Neighbourhood Desirability Rankings \u{2014} Q2 2024

Neighbourhood Analysis Updated 7 min read Last reviewed
TL;DR
Q2 2024 Neighbourhood Rankings: 21,188 rental transactions across 27 districts. District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) leads by rental activity.
Key Takeaways
  • Top 3 most desirable districts: #1 District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) with 2,020 rentals; #2 District 10 (Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin) with 1,836 rentals; #3 District 15 (Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong) with 1,690 rentals.
  • 21,188 rental transactions analysed across 27 districts.
  • Rankings use rental demand as the primary proxy for neighbourhood desirability.
  • Neighbourhood Scores on condo detail pages use proximity to 7 amenity categories within 1.5 km.
Top District This Quarter
District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley) leads with 2,020 rental transactions — the strongest tenant demand signal this quarter.

Where Tenants Want to Live \u{2014} Q2 2024

Rental demand is one of the strongest market signals for neighbourhood quality. This quarterly report ranks Singapore's 28 districts by rental activity, yields, and pricing trends.

Data is sourced from URA rental transactions.

21,188
Rental Transactions
27
Active Districts
$5,102/mo
Avg Monthly Rent
$4.88/psf
Avg Rent PSF

District Rankings by Rental Demand

Districts ranked by total rental transaction volume.

#DistrictNameRentalsAvg RentAvg Rent PSFQoQ
1District 9 (Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley)Orchard, Cairnhill, River Valley2,020$6,683/mo$6.00/psf+7.4%
2District 10 (Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin)Ardmore, Bukit Timah, Holland Road, Tanglin1,836$7,812/mo$5.35/psf+3.9%
3District 15 (Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong)Joo Chiat, Amber Road, Katong1,690$5,081/mo$4.70/psf+2.6%
4District 19 (Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens)Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens1,630$3,903/mo$4.58/psf-3.6%
5District 5 (Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town)Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town1,621$6,374/mo$4.71/psf-13.1%
6District 14 (Geylang, Eunos)Geylang, Eunos1,167$3,837/mo$5.12/psf+8.4%
7District 18 (Tampines, Pasir Ris)Tampines, Pasir Ris998$3,709/mo$4.31/psf-1.2%
8District 3 (Tiong Bahru, Queenstown)Tiong Bahru, Queenstown948$5,177/mo$6.17/psf+16.7%
9District 23 (Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang)Choa Chu Kang, Dairy Farm, Hillview, Bukit Panjang896$3,889/mo$4.15/psf+10.3%
10District 16 (Bedok, Upper East Coast, Eastwood, Kew Drive)Bedok, Upper East Coast, Eastwood, Kew Drive879$4,202/mo$4.26/psf-0.5%
11District 2 (Anson, Tanjong Pagar)Anson, Tanjong Pagar860$4,782/mo$5.63/psf+9.4%
12District 11 (Watten Estate, Novena, Thomson)Watten Estate, Novena, Thomson813$6,032/mo$4.94/psf-2.4%
13District 12 (Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier)Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier693$3,881/mo$4.87/psf+20.1%
14District 21 (Upper Bukit Timah, Ulu Pandan, Clementi Park)Upper Bukit Timah, Ulu Pandan, Clementi Park682$4,705/mo$4.09/psf+16.6%
15District 1 (Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park)Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park583$6,490/mo$6.77/psf+24.8%

Rental Demand by Market Segment

SegmentRentalsShareAvg Rent
CCR (Core Central Region)6,28829.7%$6,985/mo
RCR (Rest of Central Region)6,95432.8%$4,928/mo
OCR (Outside Central Region)7,94637.5%$4,323/mo

The Outside Central Region saw the highest rental volume, driven by larger suburban developments and growing tenant interest in well-connected neighbourhoods.

📊Explore live neighbourhood scores on our interactive dashboard

Most In-Demand Condos

Condos with the highest number of rental transactions this quarter.

#CondoDistrictRentalsAvg RentAvg Rent PSF
1LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTD5 (RCR)403$11,899/mo$3.58/psf
2NON-LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTD2 (CCR)381$4,609/mo$3.92/psf
3TREASURE AT TAMPINESD18 (OCR)182$3,584/mo$5.04/psf
4NORMANTON PARKD5 (RCR)164$4,210/mo$5.73/psf
5LEEDON GREEND10 (CCR)161$4,681/mo$6.27/psf
6THE SAIL @ MARINA BAYD1 (CCR)145$6,322/mo$6.87/psf
7MARINA ONE RESIDENCESD1 (CCR)124$6,816/mo$6.86/psf
8PARC CLEMATISD5 (OCR)117$4,489/mo$5.79/psf
9AMBER PARKD15 (RCR)109$5,135/mo$6.98/psf
10DUO RESIDENCESD7 (CCR)99$5,659/mo$7.13/psf
11THE MD7 (CCR)97$4,435/mo$7.88/psf
12SENGKANG GRAND RESIDENCESD19 (OCR)96$3,755/mo$5.35/psf
13WATERTOWND19 (OCR)93$3,368/mo$5.08/psf
14D'LEEDOND10 (CCR)93$6,746/mo$5.47/psf
15COMMONWEALTH TOWERSD3 (RCR)93$4,177/mo$7.22/psf
16J GATEWAYD22 (OCR)90$4,242/mo$6.79/psf
17ICOND2 (CCR)82$4,806/mo$6.88/psf
18THE FLORENCE RESIDENCESD19 (OCR)80$3,319/mo$5.29/psf
19CITY SQUARE RESIDENCESD8 (RCR)79$4,683/mo$5.11/psf
20V ON SHENTOND1 (CCR)75$5,944/mo$6.78/psf

