Ashfield - North
Statistical Area - sa2

Ashfield - North is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Ashfield - North's population is around 12,528 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,072 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,456 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,420 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 101 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 8,030 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ashfield - North's growth rate of 9.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (6.3%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 94.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on latest population numbers, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to expand by 1,180 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.6% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Ashfield - North is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Ashfield - North averaged approximately four new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with a total of 20 homes approved. In FY26, two dwellings have been approved so far. The population has declined in recent years, suggesting that new supply has kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $487,000, aligning with regional patterns. In the current financial year, $26.6 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating balanced commercial development activity in the area compared to Greater Sydney. However, Ashfield - North shows significantly reduced construction activity, 93.0% below the regional average per person, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This trend is also below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises an equal split between detached houses (50.0%) and townhouses or apartments (50.0%), promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Notably, developers are constructing a higher proportion of detached housing than the existing pattern implies (16.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite densification trends.

Ashfield - North reflects a highly mature market with around 3908 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 1,072 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep up with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth in the future.

Ashfield - North has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include North Ashfield Urban Design Study and Master Plan, Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, NSW Health Infrastructure Program - Inner West, and Inner West Housing Investigation Areas. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Ashfield - North remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Ashfield - North has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 5.0%, and it experienced an estimated employment growth of 3.9% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 7,761 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.8%. The workforce participation rate is 65.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Ashfield - North has a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.6% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Employment opportunities appear limited locally, as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.9%, while labour force grew by 4.3%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ashfield - North's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Ashfield - North had a median taxpayer income of $51,756 and an average of $67,998 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This was above the national average, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $58,282 (median) and $76,573 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Ashfield - North cluster around the 64th percentile nationally. The largest income segment comprises 36.1% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,522 residents), aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 30.9%. High housing costs consume 18.5% of income, leaving disposable income at the 56th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Ashfield - North features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Ashfield - North, as per the latest Census evaluation, 16.5% of dwellings were houses while 83.5% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This differs from Sydney metropolitan area's statistics which showed 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashfield - North stood at 21.3%, with mortgaged properties at 22.9% and rented dwellings making up the majority at 55.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment for the area was $2,167, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. Weekly rent in Ashfield - North was recorded at $420 compared to Sydney metro's $465. Nationally, Ashfield - North's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Ashfield - North features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 58.1% of all households, including 22.1% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 41.9%, with lone person households at 33.1% and group households making up 8.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Ashfield - North shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Ashfield North is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 51.2% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational pathways account for 23.4% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 12.2% and certificates at 11.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in tertiary education, 5.8% in primary education, and 4.3% pursuing secondary education. Ashfield North's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,061 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1045) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes one primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents (8.5) are below the regional average (15.9), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transportation in Ashfield - North shows that there are currently 36 operational transport stops. These stops offer a variety of bus routes, with a total of 19 individual routes servicing the area. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 1,486.

The accessibility of transport is considered excellent, with residents on average located just 128 meters from their nearest transport stop. Across all routes, service frequency averages at 212 trips per day, which translates to approximately 41 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ashfield - North's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Ashfield - North, with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is found to be fairly high at approximately 53% of the total population (~6,689 people), compared to 57.3% across Greater Sydney.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.3 and 6.2% of residents respectively, while 74.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Sydney. As of the latest data (2021), the area has 14.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,751 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average but require more attention than the broader population.

Ashfield - North is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Ashfield-North, located in Australia, has a high level of cultural diversity. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, 51.4% of its population speaks a language other than English at home and 53.5% were born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashfield-North, with 35.2% of people identifying as Christian.

However, Hinduism shows an overrepresentation compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 13.5% of Ashfield-North's population versus 11.2%. The top three ancestry groups in Ashfield-North are Other (21.4%), Chinese (15.1%), and English (14.7%). Notably, Filipino (3.3%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 1.9%, Korean (1.2%) shows an underrepresentation compared to its regional average of 2.8%, and Polish (1.1%) has a slightly higher representation than the regional average of 0.6%.

Ashfield - North's population is younger than the national pattern

Ashfield-North's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield-North has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (26.6%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.6%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the latest data, the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 24.0% to 26.6%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 12.0% to 14.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has decreased from 10.1% to 8.5%, and the 35 to 44 group has dropped from 16.1% to 15.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Ashfield-North. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow by 75%, adding 408 residents to reach a total of 955. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 64% of the population growth, highlighting the trend towards an aging demographic. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age cohorts.