Croydon
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Croydon's population is 11,300 as of August 2025. This shows an increase from the 10,993 reported in the 2021 Census, a rise of 307 people (2.8%). This change is inferred from ABS data: estimated resident population was 11,314 in June 2024, with three validated new addresses since the Census date. Population density is 4,362 persons per square kilometer, placing Croydon in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land. Overseas migration drove recent population growth, contributing approximately 99.0%.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, 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. By 2041, Croydon is projected to grow by 1,754 persons, an increase of 15.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Croydon, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Croydon has averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis. Between fiscal years 2021 (FY-21) and 2025 (FY-25), there were 99 homes approved, with 3 approvals so far in FY-26. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $685,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating emphasis on quality construction. There have been $70,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Croydon shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 65.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, though development activity has picked up recently. This activity remains under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

New development consists of 61.0% standalone homes and 39.0% townhouses or apartments, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. At around 474 people per approval, Croydon indicates a mature market. Population forecasts indicate Croydon will gain 1,768 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 39 projects that may affect the region. Notable ones are Croydon Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Masterplan, Croydon TOD Precinct, NSW Health Infrastructure Program - Inner West, and WestConnex M4 East. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Croydon shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Croydon has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 4.5% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.1%. As of June 2025, 6,120 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Croydon was lower at 57.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Education & training shows particular strength with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, construction has lower representation at 6.3% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1% while labour force grew by 4.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 shows employment contraction by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% but lags 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 Croydon's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized 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 median income in Croydon is $53,208 and average income is $74,359. In comparison, Greater Sydney has a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. By March 2025, estimated median income in Croydon would be approximately $58,848 and average income would be around $82,241, based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census data indicates that household income ranks at the 74th percentile ($2,121 weekly) and personal income is at the 46th percentile. Income analysis reveals that 28.8% of locals (3,254 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 30.9% in the same category. Notably, 34.6% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.7% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 74th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Croydon, as per the latest Census, consisted of 57.2% houses and 42.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Croydon was at 37.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (30.0%) or rented (32.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Croydon was $2,640, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. The median weekly rent figure for Croydon was recorded at $460, similar to Sydney metro's $465. Nationally, Croydon's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Croydon features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 74.5% of all households, including 37.4% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 11.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 25.5%, with lone person households accounting for 21.2% and group households making up 4.4%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Croydon shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Croydon's educational attainment is notably high, with 43.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications. This compares favourably to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 28.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8%, with advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 11.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.3% in tertiary education, 7.7% in primary education, and 7.7% pursuing secondary education. Croydon's five schools have a combined enrolment of 3,345 students. The ICSEA score for the area is 1119, indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. Croydon functions as an education hub with 29.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.9. This attracts students from surrounding communities. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Croydon has 56 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 42 individual routes that collectively facilitate 5,300 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 147 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 757 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 94 weekly trips per stop.

Croydon's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows robust health metrics across Croydon.

Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (~6,384 people). Most common conditions are arthritis (6.1%) and mental health issues (6.1%). 74.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 77.0% in Greater Sydney. Croydon has 19.8% residents aged 65+, totaling 2,236 people. This is higher than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population profile.

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

Croydon has a high level of cultural diversity, with 47.7% of its population born overseas and 53.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Croydon, making up 47.3% of people. Buddhism comprises 6.9% of Croydon's population, which is higher than the Greater Sydney average of 6.2%.

The top three represented ancestry groups are Chinese (23.2%), Australian (12.6%), and English (12.4%). There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Croatian (1.6% vs regional 0.7%), Lebanese (4.3% vs regional 3.1%), and Korean (1.9% vs regional 2.8%) are overrepresented in Croydon compared to Greater Sydney averages.

Croydon's median age exceeds the national pattern

Croydon's median age is 41 years, higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Locally, those aged 15-24 comprise 15.2%, notably above the Greater Sydney average, while those aged 35-44 make up 11.8%, which is under-represented compared to the Greater Sydney average. Post-2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group grew from 12.7% to 15.2%, and the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 14.1% to 15.2%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 10.5% to 8.9%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 13.5% to 12.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Croydon's age profile. The 35-44 cohort is projected to grow by 81%, adding 1,083 residents to reach 2,415. Residents aged 65 and older will represent 56% of anticipated growth. However, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 cohorts.