Ermington - Rydalmere
Statistical Area - sa2

Ermington - Rydalmere lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Ermington - Rydalmere's population is around 26,705 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,064 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 24,641 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 26,588 in June 2024 and an additional 495 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,705 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ermington - Rydalmere's growth of 8.4% since the 2021 census exceeded the state average of 6.4%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 72.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends predict exceptional growth, placing Ermington - Rydalmere in the top 10 percent of national areas. The area is expected to expand by 21,514 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an increase of 79.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Ermington - Rydalmere among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Ermington-Rydalmere has received approximately 279 dwelling development approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides this data on a financial year basis, totalling 1,398 approvals from FY20 to FY25, with 22 approvals in FY26 so far. On average, 1.3 new residents arrive per new home each year over the past five financial years. The average construction cost of new dwellings is $453,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $49.4 million in commercial approvals registered, indicating strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ermington-Rydalmere records a higher level of construction activity, 46.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. Recent development comprises 12.0% detached houses and 88.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to accommodate downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This is a notable change from the area's existing housing composition of 56.0% houses. With around 113 people per dwelling approval, Ermington-Rydalmere exhibits growth area characteristics. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 21,299 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

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

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 57 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Melrose Central, Melrose Central (Melrose Park Town Centre), Melrose Park High School, Sekisui House Melrose Park Village Stage 4. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

Ermington - Rydalmere has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Ermington-Rydalmere has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.9%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.2%. As of June 2025, 15,480 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.6% and workforce participation similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and professional & technical services. Public administration & safety shows notable concentration, at 1.3 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services are under-represented, with only 9.4% of Ermington-Rydalmere's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, labour force by 3.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.9 percentage points in Ermington-Rydalmere. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, compared to the national 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 Ermington-Rydalmere's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for local population changes.

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 indicates that Ermington - Rydalmere's median income is $53,501 and average income is $67,800. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on a 10.6% increase from financial year 2022 to March 2025 (as per the Wage Price Index), current estimates would be approximately $59,172 for median income and $74,987 for average income as of March 2025. The 2021 Census figures show that incomes in Ermington - Rydalmere cluster around the 56th percentile nationally. Specifically, 32.2% of residents (8,599 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to surrounding regions where 30.9% occupy this range. High housing costs consume 20.0% of income in Ermington - Rydalmere, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 58th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Ermington - Rydalmere displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Ermington-Rydalmere, as per the latest Census evaluation, 56.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 43.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 57.3% houses and 42.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ermington-Rydalmere stood at 22.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.1% and rented ones at 42.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, aligning with Sydney's average, while the median weekly rent was $430, compared to Sydney's $460. Nationally, Ermington-Rydalmere's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Ermington - Rydalmere has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 75.2% of all households, including 40.8% couples with children, 21.2% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.8%, with lone person households making up 21.7% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.9.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 36.8% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 17.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.2% in secondary education, and 6.6% pursuing tertiary education. In Ermington - Rydalmere, a network of 7 schools educates approximately 2,275 students. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1057. Education provision is balanced with 6 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents stand at 8.5, falling below the regional average of 13.7, suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Ermington-Rydalmere has 161 active public transport stops. These include ferry, light rail, and bus services. There are 37 individual routes operating weekly, providing a total of 5,163 passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 139 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency is 737 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 32 weekly trips per stop.

Ermington - Rydalmere's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Ermington-Rydalmere with younger cohorts particularly experiencing very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 53%, covering around 14,260 people in total. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 5.9% and 5.5% of residents respectively. About 76.5% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.3% across Greater Sydney. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.4%, with around 3,858 people falling into this age bracket, compared to Greater Sydney's 16.6%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population due to being above average.

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

Ermington-Rydalmere has a high cultural diversity, with 45.1% of its population born overseas and 50.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Ermington-Rydalmere, making up 53.7% of people there. However, Islam is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 5.8% versus 5.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (16.1%), Chinese (15.8%), and Australian (15.2%). Notably, Korean (6.8%) and Lebanese (4.3%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 6.5% and 3.8%, respectively. Filipino representation is also higher at 2.4%.

Ermington - Rydalmere's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Ermington-Rydalmere has a median age of 37, matching Greater Sydney's figure and being comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 35-44 age group constitutes 16.7% of the population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 14.6%. Between 2021 and the present, the 35-44 age group has increased from 15.6% to 16.7%, whereas the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 15.5% to 14.6%. By 2041, projections indicate significant demographic shifts in Ermington-Rydalmere's age structure. Notably, the 35-44 group is expected to grow by 70%, adding 3,140 people and reaching a total of 7,600 from its current figure of 4,459.