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

Five Dock - Abbotsford's population is around 21,504 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 571 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,933 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,389 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 79 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,654 persons per square kilometer. Five Dock - Abbotsford's growth rate of 2.7% since the census positions it within 2.9 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.6%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 74.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth is anticipated, with Five Dock - Abbotsford expected to grow by 709 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 2.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

Five Dock - Abbotsford has granted approximately 66 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 331 homes were approved, with an additional 1,242 approved in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction value of new properties is $624,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This financial year has seen $28.0 million in commercial approvals, reflecting steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Five Dock - Abbotsford shows significantly reduced construction levels, at 51.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, this activity is also below average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 34.0% standalone homes and 66.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

The location has approximately 300 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. By 2041, Five Dock - Abbotsford is projected to grow by 594 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 30% nationally

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 16 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy (PRCUTS) - Stage 2, TOGA Five Dock Mixed-Use Masterplan, Kings Bay Village, and Five Dock Town Centre Revitalisation. The following list provides details on those considered most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

Five Dock - Abbotsford has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominently represented. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 2.9%. In this month, 12,120 residents are employed, which is 1.3% below Greater Sydney's unemployment rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Five Dock - Abbotsford is similar to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 53.9% of residents work from home. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Notably, finance & insurance employment levels are at 1.3 times the regional average, while retail trade shows lower representation at 7.5% compared to the regional average of 9.3%.

Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.1%, but employment declined by 0.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and labour force expand by 2.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. 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 for national employment. 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, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending 30 June 2023, Five Dock - Abbotsford SA2 had median income among taxpayers of $73,644. Average income stood at $109,326. This places it in the top percentile nationally. Comparing with Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year ending 30 June 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $80,169 (median) and $119,012 (average). From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Five Dock - Abbotsford rank highly nationally, between 85th and 88th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 27.1% of individuals earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, mirroring the region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. The district demonstrates affluence with 39.8% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consume 17.8% of income, however strong earnings place disposable income at the 81st percentile nationally. 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 per the latest Census, 38.0% of dwellings were houses while 62.0% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Sydney metropolitan areas where 55.9% were houses and 44.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Five Dock - Abbotsford stood at 33.7%, with mortgaged properties at 28.7% and rented ones at 37.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Five Dock - Abbotsford was $576, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Five Dock - Abbotsford's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 30.7%, with lone person households at 27.8% and group households making up 2.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational attainment in Five Dock-Abbotsford shows a significant advantage with 42.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 27.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 27.8% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.1%) and certificates (15.7%). Educational participation is high, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.8% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 5.4% in tertiary education.

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

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

The analysis of public transport in Five Dock - Abbotsford indicates that there are 140 active transport stops operating in the area. These include a mix of ferry and bus services. The stops are serviced by 74 individual routes which collectively provide 10,031 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent with residents typically located 135 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 81%, with bus being used by 8% of residents.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions, 53.9% of residents work from home. Service frequency averages 1,433 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 71 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Five Dock - Abbotsford's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Five Dock - Abbotsford shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 75% of the total population (16,192 people) have private health cover, compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.3 and 6.2% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.3%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.8% (4,683 people), compared to 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

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 has 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 main religion in Five Dock-Abbotsford, comprising 62.6%, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Italian (17.0%), English (16.7%), and Australian (15.9%).

Notably, Spanish (0.9%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.6%. Lebanese (1.7%) and Greek (3.0%) also have higher representations than regionally.

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 average of 38 years. The 55-64 age group constitutes 12.9%, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 10.3%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 15-24 age group grew from 8.6% to 10.8%, and the 75-84 cohort increased from 6.4% to 7.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 12.1% to 10.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 49%, reaching 2,482 people from 1,670. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 93% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 45-54 and 25-34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.