Emu Plains - Leonay
Statistical Area - sa2

Emu Plains - Leonay has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of Aug 2025, Emu Plains - Leonay's population is approximately 14,466. This figure represents a growth of 552 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,914. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates: 13,837 in June 2024 and an additional 262 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 1,049 persons per square kilometer, comparable to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Emu Plains - Leonay's growth rate of 4.0% since the Census is within 1.3 percentage points of its SA4 region (5.3%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 54.0% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovered areas, 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. Based on projected demographic shifts, national lower quartile growth is anticipated, with Emu Plains - Leonay expected to increase by 177 persons to 2041, a reduction of 3.2% over the 17-year period.

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

Emu Plains-Leonay has recorded approximately 35 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with around 175 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-2021 to FY-2025. As of FY-2026, there have been 149 approvals so far. The population has fallen during this period, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $625,000, which is moderately above regional levels, indicating an emphasis on quality construction. There have been approximately $44.1 million in commercial approvals during this financial year, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Emu Plains-Leonay shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 59.0% below the regional average per person. This typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% attached dwellings, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options. This shift indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring diverse housing options.

The area has approximately 489 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established location with stable or declining population forecasts, potentially leading to less housing pressure and favourable conditions for buyers.

Emu Plains - Leonay has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 46thth percentile nationally

"Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 21 projects potentially affecting the region. Notable projects include Emu Plains Industrial Precinct - Akura Development, Uniting Edinglassie Village Redevelopment, Emu Plains Rail Station Upgrades, and Emu Plains Bus Stop Improvements.".

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

Emu Plains - Leonay ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Emu Plains - Leonay has an unemployment rate of 1.8%. As of June 2025, 7,827 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation is at 63.2%, similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries include construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction has a particularly high presence with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. Professional & technical services have limited representation with 5.4% employment compared to 11.5% regionally.

Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.3%, alongside a 2.3% employment decline, while unemployment remained essentially unchanged. Meanwhile, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%. In NSW as of Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Emu Plains - Leonay's employment mix indicates potential local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Emu Plains - Leonay had a median taxpayer income of $61,556 and an average income of $71,601. These figures are above the national averages of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 30, 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $68,081 and average income is $79,191. As of the 2021 Census, Emu Plains - Leonay's incomes cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. The predominant income bracket is $1,500 to $2,999, with 4,542 people representing 31.4% of locals. Higher earners exceeding $3,000 weekly make up 32.1%. Housing costs account for 14.0% of income, and residents rank in the 76th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Emu Plains-Leonay, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.4% houses and 11.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 77.4% houses and 22.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Emu Plains-Leonay stood at 38.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.9% and rented ones at 19.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,200, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,167. Median weekly rent in the area was $437, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Emu Plains-Leonay's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,200 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $437.

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

Family households account for 77.6% of all households, including 38.2% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 12.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.4%, with lone person households at 20.8% and group households comprising 1.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.8.

Educational attainment in Emu Plains - Leonay aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 22.0%, significantly lower than the Greater Sydney average of 38.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (28.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 4.0% pursuing tertiary education. There are 7 schools operating within Emu Plains - Leonay, educating approximately 2,661 students. Emu Plains - Leonay demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1020) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 4 primary and 3 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Emu Plains - Leonay has 134 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 56 routes, providing a total of 2,539 weekly passenger trips. Residential accessibility to transport is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 143 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 362 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Emu Plains - Leonay is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Emu Plains-Leonay faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 55% of the total population, which is around 7,999 people. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.6% and 8.2% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 67.2% of residents declare themselves as completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.5% across Greater Sydney. As of June 2021, the area has 20.4% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling 2,955 people, which is higher than the 14.1% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Emu Plains - Leonay ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Emu Plains-Leonay has a cultural diversity below average, with 84.5% of its population born in Australia, 92.6% being citizens, and 93.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 62.4%, compared to 57.9% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (29.4%), English (27.9%), and Irish (9.8%).

Notably, Maltese (1.6%) and Dutch (1.6%) are overrepresented compared to regional figures of 2.9% and 1.2%, respectively, while Polish (0.9%) is slightly higher than the regional figure of 0.7%.

Emu Plains - Leonay's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Emu Plains - Leonay is 40, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. The 75-84 cohort is notably over-represented at 8.0% locally compared to the Greater Sydney average. Conversely, the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 11.2%. Between 2021 and the present day, the 75-84 age group has grown from 6.2% to 8.0%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 12.3% to 13.4%. Meanwhile, the 35-44 cohort declined from 13.5% to 11.9%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 13.8% to 12.7%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Emu Plains - Leonay's age profile will evolve significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to surge dramatically, expanding by 385 people (110%) from 351 to 737. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 85% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 0-4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.