Bradbury - Wedderburn
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Bradbury - Wedderburn reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Bradbury-Wedderburn's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stood at 20,739 by August 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 728 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 20,011. The increase is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 20,705 in June 2024 and an additional 454 validated new addresses post-census. This results in a density ratio of 565 persons per square kilometer, indicating ample space per person with room for further development. The area's 3.6% growth since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of the state average (6.4%), suggesting competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth accounted for approximately 58.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch employs 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 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Bradbury-Wedderburn is expected to experience a population increase just below the national median statistical area level, with an anticipated growth of 1,299 persons by 2041, representing a total increase of 6.1% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bradbury - Wedderburn among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Bradbury-Wedderburn averaged approximately 153 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY-21 and FY-25765 dwellings were approved, with 10 approvals so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 0.7 new residents per year was recorded per dwelling constructed.

This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average value of new dwellings developed was $364,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms. In FY-26, there have been $3.4 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's primarily residential nature.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Bradbury-Wedderburn records somewhat elevated construction, with 14.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This preserves reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent construction comprises 79.0% standalone homes and 21.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 114 people per dwelling approval, Bradbury-Wedderburn shows characteristics of a low density area. Looking ahead, it is expected that Bradbury-Wedderburn will grow by 1,261 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Bradbury - Wedderburn has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include the Airds-Bradbury Renewal Project, Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre Upgrades, Bradbury Multipurpose Courts, and Raith Bradbury Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

The labour market performance in Bradbury - Wedderburn lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Bradbury-Wedderburn has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate in June 2025 was 9.1%, showing room for improvement compared to Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.1%. As of June 2025, 9,498 residents were employed. Workforce participation lagged at 54.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors included health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

The area had a notable concentration in transport, postal & warehousing, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. However, professional & technical services showed lower representation at 4.1% versus the regional average of 11.5%. Analysis based on SALM and ABS data from June 2024 to June 2025 showed employment levels increased by 5.1%, labour force increased by 4.8%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% with unemployment rising by 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%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Bradbury-Wedderburn's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Bradbury-Wedderburn shows a median taxpayer income of $49,627 and an average of $56,958 according to latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is below the national average, contrasting 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 would be approximately $54,887 (median) and $62,996 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Bradbury-Wedderburn, between the 27th and 38th percentiles. Distribution data shows 34.9% of the population (7,237 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 30.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 34th percentile.

Bradbury - Wedderburn is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Bradbury-Wedderburn, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.3% houses and 11.7% other dwellings such as semi-detached units, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan areas which had 78.5% houses and 21.5% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Bradbury-Wedderburn was 21.7%, with the rest either mortgaged (39.7%) or rented (38.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,000, lower than Sydney's average of $2,100. The median weekly rent figure stood at $370 compared to Sydney's $380. Nationally, Bradbury-Wedderburn's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863 while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Bradbury - Wedderburn features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 77.2% of all households, including 35.3% couples with children, 19.8% couples without children, and 20.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 22.8%, with lone person households at 20.0% and group households at 2.8%. The median household size is 2.9 people, aligning with Greater Sydney's average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.0%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (10.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (26.8%). Educational participation is high at 32.3%, involving 12.4% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 3.5% in tertiary education.

Eleven schools serve 3,605 students; Bradbury-Wedderburn represents typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes seven primary, three secondary, and one K-12 school. Note: for schools marked 'n/a' for enrolments, refer to the parent campus.

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

The analysis of public transport in Bradbury-Wedderburn shows that there are currently 149 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 51 individual routes providing service to the community. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 1,936.

In terms of accessibility, residents in Bradbury-Wedderburn enjoy excellent transport services, with an average distance of just 138 meters to the nearest transport stop. Regarding service frequency, there are approximately 276 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Bradbury - Wedderburn is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Bradbury-Wedderburn faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across all age groups but notably higher among older cohorts. Approximately 48% of its total population (~10,016 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.9% and 8.9% of residents respectively. Sixty-six point six percent of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 70.3% across Greater Sydney. Thirteen point one percent of residents are aged 65 and over (2,727 people), lower than the 14.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population.

Bradbury - Wedderburn was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bradbury-Wedderburn, surveyed in August 2021, showed higher cultural diversity than most local markets. Its overseas-born population was 25.1%, with 23.9% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity dominated at 54.1%.

Islam's share was 8.3%, above Greater Sydney's 6.7% (as of June 2021). Ancestry-wise, Australians topped at 24.9%, followed by English at 22.3% and Other at 13.9%. Samoan representation was notably high at 2.4%, Lebanese at 2.0%, and Australian Aboriginal at 5.1%.

Bradbury - Wedderburn's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Bradbury-Wedderburn has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Bradbury-Wedderburn has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (15.7%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (13.9%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 13.3% to 14.0%, while the 25-34 age group has decreased from 14.6% to 13.9%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant changes for Bradbury-Wedderburn. The strongest growth is expected in the 45-54 age group (16%), adding 391 residents to reach 2,839. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 56% of this growth. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are projected to experience population declines.