Auburn - South

Auburn - South has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Auburn - South's population is around 9,757 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 897 people (10.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,860 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,330 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 78 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 4,015 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought resource. Auburn - South's 10.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state (7.8%) and Greater Sydney, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 75.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to expand by 952 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 5.4% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Auburn - South according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Auburn - South has seen around 39 new homes approved annually, with 197 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 27 so far in FY-26. At an average of just 0.2 new residents per year arriving per new home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $276,000—below regional norms—reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers. Additionally, $37.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting robust local business investment.

Relative to Greater Sydney, Auburn - South shows substantially reduced construction (54.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Recent construction comprises 52.0% detached houses and 48.0% townhouses or apartments, featuring an increasing blend of attached housing types offering choices across price ranges, from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 73.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 261 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth.

Future projections show Auburn - South adding 525 residents by 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.

Auburn - South has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 7 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Aura by Crown Group, Berala Village Redevelopment, Berala TOD Precinct (Transport Oriented Development), and Pippita Rail Trail Lidcombe to Olympic Park, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 Auburn - South are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Auburn - South features a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation, an unemployment rate of 8.9%, and 4.2% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 3,687 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 4.8% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation lags significantly (55.0% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 30.1% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in transport, postal & warehousing, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Meanwhile, professional & technical services have a limited presence with 7.1% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 4.2% while the labour force increased by 4.2%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. This compares to Greater Sydney, where employment grew by 2.2%, the labour force expanded by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Auburn - South. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Auburn - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Auburn - South SA2's income level is lower than average on a national basis according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Auburn - South SA2's median income among taxpayers is $34,830 and the average income stands at $40,896, which compares to figures for Greater Sydney's of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $37,916 (median) and $44,519 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals individual incomes lag at the 3rd percentile ($496 weekly), while household income performs better at the 36th percentile. Income analysis reveals the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 30.0% of residents (2,927 people), reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.8% of income remaining, ranking at the 30th percentile.

Auburn - South is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Auburn - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 72.8% houses and 27.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Auburn - South was higher than that of Sydney metro, at 30.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (32.4%) or rented (36.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Sydney metro average at $2,167, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $435, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Auburn - South's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 80.2% of all households, comprising 48.9% couples with children, 16.9% couples without children, and 12.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 19.8%, with lone person households at 15.5% and group households comprising 4.4% of the total. The median household size of 3.5 people is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational outcomes in Auburn - South fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (25.6%) substantially below the SA3 area average of 39.9%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational pathways account for 22.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (10.0%) and certificates (12.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 35.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.2% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 7.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 47 active transport stops operating within Auburn - South, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 20 individual routes, collectively providing 509 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 129 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 83%, with 11% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 30.1% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 72 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Auburn - South is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Auburn - South faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~4,488 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are diabetes and arthritis, impacting 5.6% and 5.2% of residents, respectively, while 79.3% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 13.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,298 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Auburn - 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

Auburn - South is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 55.5% of its population born overseas and 80.2% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Auburn - South is Islam, which makes up 47.7% of people in Auburn - South, compared to 6.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Auburn - South are Other, comprising 34.4% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 16.0%, Chinese, comprising 23.0% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 8.4%, and Lebanese, comprising 11.4% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 2.6%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Vietnamese is notably overrepresented at 2.7% of Auburn - South (vs 1.8% regionally), Korean at 1.4% (vs 1.1%) and Sri Lankan at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

Auburn - South's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

With a median age of 33, Auburn - South is materially younger than the Greater Sydney figure of 37 and is substantially under Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Sydney, Auburn - South has a higher concentration of 15 - 24 residents (15.5%) but fewer 45 - 54 year-olds (10.6%). Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 14.0% to 15.5% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 12.5% to 13.7%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 11.7% to 10.3% and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 16.7% to 15.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Auburn - South. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 77%, adding 292 residents to reach 670. Demographic aging continues as residents 65 and older represent 69% of anticipated growth. On the other hand, the 25 to 34 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.