparable alternatives may deliver stronger exit optionality. Overall, Sophia Hills is a well-differentiated, locationally exceptional asset in a sub-market where differentiation is hard to manufacture — and that distinction has historically provided durable support to its pricing floor.
FAQ
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Methodology & Sources
This analysis covers All available years and refreshes as new data becomes available.
Transaction data sourced from URA.
- Sales data: 118 transactions analysed
- Rental data: 1004 lease records analysed
- Gross yield = (avg monthly rent × 12) / avg sale price
Median values used to minimise outlier impact. PSF = price per square foot.
View Live Data for SOPHIA HILLS
Access the full interactive dashboard with real-time sales trends, rental yields, and investment calculators.
New Sale vs Resale Mix
Of the 1,930 condo transactions recorded in District 9 over the last 12 months, 62% new sale, 37% resale, 1% sub sale. A resale-heavy mix points to an established market trading on fundamentals; a new-sale-heavy mix means developer launches are setting the price benchmarks.
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Price Index Check
The ShiokNest Price Index for District 9 reads 102.6 as of June 2026 — up 1.2% year-on-year. The index tracks repeat-sales price movement, so it is less distorted by shifts in what happens to be transacting than a raw average PSF.
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Upcoming Supply Pipeline
2 active Government Land Sales sites in District 9 could add roughly 640 new units to local supply. Incoming supply of this scale tends to cap short-term price growth in the immediate area but also signals planning confidence in the location.
| Site | Street | Est. units | List | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Road (Parcel A) | — | ~440 | Confirmed | Awarded |
| Zion Road (Parcel B) | — | ~200 | Confirmed | Awarded |
HDB Alternatives Nearby
Weighing SOPHIA HILLS against staying public? These HDB towns sit within walking or short-drive distance:
- Central Area — 4-room average $1,088,814 (430m away), an upgrader gap of about $400,000
- Kallang/whampoa — 4-room average $882,887 (1 km away), an upgrader gap of about $600,000
- Bukit Merah — 4-room average $894,787 (2 km away), an upgrader gap of about $600,000