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 Aug 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 730 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,246. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates of 12,873 in June 2024 and an additional 155 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a population density of 6,149 persons per square kilometer, ranking Ashfield - South within the top 10% nationally, indicating high demand for land. Over the past decade, Ashfield - South has shown consistent growth with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, surpassing its SA4 region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2022 are used, with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends project above median growth, with Ashfield - South expected to increase by 2,202 persons to 2041, marking a 16.2% total rise 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 per year over the past five financial years, totaling 507 homes. As of FY26, one approval has been recorded. On average, each new home attracts about one new resident annually between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value of new homes is $734,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year, $6.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield - South has 65.0% more construction activity per capita. New building activity comprises 4.0% detached houses and 96.0% attached dwellings, indicating a trend towards denser development. This shift from the existing housing makeup of 30.0% houses may reflect decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles. With approximately 135 people per dwelling approval, Ashfield - South's expanding market is expected to gain 2,099 residents by 2041. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth that exceeds forecasts.

Population forecasts indicate Ashfield - South will gain 2,099 residents through to 2041. 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

AreaSearch has identified 28 projects that could impact the local area's performance. Key projects include the 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 likely to be most relevant.

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

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.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 3.9% over the past year. As of June 2025, 7,223 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.7% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Ashfield-South was on par with Greater Sydney at 60.0%. Leading employment industries among residents included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area had a particularly notable concentration in accommodation & food services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. However, construction had limited presence with only 5.9% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many Ashfield-South residents commuted elsewhere for work based on the count of Census working population to local population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment in Ashfield-South increased by 3.9% while labour force increased by 4.3%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6%, labour force expand by 2.9%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lagged behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment 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 suggested local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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 shows median income in Ashfield - South at $52,222 and average income at $68,614. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. By March 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $57,758 and average income $75,887, based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since June 2022. The 2021 Census reports household, family, and personal incomes in Ashfield - South at the 61st percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 31.8% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly. Housing costs consume 18.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 57th percentile. Ashfield - South'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

The dwelling structure in Ashfield - South, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This differs slightly from Sydney metropolitan areas which had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashfield - South stood at 26.9%, similar to the Sydney metro average. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (25.2%) or rented (48.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,352, lower than the Sydney metro average of $2,436. The median weekly rent figure was $470 compared to Sydney's $465. Nationally, Ashfield - South's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $2,352 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and 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 constitute 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 account for 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 2.5.

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 higher than broader benchmarks. 48.3% 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 31.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 11.2%.

Educational participation is high, 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. There are six schools operating within Ashfield - South, educating approximately 3,990 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1093). The educational mix includes two primary, three secondary, and one K-12 school. Ashfield - South functions as an education hub with 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 routes, together facilitating 8,929 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 119 meters to the nearest stop.

The service operates at a frequency of 1,275 trips per day across all routes, resulting in 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. Common health conditions' prevalence is low among the general population but higher than national averages for older and at-risk cohorts.

Approximately 54% (~6,968 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 57.3%. Mental health issues (8.5%) and arthritis (6.4%) are most common in the area. Around 71.8% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 77.0%. The area has 18.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,375 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Health outcomes among 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 high level of cultural diversity, with 51.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 50.9% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashfield-South, comprising 40.0% of its population. Buddhism is more prevalent in Ashfield-South compared to Greater Sydney, with 7.1% vs 6.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (19.5%), English (15.5%), and Other (14.5%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Lebanese is overrepresented at 2.2%, Spanish is slightly higher at 0.8%, and Korean is lower at 1.1%.

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

The median age in Ashfield-South is 38 years, closely matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashfield-South has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (21.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.4%). This 25-34 concentration is significantly above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.5% to 12.5% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort 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 driven primarily by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 63% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the number of residents aged 25-34 is expected to decrease by 156.