Earlwood

Earlwood is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Earlwood's population was approximately 18,129 as of November 2025. This figure represents a growth of 160 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,969. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. Population density was around 3,243 persons per square kilometer, placing Earlwood in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 82.6% of population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government projections for uncovered areas with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate an overall population decline by 167 persons to 2041, but a growth of 747 people in the 65-74 age group over the same period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Earlwood according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Earlwood has seen approximately 53 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 266 homes were approved, with an additional 10 approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas.

The average value of new dwellings is $662,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. This year alone, $6.1 million worth of commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential growth. Relative to Greater Sydney and nationally, Earlwood has similar and lower development levels per person respectively, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Building activity shows 52.0% standalone homes and 48.0% medium and high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing varied price points from family homes to more affordable compact living. This shift marks a significant departure from the current 80.0% houses pattern, suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

Earlwood has approximately 320 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market with stable or declining population expected in the future, potentially reducing pressure on housing and creating opportunities for buyers.

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

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 78 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are Sydney Metro City & Southwest, Botany Aquatic Centre Redevelopment, Bexley North Hotel Mixed-Use Development, and Sir Joseph Banks Carpark and Amenities. The following list provides details on those considered most relevant.

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

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The labour market in Earlwood shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Earlwood's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.4% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.5%. There were 10,600 residents employed by June 2025, with an unemployment rate 1.8% below Greater Sydney's. Workforce participation in Earlwood was 55.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Notably, education & training has a concentration 1.3 times the regional average. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 12.1% of Earlwood's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5%, labour force by 2.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Earlwood's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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 2022 shows that income in Earlwood SA2 is among the highest in Australia, with a median of $58,766 and an average of $81,759. 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 would be approximately $66,176 (median) and $92,069 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household income ranks at the 75th percentile ($2,163 weekly), while personal income sits at the 56th percentile. Distribution data shows that 27.9% of locals (5,057 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring the broader area where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 35.7% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 76th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Earlwood is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

As of the latest Census, Earlwood's dwelling structure consisted of 80.2% houses and 19.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 48.7% houses and 51.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Earlwood stood at 45.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.3% and rented ones at 21.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,809, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Earlwood was recorded at $570, compared to Sydney metro's $390. Nationally, Earlwood's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Earlwood features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.1% of all households, including 41.4% that are couples with children, 23.7% that are couples without children, and 11.9% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 19.3% and group households comprising 2.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.9.

The educational profile of Earlwood exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Earlwood's university qualification level is 33.2%, slightly below Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 22.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are held by 26.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 16.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.1% currently enrolled in formal education: 8.8% in primary, 8.7% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education.

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

Earlwood has 91 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 39 different routes that together facilitate 3,517 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average living just 149 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 502 trips per day across all routes, which translates to about 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Earlwood, with both young and elderly cohorts exhibiting low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 61% of Earlwood's total population (11,022 people) has private health cover, compared to 49.6% in Greater Sydney, and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.3 and 5.6% of residents respectively.

Notably, 73.2% of Earlwood's population claims to be free from medical ailments, compared to 77.7% in Greater Sydney. As of the latest data, 21.4% of Earlwood's residents are aged 65 and over (3,875 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Earlwood has a high level of cultural diversity, with 35.9% of its population born overseas and 48.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Earlwood, comprising 66.5% of people, compared to 45.8% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups in Earlwood are Greek (17.9%), Other (14.3%), and Australian (13.5%).

Notably, Lebanese (6.3%) and Italian (7.2%) groups are overrepresented in Earlwood compared to the regional averages of 10.6% and 3.9%, respectively. Conversely, Vietnamese representation is lower than the regional average at 2.9%.

Earlwood hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Earlwood has a median age of 44, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeds the national norm of 38. The age group of 55-64 years old makes up 13.3% of Earlwood's population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort comprises 10.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group increased from 11.5% to 13.3%, whereas the 5 to 14 cohort decreased from 11.8% to 10.2% and the 45 to 54 group fell from 15.8% to 14.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling indicates Earlwood's age profile will change significantly. Leading this shift, the 65 to 74 age group is projected to grow by 38%, reaching 2,382 people from 1,724. This growth is solely due to the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising all of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 45-54 age groups are expected to experience population declines.