Ashfield - South
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Ashfield - South are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ashfield - South's population is approximately 12,976 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 730 people, a 6.0% rise from the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 12,246. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,873 in June 2024 and an additional 155 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,149 persons per square kilometer, placing Ashfield - South in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Over the past decade, ending in 2025, Ashfield - South has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, outperforming its SA4 region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during this period.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024, with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022, with a base year of 2021, are employed. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate above median growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, projecting an increase of 2,202 persons by 2041 based on latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 16.2% over the 17-year period.

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

Ashfield - South has received approximately 101 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 507 homes. As of FY26, one approval has been recorded so far. On average, each new home attracts just one new resident per year between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply meets or exceeds demand. The average construction value for these dwellings is $734,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

In FY26, commercial approvals worth $6.8 million have been registered, 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, indicating a trend towards denser development that caters to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift is notable given the current housing composition of 30.0% houses. The area has approximately 135 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts project Ashfield - South will gain 2,099 residents by 2041.

With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Ashfield - South 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 27 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include NSW Health Infrastructure Program - Inner West, Cardinal Freeman Final Release Development - Wattle Building, NSW School Infrastructure Program - Inner West, and AshLife 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 performance in Ashfield - South has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Ashfield - South has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.9% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.9%. In June 2025, 7,223 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.9%, 1.7% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was on par with Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

There was a particularly notable concentration in accommodation & food services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. However, construction had limited presence with 5.9% employment compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 3.9%, while labour force increased by 4.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points in Ashfield - South. This compares to Greater Sydney where employment grew by 2.6%, labour force expanded by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Ashfield - South's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 indicates that median income in Ashfield - South is $52,222, with an average of $68,614. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2022 to September 2025 (approximately three years), current estimates would be around $58,807 for median income and $77,266 for average income. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Ashfield - South are at the 61st percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 31.8% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly. This is consistent with broader trends across the region where 30.9% fall into the same income bracket. 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 above-average rates of outright home ownership

Ashfield - South had 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings in its dwelling structure at the latest Census, compared to Sydney metro's 30.5% houses and 69.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashfield - South was 26.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.2% and rented ones at 48.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,352, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. Median weekly rent in Ashfield - South was $470, slightly higher than Sydney metro's figure of $465. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

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

Family households account for 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, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Educational attainment in Ashfield - South is notably high with 48.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to national averages of 30.4% for Australia and 32.2% for NSW. Bachelor degrees are most common at 31.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8%, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 11.2%. Current educational participation is high, with 28.0% of residents enrolled in formal education, including 9.2% in tertiary, 6.1% in primary, and 4.9% in secondary education.

As of the latest data from 2021, six schools operate within Ashfield - South, educating approximately 3,990 students. These schools include two primary, three secondary, and one K-12 school. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1093. As an education hub, Ashfield - South offers 30.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 15.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Ashfield-South has 66 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 39 individual routes, facilitating 8,929 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 119 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency across all routes averages 1,275 trips per day, equating to approximately 135 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ashfield - South's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Ashfield - South residents show relatively positive health outcomes, with low prevalence of common conditions among the general population, but higher than national averages for older and at-risk groups. Approximately 54% (~6,968 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 57.3%.

Mental health issues affect 8.5%, arthritis impacts 6.4%, while 71.8% report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 77.0%. The area has 18.3% (2,375 people) aged 65 and over, higher than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Health outcomes for seniors require more attention 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 has a diverse population with 51.2% speaking languages other than English at home and 50.9% born overseas, as of the latest census data. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashfield-South, with 40.0%. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 7.1% versus 6.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (19.5%), English (15.5%), and Other (14.5%). Notably, Lebanese (2.2%) and Korean (1.1%) populations are underrepresented compared to regional averages, while Spanish is similarly represented at 0.8%.

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

The median age in Ashfield - South is 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield - South has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (21.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 11.5% to 12.5%, while the proportion of those aged 55 to 64 has decreased from 10.9% to 10.1%. By 2041, Ashfield - South's age composition is projected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 75-84 is expected to grow by 78%, reaching 1,417 from 794. This growth will be led by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 63% of the projected growth. Conversely, the number of residents aged 25-34 is expected to decrease by 156.