Auburn - Central
Statistical Area - sa2

Auburn - Central lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Auburn - Central's population was around 21,323 as of August 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 1,836 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,487. The change is inferred from ABS estimates of 21,307 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 5,716 persons per square kilometer, placing Auburn - Central in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 9.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both state (6.4%) and metropolitan area figures, indicating its status as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.3% of overall population gains during recent periods in Auburn - Central.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest population numbers, Auburn - Central is forecasted to experience significant population growth in the top quartile of national areas, with an expected increase of 7,784 persons by 2041, recording a total gain of 36.3% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Auburn - Central when compared nationally

Auburn - Central has seen approximately 44 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 220 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with six approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 5.3 people move to the area each year for every dwelling built over these five years. This demand outpaces supply, typically putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $357,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY-26, $27.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Auburn - Central records significantly lower building activity, at 77.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. The area's building activity is also below national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints.

New building activity shows 66.0% standalone homes and 34.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across different price brackets. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census, indicating continued strong demand for family homes. The location has approximately 565 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Future projections show Auburn - Central adding 7,744 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Auburn - Central has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

A total of 24 infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact a particular area. Among these key projects are Auburn Village Mixed-Use Development, North Village Auburn Square Stage 2, Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program Auburn, and Auburn Square Stage 1. The following list details those projects deemed most relevant.

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

The labour market performance in Auburn - Central lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Auburn - Central's unemployment rate in June 2025 was 7.5%, with an estimated employment growth of 1.3% over the past year. There were 9,835 residents employed at this time, and the unemployment rate was 3.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Auburn - Central lagged behind Greater Sydney's by 14.8 percentage points (45.2% vs. 60.0%). The key industries of employment were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. Accommodation & food had a particularly high share of employment at 1.9 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services were under-represented with only 5.7% of Auburn - Central's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. Employment opportunities appeared limited locally based on Census data comparisons. Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 1.3%, while labour force grew by 3.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney had an employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Auburn - Central's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.6% over ten years.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Auburn - Central is lower than average nationally. The median income is $35,300 and the average income stands at $43,564. In contrast, Greater Sydney has a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Auburn - Central as of March 2025 would be approximately $39,042 (median) and $48,182 (average). Census 2021 income data shows individual incomes are at the 8th percentile ($571 weekly), while household income is at the 39th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 32.5% of the population falls within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, similar to the metropolitan region where 30.9% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Auburn - Central, with only 77.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 32nd percentile nationally.

Auburn - Central features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Auburn - Central, as per the latest Census, consisted of 44.7% houses and 55.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Auburn - Central was at 23%, with the rest being mortgaged (24.8%) or rented (52.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,056, below Sydney metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Auburn - Central's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,056 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Auburn - Central features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 73.1 percent of all households, including 38.0 percent couples with children, 21.6 percent couples without children, and 10.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.9 percent, with lone person households at 15.2 percent and group households comprising 11.7 percent of the total. The median household size is 3.4 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.8.

Educational attainment in Auburn - Central aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

In Auburn - Central trail region, 31.2% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to 39.9% in the SA3 area. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 10.0%, and graduate diplomas at 1.2%. Vocational pathways account for 21.4% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.7% and certificates at 9.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 38.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.4% in tertiary education, 9.0% in primary education, and 6.9% pursuing secondary education. Auburn - Central has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 5,197 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1032) offering balanced educational opportunities. The area functions as an education hub with 24.4 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 10.8.

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

Transport analysis indicates 80 active stops serving Auburn - Central area, comprising trains and buses. These stops are covered by 25 routes offering 4,471 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 114 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 638 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 55 weekly trips per individual stop.

Auburn - Central's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data for Auburn-Central shows very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is approximately 47% of the total population (~9,936 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Diabetes and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 4.7% and 3.7% of residents respectively. A total of 84.6% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 83.5% across Greater Sydney. The area has 10.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,326 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Auburn-Central is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 70.5% of its population born overseas as of the 2016 Census. In Auburn-Central, 87.3% speak a language other than English at home. The predominant religion in Auburn-Central was Islam, accounting for 44.7% of people, compared to 23.4% across Greater Sydney.

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were Other (46.9%), Chinese (21.0%), and Lebanese (6.5%). Notably, Korean (1.6%) and Indian (5.7%) groups were overrepresented in Auburn-Central compared to regional averages of 7.7% and 4.3%, respectively. Sri Lankan representation was also slightly higher at 0.6%.

Auburn - Central hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Auburn-Central has a median age of 31 years, lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Auburn-Central has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.6%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (9.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and the present, the proportion of residents aged 65-74 has increased from 5.8% to 6.5%, while those aged 15-24 have decreased from 16.7% to 15.6% and those aged 45-54 have dropped from 10.2% to 9.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Auburn-Central's age profile, with the 45-54 age cohort expanding by 1,176 people (60%), from 1,951 to 3,128 residents.