Canterbury (North) - Ashbury
Statistical Area - sa2

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's population is approximately 12,624 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 625 people, a rise of 5.2% since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 11,999. The change is inferred from ABS estimates showing an estimated resident population of 12,497 in June 2024 and an additional 109 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,166 persons per square kilometer, placing the area within the top 10% nationally assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land. Over the past decade, Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has shown consistent growth with a compound annual growth rate of 1.8%, outperforming its SA3 region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using 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 are used, 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. Future population trends indicate an increase just below the national median, with the area expected to grow by 1,028 persons by 2041 based on current figures, reflecting a total increase of 7.1% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has averaged approximately 47 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 239 homes approved over the past five years from FY-20 to FY-25, with none recorded so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built has resulted in approximately 2.4 new residents per year over the same period, indicating strong demand which supports property values. The average construction cost of new homes is $389,000, lower than regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year, there have been $8.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Canterbury (North) - Ashbury records around 56% of building activity per person and ranks among the 7th percentile nationally, leading to relatively limited buyer choices and interest in existing properties. This is below average nationally, indicating the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 10.0% detached houses and 90.0% townhouses or apartments, shifting towards denser development that appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This trend differs from the current housing stock, which is 46.0% houses, suggesting decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring diverse, affordable housing options. The area has approximately 3303 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

Looking forward to 2041, Canterbury (North) - Ashbury is projected to grow by 901 residents. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 39 projects likely impacting this area. Notable projects include Canterbury Local Centre Redevelopment, Canterbury Town Centre Upgrade, Canterbury Road Mixed Use Developments, and Canterbury Hospital Redevelopment. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis indicates Canterbury (North) - Ashbury maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has a highly educated workforce with a notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of June 2025 and there was an estimated employment growth of 3.7% over the past year.

In June 2025, 7,134 residents were employed. The unemployment rate was in line with Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation was broadly similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Education & training had a particularly high representation at 1.3 times the regional level while construction showed lower representation at 6.6% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.7% while labour force increased by 4.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, which lagged behind national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury is higher than average nationally. The median income is $54,084 and the average income stands at $70,657. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of 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 would be approximately $59,817 for the median and $78,147 for the average as of March 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 32.9% of locals (4,153 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 30.9%. A significant 31.5% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 70th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Canterbury (North) - Ashbury, as assessed in the latest Census, 46.3% of dwellings were houses while 53.6% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differed from Sydney metro's dwelling composition of 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury stood at 31.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.8% and rented ones at 36.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,400, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. The median weekly rent figure was $480, compared to Sydney metro's $465. Nationally, Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 71.3 percent of all households, consisting of couples with children (32%), couples without children (27.2%), and single parent families (10.5%). Non-family households account for the remaining 28.7%, composed of lone person households at 23.1% and group households at 5.6%. The median household size is 2.5 people, aligning with the Greater Sydney average.

The educational profile of Canterbury (North) - Ashbury exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 43.6% compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. This is driven by bachelor degrees at 28.2%, postgraduate qualifications at 12.1%, and graduate diplomas at 3.3%. Vocational pathways account for 24.4%, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 13.4%. Educational participation is high, with 29.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (7.8%), tertiary (7.2%), and secondary (6.6%).

The area has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 1,456 students, operating under typical Australian conditions (ICSEA: 1022). School places per 100 residents are lower at 11.5 compared to the regional average of 15.9, suggesting some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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

The analysis shows that there are currently 56 operational public transport stops in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury. These stops serve a variety of bus routes, totaling 34 individual lines. The combined weekly passenger trips across all routes amount to 6,718.

Residents have excellent access to these services, with an average distance of just 148 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 959 transport trips daily, equating to approximately 119 weekly trips per individual stop.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 55% (~6,943 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 57.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 6.8% and 6.1% respectively. 74.9% of residents report no medical ailments, versus 77.0% in Greater Sydney. The area has a higher proportion of seniors (16.0%, or 2,019 people) than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Senior health outcomes are strong and align with the general population's profile.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Canterbury North Ashbury has a high level of cultural diversity, with 43.7% of its population born overseas and 45.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Canterbury North Ashbury, making up 49.7% of people in the area. However, Buddhism is notably overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 5.6% of the population versus 6.2%.

The top three represented ancestry groups are Other (17.1%), Australian (14.9%), and English (14.5%). There are also notable divergences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Greek is overrepresented at 6.4% compared to 2.9% regionally, Lebanese at 3.7% versus 3.1%, and Spanish at 0.9% versus 0.7%.

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Canterbury (North) - Ashbury has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and being comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 25-34 is strongly represented at 18.1%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 8.7%. Between 2021 and now, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.1% to 12.0% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 10.1% to 8.7%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Canterbury (North) - Ashbury's age structure. The 85+ group is expected to grow by 102%, reaching 631 people from the current figure of 313. This growth will contribute significantly to the overall aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 67% of projected growth. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 age cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.