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 is approximately 21,323 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,836 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,487. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,307 in June 2024 and an additional 239 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,716 persons per square kilometer, placing Auburn - Central in the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 9.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeds both state (6.4%) and metropolitan area averages, positioning it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.3% of overall population gains 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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 demographic trends and 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, representing 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 110 new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows a total of 554 approvals across the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, with six so far in FY26. On average, over these five years, 5.3 people moved to the area for each dwelling built. This demand significantly outpaces supply, putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $357,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY26, commercial approvals totalled $27.1 million, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Auburn Central records markedly lower building activity, at 76.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, this activity is also below average, reflecting the area's 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 various price brackets. 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

Twenty-four infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Auburn Village Mixed-Use Development, North Village Auburn Square Stage 2, Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program Auburn, and Auburn Square Stage 1, with details on the most relevant ones provided below.

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 has an educated workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 7.5% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 1.3%.

As of June 2025, 9,835 residents are employed, but the unemployment rate is higher than Greater Sydney's by 3.3%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation is lower at 45.2% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food, with a strong specialization in the latter (1.9 times the regional level). However, professional & technical services are underrepresented (5.7% vs Greater Sydney's 11.5%).

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities. Over June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 1.3%, but labour force grew faster at 3.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6% and a smaller rise in unemployment rate (0.3 percentage points). State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts project employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but specific industry projections for Auburn - Central suggest local growth rates 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 indicates that income in Auburn - Central is lower than average nationally. The median income is $35,300 and the average is $43,564. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $39,042 (median) and $48,182 (average). Census 2021 income data shows individual incomes 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 range, reflecting patterns seen in the metropolitan region where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 32nd percentile.

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). This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Auburn - Central stood at 23.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.8% and rented ones at 52.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,056, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Auburn - Central was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Auburn - Central's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $2,056 against 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 comprise 73.1% of all households, including 38.0% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.9%, with lone person households at 15.2% and group households comprising 11.7%. The median household size is 3.4 people, 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+ have university degrees, compared to 39.9% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.4%, 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: tertiary (10.4%), primary (9.0%), secondary (6.9%).

Auburn - Central has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 5,197 students, demonstrating typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1032). The educational mix includes 3 primary, 5 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. As an education hub, Auburn - Central offers 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

Public transport analysis shows 80 active transport stops operating within Auburn-Central. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 25 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 4,471 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 114 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 638 trips per day 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 shows remarkable results in Auburn - Central, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 9,936 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are diabetes and arthritis, affecting 4.7% and 3.7% of residents respectively. Approximately 84.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 83.5%. Around 10.9% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,326 people), with health outcomes among seniors broadly in line with those of the general population.

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 has a high cultural diversity, with 70.5% of its population born overseas and 87.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Islam is the predominant religion in Auburn-Central, comprising 44.7% of its population, compared to 23.4% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Other (46.9%), Chinese (21.0%), and Lebanese (6.5%).

Notably, Korean (1.6%) is overrepresented in Auburn-Central compared to the regional average (7.7%), as are Indian (5.7%, vs 4.3%) and Sri Lankan (0.6%, vs 0.5%) groups.

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

Auburn-Central has a median age of 31 years, which is lower than the Greater Sydney average of 37 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Auburn-Central has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (23.6%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (9.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between January 2021 and January 2022, the population aged 65 to 74 increased from 5.8% to 6.5%, while the percentage of those aged 15 to 24 decreased from 16.7% to 15.6%. The proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 also dropped, from 10.2% to 9.2%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest that the population aged 45 to 54 in Auburn-Central will increase considerably, with an expected growth of 60%, from 1,951 people to 3,128 people.