Five Dock - Abbotsford

An assessment of population growth drivers in Five Dock - Abbotsford reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, Five Dock - Abbotsford's population is approximately 21,499, reflecting an increase of 566 people since the 2021 Census. The population was recorded as 20,933 in the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,389 in June 2024 and an additional 102 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 4,653 persons per square kilometer, placing Five Dock - Abbotsford in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 74.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses the 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 years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Five Dock - Abbotsford is expected to grow by 709 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of approximately 2.8% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Between FY-21 and FY-25, Five Dock - Abbotsford recorded approximately 331 residential property approvals annually. In FY-26 alone, around 1,235 properties have been granted approval. Despite experiencing population decline, the area maintains an adequate housing supply relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $624,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This year, commercial approvals totalled $28.0 million, demonstrating steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Five Dock - Abbotsford shows reduced construction levels (51.0% below regional average per person), which typically strengthens demand for existing properties. Recent construction comprises 34.0% standalone homes and 66.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has approximately 300 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. By 2041, Five Dock - Abbotsford is projected to grow by 599 residents.

At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Five Dock - Abbotsford has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 16 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Kings Bay Village, Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy (PRCUTS) - Stage 2, Five Dock Town Centre Revitalisation, and Five Dock Park Precinct Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The employment environment in Five Dock - Abbotsford shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Five Dock - Abbotsford has an educated workforce with a notable technology sector presence. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%.

As of September 2025, 12,120 residents are employed, with the area's unemployment rate at 1.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is 63.3%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment concentration lies in professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Finance & insurance employment levels are high at 1.3 times the regional average, while retail trade shows lower representation at 7.5% versus the regional average of 9.3%.

Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.1%, but employment declined by 0.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and unemployment rise by 0.2%. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, lower than the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local projections vary based on industry-specific growth rates. Applying these projections to Five Dock - Abbotsford's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Five Dock - Abbotsford SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $70,935 and an average income of $106,430. Nationally, these figures place it in the top percentile. In Greater Sydney, the median was $56,994 and the average was $80,856. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%, estimated incomes would be approximately $79,880 (median) and $119,851 (average). The 2021 Census ranked household, family, and personal incomes in Five Dock - Abbotsford between the 85th and 88th percentiles nationally. Income analysis revealed that 27.1% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring the region's 30.9%. Affluence is evident with 39.8% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and services. High housing costs consume 17.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 81st percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Five Dock-Abbotsford, as recorded in the latest Census, houses constituted 38.0% of dwellings while other types such as semi-detached, apartments, and 'other' dwellings made up 62.0%. This is comparable to Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 37.8% houses and 62.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Five Dock-Abbotsford stood at 33.7%, similar to Sydney metro's level, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.7% and rented ones at 37.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, aligning with Sydney metro's average. The median weekly rent figure was $576, compared to Sydney metro's $3,000 and $560 respectively. Nationally, Five Dock-Abbotsford's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Five Dock - Abbotsford has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.3% of all households, including 31.7% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for 30.7%, with lone person households at 27.8% and group households comprising 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Five Dock - Abbotsford shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

In Five Dock - Abbotsford, residents aged 15 and above have a higher proportion of university qualifications compared to broader national and state benchmarks. Specifically, 42.5% of residents hold such qualifications, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and the New South Wales average of 32.2%. This educational advantage is reflected in various degrees: bachelor's degrees are held by 27.7%, postgraduate qualifications by 11.9%, and graduate diplomas by 2.9%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 27.8% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas at 12.1% and certificates at 15.7%.

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (8.8%), secondary education (7.2%), and tertiary education (5.4%).

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

The analysis of public transportation in the Five Dock - Abbotsford area shows that there are currently 99 active transport stops operating. These stops offer a mix of ferry and bus services, with 74 different routes collectively providing 7,389 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 138 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,055 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 74 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Five Dock - Abbotsford. Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 75% of the total population (16,059 people), compared to 68.8% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.3 and 6.2% of residents respectively, while 73.3% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 76.3% across Greater Sydney. As of 2021, the area has 21.0% of residents aged 65 and over (4,512 people), which is higher than the 18.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Five Dock - Abbotsford 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

Five Dock-Abbotsford demonstrates high cultural diversity, with 33.6% of its population born overseas and 31.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Five Dock-Abbotsford, comprising 62.6% of people, compared to 57.1% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Italian (17.0%), English (16.7%), and Australian (15.9%).

Notably, Spanish (0.9%) is slightly overrepresented compared to the regional average (0.8%), while Lebanese (1.7%) and Greek (3.0%) have lower representations than their respective regional averages of 2.2% and 3.1%.

Five Dock - Abbotsford's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Five Dock - Abbotsford is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The age group of 65-74 represents 10.4% of the population, which is stronger compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 10.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 8.6% to 10.4%, but the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 12.1% to 10.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Five Dock - Abbotsford. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 59%, adding 919 people and reaching a total of 2,482 from the previous number of 1,562. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 92% of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 15 to 24 and 45 to 54 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.