Dulwich Hill - Lewisham

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Dulwich Hill-Lewisham's population was approximately 18,826 as of May 2026, a 4.9% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 17,948 people. This rise is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 18,826 in June 2025 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was around 6,972 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, ending in May 2026, Dulwich Hill-Lewisham showed a compound annual growth rate of 0.8%, outperforming its SA4 region. Overseas migration drove population growth, contributing approximately 77.3% of overall gains during recent periods. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Dulwich Hill-Lewisham is expected to grow by 218 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 1.2% over the 16-year period.

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

Dulwich Hill-Lewisham saw approximately 36 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25. A total of 184 homes were approved during this period, with an additional 151 approved in FY26 up until now. On average, 1.4 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply and demand dynamic. However, recent data shows this figure has increased to 31.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $291,000, which aligns with regional trends. This year alone, $5.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's residential character. Comparatively, Dulwich Hill-Lewisham has significantly less development activity than Greater Sydney as a whole, with 59.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Similarly, this level of activity is lower than national averages, which may indicate market maturity or potential development constraints. The type of housing being built in Dulwich Hill-Lewisham is predominantly medium to high-density (88.0%), with only 12.0% detached houses. This shift towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing stock, which is currently 29.0% houses. This trend may indicate decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With approximately 1962 people per dwelling approval, Dulwich Hill-Lewisham exhibits a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain around 218 residents by 2041. If current development patterns continue, new housing supply should meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham 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 35 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Cooks to Cove GreenWay, JF Laxton Reserve Upgrade, Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, and Dulwich Hill Village Master Plan. Relevant projects are listed below.

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

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The employment landscape in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate here is 5.0%. As of December 2025, 11,778 residents are employed while the area's unemployment rate is 0.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 75.1%, exceeding Greater Sydney's rate of 68.8%. According to Census responses, 60.4% of residents work from home. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.3 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Construction employment is lower at 5.5%, compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Over the year ending December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.7% alongside a 2.2% employment decline, leading to an unemployment rate increase of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment and labour force growth of 2.2% and 2.3%, respectively. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dulwich Hill - Lewisham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that Dulwich Hill - Lewisham SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $72,831 and an average of $92,254. This is notably higher than the national averages. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median income was $60,817 with an average of $83,030. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $80,347 (median) and $101,775 (average). Census 2021 income data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham rank highly nationally, between the 75th and 90th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 32.3% of residents earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, mirroring the metropolitan region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. A substantial proportion, 34.2%, earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 18.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 72nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 28.7% houses and 71.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham was at 24.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.9% and rented ones at 47.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, while the median weekly rent was $480. Nationally, Dulwich Hill - Lewisham's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 59.2% of all households, consisting of 23.2% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.8%, with lone person households at 33.6% and group households comprising 7.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham has a higher level of educational attainment than the national average. 52.0% of its residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. The most common qualification is Bachelor degrees at 33.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 22.0% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 10.5% and certificates 11.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.3% in tertiary education, 7.5% in primary education, and 6.3% pursuing secondary education.

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

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham has 85 active public transport stops offering a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 47 individual routes, facilitating 12,759 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 131 meters to the nearest stop. The area is predominantly residential, with most commuters travelling outward. Car remains the primary mode of transport at 63%, followed by train at 17% and bus at 7%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.6 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 60.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 1,822 trips per day, equating to approximately 150 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Dulwich Hill-Lewisham shows superior health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and elderly cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (12,575 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 10.9% of residents and asthma impacting 8.5%. A total of 69.8% claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are generally typical. The area has 13.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,494 people), lower than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Senior health outcomes are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham 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

Dulwich Hill-Lewisham has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 33.5% of its population born overseas and 27.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Dulwich Hill-Lewisham, comprising 38.9% of the population. Judaism, however, is overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.6%), Australian (17.8%), and Other (12.9%). Notably, Hungarian (0.5%) and Greek (4.4%) are overrepresented in Dulwich Hill-Lewisham compared to regional figures of 0.3% and 1.9%, respectively. Lebanese representation is slightly lower at 2.0%, compared to the region's 2.6%.

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Dulwich Hill - Lewisham has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure and remaining comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group is strongly represented at 21.3%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 7.7%. This concentration in the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.6%. Between 2021 and the present, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 17.4% to 18.9%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 10.0% to 11.1%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 9.2% to 7.7%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 13.9% to 12.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Dulwich Hill - Lewisham's age structure. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 93 people, reaching 693 from a starting point of 359. This growth reflects an aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 82% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 55-64 and 15-24 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.