Eastlakes
Statistical Area - sa2

Eastlakes has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Eastlakes' population was approximately 8,843 as of August 2025, showing a decrease of 98 people from the 2021 Census figure of 8,941. This change is inferred from ABS data indicating an estimated resident population of 8,808 in June 2024 and the addition of 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was around 2,843 persons per square kilometer, placing Eastlakes in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.7% of recent population gains. 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 for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Eastlakes is expected to grow by 309 persons to 2041, representing a total gain of 3.1% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Eastlakes is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Eastlakes has recorded approximately 9 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 46 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $558,000. This year, there have been $1.9 million in commercial approvals, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Eastlakes shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 89.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though building activity has increased recently. Nationally, this is also below average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 33.0% detached houses and 67.0% medium to high-density housing, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

The area has approximately 863 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. By 2041, Eastlakes is expected to grow by 274 residents. Current development levels appear aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 22 projects potentially impacting the region. Notable projects include Rail Service Improvement Program - T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, Eastlakes City, 350 King Street Business Park Development, and Mascot Power Supply Project. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Eastlakes are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Eastlakes has a well-educated workforce with professional services being notably represented. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 is 9.1%.

This figure shows stability compared to the previous year. There are 4,181 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 4.9% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation in Eastlakes lags at 54.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing.

Transport, postal & warehousing shows particularly high concentration with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 8.1% versus the regional average of 11.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data comparison between working population and resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.6%, while employment decreased by 0.2%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.7 percentage points in Eastlakes. In Greater Sydney, employment grew by 2.6% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Eastlakes's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Eastlakes had a median income among taxpayers of $59,079 during financial year 2022. The average income stood at $74,031 in the same period. These figures are higher than national averages and compare to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. By March 2025, based on a 10.6% increase since financial year 2022, estimated median income is approximately $65,341 and average income is around $81,878. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Eastlakes rank modestly, between the 21st and 30th percentiles for households, families, and individuals. Income analysis shows that 27.5% of the population (2,431 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the regional average of 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Eastlakes, with only 78.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 22nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Eastlakes features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Eastlakes, as per the latest Census evaluation, 38.6% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 61.5% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Sydney's metropolitan area, where 26.0% of dwellings are houses, and 74.0% are other dwelling types. Home ownership in Eastlakes stood at 29.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.7% and rented ones at 46.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,297, lower than the Sydney metro average of $2,600. The median weekly rent in Eastlakes was $385, compared to $550 in Sydney metro. Nationally, Eastlakes's mortgage repayments are higher at $2,297 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents are also higher at $385 compared to the national figure of $375.

Eastlakes features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 66.2% of all households, including 31.5% couples with children, 20.9% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 33.8%, with lone person households at 29.0% and group households comprising 4.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 33.5%, considerably lower than the SA4 region average of 55.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 26.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (16.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary, 7.1% in secondary, and 6.7% in tertiary education. The area has two schools serving 776 students: St Therese Catholic Primary School and Eastlakes Public School. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. The area functions as an educational hub with 8.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 5.3, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Eastlakes has 35 active public transport stops, all bus services. These stops are served by 22 routes providing a total of 3,677 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 128 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 525 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 105 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Eastlakes shows superior health outcomes among both young and elderly populations, with low incidence of common health issues.

Approximately 56% (~4,996 people) have private health cover, a figure significantly higher than the Greater Sydney average. Arthritis and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 7.3% and 6.1% of residents respectively. Notably, 72.6% report no medical ailments, compared to 78.7% in Greater Sydney. The area has a higher proportion of seniors (20.0%, 1,768 people) than Greater Sydney's 12.6%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors remain above average, mirroring the general population's profile.

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

Eastlakes, one of the most culturally diverse areas in the country, has a population where 56.3% speak a language other than English at home and 52.6% were born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Eastlakes, with 56.6% of people adhering to it. However, Islam is overrepresented, comprising 14.4% of the population, significantly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 5.7%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other at 29.0%, English at 11.3%, and Australian at 11.2%. Notably, Spanish is overrepresented at 1.5%, Greek at 8.6%, and Russian at 1.2% compared to regional averages.

Eastlakes's median age exceeds the national pattern

Eastlakes's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and somewhat older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented at 7.4% locally, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 8.7%. Post the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.3% to 14.3% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 10.5% to 8.7%. Demographic modeling indicates that Eastlakes's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The 35-44 age group is projected to grow strongly at 46%, adding 540 residents to reach 1,705. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 55-64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.