Croydon

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 was approximately 10,993 people as of the 2021 Census. By November 2025, this had increased to around 11,300 people, reflecting a rise of 307 individuals (2.8%). This increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,314 in June 2024 and an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density as of November 2025 was approximately 4,362 persons per square kilometer, placing Croydon within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 99.0% 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, AreaSearch uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Croydon is projected to grow by 1,754 persons to 2041, reflecting 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 averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with a total of 99 homes approved during this period. In FY26, up until now, there have been 5 dwellings approved. The population has fallen slightly in recent times, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average value of new dwellings developed is $685,000, which is somewhat higher than the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. This financial year has seen $70,000 worth of commercial development approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus in Croydon compared to Greater Sydney. In terms of construction activity per capita, Croydon is 65.0% below the regional average, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes due to constrained new construction. However, there has been an increase in development activity recently. This activity remains below the national average, suggesting that the area is well-established with potential planning limitations.

The current mix of new developments consists of 61.0% standalone homes and 39.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a range of housing options across different price points. With approximately 474 people per approval, Croydon indicates a mature market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Croydon is forecasted to gain around 1,768 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, there may be insufficient housing supply to keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth in the future.

Croydon has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 35 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include Croydon Transport Oriented Development Precinct, Burwood Culture House, NSW Health Infrastructure Program - Inner West, and NSW School Infrastructure Program - Inner West. The following list details those most relevant.

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.

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

Croydon has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.5% in June 2025, slightly above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.1%. As of June 2025, 6,120 residents were employed with workforce participation at 57.6%, below Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Education & training shows strong specialization 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%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1%, labour force grew by 4.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, favourable compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Croydon's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 Croydon SA2 has high national incomes. The median income is $53,208 and the average income is $74,359. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Croydon SA2 would be approximately $59,918 (median) and $83,736 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household income ranks at the 73rd percentile ($2,121 weekly), while personal income sits at the 46th percentile. Income analysis shows that 28.8% of locals (3,254 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, consistent with broader regional trends 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

Croydon's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 57.2% houses and 42.8% other dwellings. Compared to Sydney metro's 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings, Croydon had a higher proportion of houses. Home ownership in Croydon stood at 37.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.0% and rented ones at 32.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,640, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,436. The median weekly rent in Croydon was $460, similar to Sydney metro's figure of $465. Nationally, Croydon's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 account for the remaining 25.5%, with lone person households at 21.2% and group households comprising 4.4% of the total. 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 exceeds national averages: 43.3% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (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: 8.3% in tertiary, 7.7% in primary, and 7.7% in secondary education.

Educational participation is notably 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.

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 operating within its boundaries. These stops are a mix of train stations and bus stops. There are 42 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 5,300 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance residents live from the nearest transport stop is 147 meters. Service frequency averages 757 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 94 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Croydon.

Both young and old age cohorts saw low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover was found to be very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~6,384 people). The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 6.1 and 6.1% of residents respectively. Seventy-four percent declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 77% across Greater Sydney. Nineteen point eight percent of residents are aged 65 and over (2,236 people), which is higher than the 14.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health 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, comprising 47.3% of people. However, Buddhism is notably overrepresented, making up 6.9% of the population compared to 6.2% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups in Croydon are Chinese (23.2%), Australian (12.6%), and English (12.4%). Some other ethnic groups also show significant differences: Lebanese is overrepresented at 4.3%, Croatian at 1.6%, and Korean at 1.9%.

Croydon's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Croydon's median age is 41 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and slightly above Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Croydon has a notably higher proportion of 15-24 year-olds (15.2%) and a lower proportion of 35-44 year-olds (11.8%). Post the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group increased from 12.7% to 15.2%, while the 25-34 cohort rose from 14.1% to 15.2%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group decreased from 10.5% to 8.9%, and the 55-64 age group fell from 13.5% to 12.4%. By 2041, Croydon's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 35-44 cohort is expected to grow by 81%, adding 1,083 residents to reach 2,415. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 56% of the population growth. Meanwhile, declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.