Carlingford - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Carlingford - West's population is around 20729 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1478 people (7.7%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 19251 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 20603 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 351 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3443 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Carlingford - West's growth of 7.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the state (6.4%) and its SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 79.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, an above median growth is projected, with the area expected to grow by 3479 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 16.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

Carlingford - West has seen approximately 155 new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows 777 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY25, with seven already approved in FY26. On average, 1.3 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these years, indicating a balanced supply and demand market that supports stable conditions. The average construction cost of new properties is $1,075,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $475,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Carlingford - West has slightly more development activity, at 23.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This indicates strong developer confidence in the location, as it is substantially higher than the national average. The new building activity shows 9.0% detached houses and 91.0% medium to high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift from the area's existing housing stock (currently 58.0% houses) suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles. With around 156 people per dwelling approval, Carlingford - West exhibits characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate an increase of 3,353 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

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

Twenty projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area, with key ones including upgrades to Carlingford West Public School and Cumberland High School, improvements on Pennant Hills Road and North Rocks Road, The Carling development by Meriton, and Wade Street Towers Refurbishment.

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

AreaSearch analysis places Carlingford - West well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Carlingford - West has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.5%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment grew by 2.5% over the past year. As of June 2025, 11,505 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7% below Greater Sydney's rate. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's at 60.0%.

Leading industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Accommodation & food services have lower representation at 4.4%. Employment opportunities may be limited locally as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.5% while labour force grew by 3.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.6 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6%. In NSW as of Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.5% over ten years. Applying these projections to Carlingford - West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2%% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that median income in Carlingford - West is $48,178, with an average income of $65,948. This is slightly above the national average. In Greater Sydney, the median income is $56,994 and the average is $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Carlingford - West would be approximately $53,285 (median) and $72,938 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 72nd percentile ($2,101 weekly), while personal income sits at the 50th percentile. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 34.9% of the community (7,234 individuals), aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 30.9%. A significant 30.2% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 17.6% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 69th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Carlingford - West displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Carlingford - West, as per the latest Census, comprised 58.2% houses and 41.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 58.3% houses and 41.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Carlingford - West stood at 30.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.2% and rented dwellings at 35.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, below the Sydney metro average of $2,600. Median weekly rent in Carlingford - West was $490, compared to Sydney metro's $460. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Carlingford - West features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 84.1 percent of all households, including 49.2 percent couples with children, 22.6 percent couples without children, and 10.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 15.9 percent, with lone person households at 13.2 percent and group households at 2.7 percent of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.9 people.

Carlingford - West demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Carlingford-West is notably high, with 49% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This is significantly higher than the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.9% and certificates also at 10.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in primary education, 7% in secondary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education. The four schools in Carlingford-West have a combined enrollment of 4,598 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1141. Educational provision is conventional, split between two primary and two secondary institutions. Carlingford-West functions as an education hub, with 22.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.7. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

Carlingford - West has 111 active public transport stops. These include lightrail and bus services. There are 65 individual routes operating in total.

Collectively, these routes provide 3,207 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 145 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency averages 458 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 28 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Carlingford-West shows excellent health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common conditions across all ages.

Its private health cover rate is approximately 52%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area. Asthma and arthritis were the most prevalent conditions, affecting 4.8% and 4.5% of residents respectively. A total of 79.8% reported no medical ailments, compared to 77.3% in Greater Sydney. The area has a senior population of 16.9%, or 3,503 people. Health outcomes for seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Carlingford-West has a highly diverse population, with 66.1% speaking languages other than English at home and 56.7% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Carlingford-West, comprising 38.9% of its population. Buddhism is notably overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 6.0% versus a regional average of 4.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups are Chinese (35.8%, substantially higher than the regional average of 24.7%), Other (15.0%), and English (10.9%). Some other ethnic groups also show notable variations in representation: Korean is overrepresented at 5.4% compared to the regional average of 6.5%; Indian is similarly overrepresented at 5.4% versus a regional average of 3.8%; Lebanese, however, are underrepresented at 1.3% compared to the regional average of 3.8%.

Carlingford - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Carlingford-West is close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, and equivalent to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Carlingford-West has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (15.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.4%). From the 2021 Census to present, the percentage of residents aged 85 and above has grown from 1.3% to 1.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 12.3% to 11.4%. By 2041, Carlingford-West is projected to experience notable changes in its age distribution. Leading these demographic shifts, the group aged 65-74 will increase by 33%, reaching a total of 2,546 people from the current figure of 1,915. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in number.