Ashfield - South

Population growth drivers in Ashfield - South are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ashfield-South's population, as of February 2026, is approximately 13,216, reflecting a growth of 970 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 7.9% rise from the previous figure of 12,246. The change was inferred from an estimated resident population of 12,873 in June 2024 and an additional 54 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 6,263 persons per square kilometer, placing Ashfield-South in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This high demand for land has been driven by overseas migration, which has been the primary driver of population growth recently. Ashfield-South's growth rate of 7.9% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the SA4 region (6.5%) and the SA3 area, indicating its status as a growth leader in the region.

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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Future population trends project an above median growth, with Ashfield-South expected to expand by 2,202 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 14.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Ashfield - South among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Ashfield - South has seen approximately 101 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totaling 507 homes. As of FY26, three approvals have been recorded. On average, one new resident arrives per year for each new home built between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply meets or exceeds demand. The average construction value of new homes is $401,000.

In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $6.8 million, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield - South has 65.0% more construction activity per person. New building activity consists of 4.0% detached houses and 96.0% attached dwellings, suggesting a trend towards denser development that appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift contrasts with the current housing stock, which is 30.0% houses. The location has approximately 135 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. By 2041, Ashfield - South is projected to gain 1,859 residents, and with current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Population forecasts indicate Ashfield - South will gain 1,859 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects likely to affect the region. Notable projects include Cardinal Freeman Final Release Development - Wattle Building, NSW School Infrastructure Program - Inner West, Our Fairer Future Plan (Housing Investigation Areas), and 379-381 Liverpool Road Residential Development. 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 drivers in Ashfield - South are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Ashfield - South has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.0%. As of September 2025, 7,065 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 66.0%, below Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 50.0% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a notable concentration in accommodation & food services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employs only 5.9% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.3%, while employment declined by 0.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% and unemployment increase by only 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ashfield - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Ashfield - South SA2 has a median income of $58,101 and an average income of $72,760. This is higher than the national averages of $60,817 (median) and $83,003 (average) for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $63,249 (median) and $79,207 (average). The 2021 Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Ashfield - South are at the 61st percentile nationally. Income brackets show that 31.8% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999, which is consistent with broader trends across the area showing 30.9% in the same category. High housing costs consume 18.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 57th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Ashfield - South, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan area's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashfield - South was at 26.9%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (25.2%) or rented (48.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,352, which is lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $470, same as Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Ashfield - South's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 61.6% of all households, including 24.2% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 8.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 38.4%, with lone person households at 30.3% and group households comprising 8.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Ashfield - South has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 48.3% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent type of qualification at 31.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 10.6% and certificates 11.2%.

Educational participation is high in the area, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.2% in tertiary education, 6.1% in primary education, and 4.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Ashfield - South has 101 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 45 individual routes, collectively facilitating 9,817 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing 118 meters from the nearest stop. The area, predominantly residential, sees most residents commuting outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 53%, followed by trains at 29% and buses at 8%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 50.0% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,402 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 97 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map illustrates the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Ashfield - South's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Ashfield South's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, with mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence assessed by AreaSearch. Common health conditions among the general population are somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts.

Private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population (around 7,321 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 8.5 and 6.4% of residents respectively. About 71.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,470 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Ashfield - South 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-South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 51.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 50.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Ashfield-South, comprising 40.0% of people, but Buddhism is overrepresented at 7.1%, compared to 4.1% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (19.5%), English (15.5%), and Other (14.5%).

Notably, Lebanese (2.2%) and Spanish (0.8%) are also overrepresented compared to regional averages of 2.6% and 0.6%, respectively.

Ashfield - South's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Ashfield - South was 38 years as of a certain date, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield - South had a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (20.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.4%). This 25-34 concentration was significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and a certain later date, the population of Ashfield - South saw an increase in the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44, from 14.5% to 15.5%, while the proportion of those aged 85 and above decreased from 4.8% to 4.0%. By a certain date in 2041, Ashfield - South is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition, with the 75 to 84 group projected to grow by 70%, reaching 1,417 people from 832. The population aged 65 and above is expected to comprise 66% of this growth, while declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 55 to 64 age cohorts.