Gross Rental Yield by District

Estimated gross yield = (annual rent per sqft) / (sale price per sqft).

#DistrictNameGross YieldRent PSFSale PSF
1District 1 (Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park)Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park4.0%$6.77/psf$2,049 psf
2District 27 (Sembawang, Yishun)Sembawang, Yishun3.9%$4.20/psf$1,288 psf
3District 25 (Kranji, Woodgrove)Kranji, Woodgrove3.9%$3.75/psf$1,163 psf
4District 8 (Little India)Little India3.8%$5.33/psf$1,703 psf
5District 18 (Tampines, Pasir Ris)Tampines, Pasir Ris3.7%$4.31/psf$1,406 psf
6District 17 (Changi, Loyang)Changi, Loyang3.7%$3.84/psf$1,256 psf
7District 22 (Jurong)Jurong3.6%$4.80/psf$1,612 psf
8District 13 (Macpherson, Braddell)Macpherson, Braddell3.6%$5.69/psf$1,921 psf
9District 19 (Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens)Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens3.5%$4.58/psf$1,558 psf
10District 14 (Geylang, Eunos)Geylang, Eunos3.5%$5.12/psf$1,752 psf

Gross yield is indicative and does not account for vacancy, maintenance fees, property tax, or mortgage costs.

Quarter-over-Quarter Changes

How rental activity shifted compared to Q1 2024:

Fastest Growing Districts

DistrictNameQ CurrentQ PreviousChange
District 6 (High Street, Beach Road)High Street, Beach Road1512+25.0%
District 1 (Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park)Raffles Place, Marina, Cecil, People's Park583467+24.8%
District 25 (Kranji, Woodgrove)Kranji, Woodgrove213173+23.1%
District 12 (Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier)Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Balestier693577+20.1%
District 27 (Sembawang, Yishun)Sembawang, Yishun354303+16.8%

Districts with Declining Demand

DistrictNameQ CurrentQ PreviousChange
District 26 (Upper Thomson, Springleaf)Upper Thomson, Springleaf96124-22.6%
District 7 (Middle Road, Golden Mile)Middle Road, Golden Mile348442-21.3%
District 5 (Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town)Pasir Panjang, Hong Leong Garden, Clementi New Town1,6211,865-13.1%
District 17 (Changi, Loyang)Changi, Loyang309324-4.6%
District 19 (Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens)Punggol, Hougang, Serangoon Gardens1,6301,690-3.6%

Methodology

This report uses rental transaction volume as the primary indicator of neighbourhood desirability.

The Neighbourhood Score (0-100) on condo detail pages evaluates proximity to seven amenity categories within 1.5 km:

Amenity CategoryMax Points
MRT Station25
School20
Hawker Centre15
Shopping Mall15
Park / Nature10
Supermarket10
Clinic / GP5
Total100

Individual condo Neighbourhood Scores are computed using geospatial data from OneMap Singapore.

Methodology & Sources

Numbers in this article reflect Quarterly and update every quarter.

Transaction data sourced from URA.

  • Rental data is sourced from URA REALIS, covering private residential properties.
  • Gross yield = (monthly rent PSF x 12) / sale PSF. Does not account for vacancy or expenses.

Outlier-resistant medians anchor every PSF figure shown above. Volume counts are exact transaction tallies, not estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the neighbourhood score calculated?
The Neighbourhood Score (0-100) measures proximity to seven amenity categories within a 1.5 km radius: MRT Stations (25 pts), Schools (20 pts), Hawker Centres (15 pts), Shopping Malls (15 pts), Parks/Nature (10 pts), Supermarkets (10 pts), and Clinics (5 pts).
Which district is best for families?
Family-friendly districts tend to be in the OCR, particularly Districts 19 (Hougang/Punggol), 18 (Tampines/Pasir Ris), and 23 (Bukit Panjang/Choa Chu Kang).
Which district has the best rental yield?
Rental yields vary quarter to quarter. Fringe-central (RCR) districts often provide a good balance between rental income and capital appreciation.
How often are neighbourhood scores updated?
The Neighbourhood Score on condo pages is computed from real-time geospatial data. This quarterly ranking report is updated every quarter with the latest URA data.