Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls' population was 17,647 as of Aug 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure reflects a rise of 472 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 17,175. The increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 17,622 in June 2024 and an additional 17 validated new addresses post-census. This results in a density ratio of 1,057 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 2.7% since the Census is within 0.4 percentage points of its SA4 region's growth (3.1%), indicating strong fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.3% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch uses 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 years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, the area is expected to increase by 2,241 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 12.6% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has averaged approximately 83 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 416 homes approved over the past five financial years (between FY20 and FY25), and 5 approvals so far in FY26. On average, 0.7 new residents are added per year for each dwelling constructed during these years. This pace of construction matches or exceeds demand, providing buyers with more options and potentially exceeding current population growth expectations.

The average value of new homes being built is $957,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment by developers. In FY26, $7.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential. Compared to Greater Sydney, Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has 62.0% more building activity per person, offering buyers ample choice, although recent periods have shown some moderation in development activity. The current mix of new building activity is 58.0% detached houses and 42.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density options and creating a range of opportunities across price brackets. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 94.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options.

With around 831 people per approval, Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls shows signs of being a mature, established area. Looking ahead, the area is expected to grow by approximately 2,216 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, The Jardin - Stage 1 & 2, Frenchs Forest Housing and Productivity Contribution (HPC), and the 146-room hotel at Forest Hotel. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

As of June 2025, 9,633 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9% below Greater Sydney's and a participation rate of 66.9%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.3 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence at 2.6%, compared to 5.3% regionally. The worker-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating above-normal employment opportunities locally.

Over the past year (June 2024 - June 2025), labour force remained stable while employment declined by 0.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment and labour force growth of 2.6% and 2.9% respectively, with a 0.3 percentage point unemployment increase. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National forecasts suggest employment will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls's employment mix indicates potential local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

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

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has an exceptionally high income level nationally, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $63,081 and the average income stands at $94,765. This compares with Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $69,768 (median) and $104,810 (average) as of March 2025. Census data reveals household incomes rank exceptionally high at the 98th percentile ($3,142 weekly). The earnings profile shows that 38.3% of residents (6,758 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, diverging from the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. A significant 52.2% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 97th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 94.1% houses and 5.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 57.6% houses and 42.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls was 39.1%, with the rest mortgaged (47.0%) or rented (13.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,400, above Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent was $828, higher than Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 87.2% of all households, including 53.9% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 12.8%, with lone person households at 11.3% and group households making up 1.4%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable with university qualification rates at 39.8% for residents aged 15+, surpassing both Australia's average of 30.4% and NSW's rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 27.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 12.3% and certificates at 17.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.4% in primary, 10.1% in secondary, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education. There are eight schools operating within Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls, educating approximately 3777 students. The area shows significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1107). These schools include five primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 21.4 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.2, indicating that the area serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls has 113 active public transport stops offering mixed bus services. These stops are served by 117 routes, facilitating 4,811 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is excellent with residents usually located 163 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 687 daily trips across all routes, equivalent to about 42 weekly trips per individual stop.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls exhibits excellent health outcomes, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The private health cover rate is notably high at approximately 69% (12,229 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Asthma and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.0% and 6.1% of residents respectively. A total of 74.7% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's figure. The area has a senior population (aged 65 and over) of 16.8%, comprising 2,969 people. Health outcomes among seniors align closely with the overall population's health profile.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls 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

Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, had a higher proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home (16.8%) compared to most local areas. Additionally, 29.9% of its population was born overseas. Christianity was found to be the predominant religion, with 53.9% of people identifying as Christian.

However, Judaism saw an equal representation in Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls and Greater Sydney, each at 0.3%. The top three ancestry groups were English (28.9%), Australian (23.0%), and Other (9.6%). Notably, French (1.1%), Welsh (0.9%), and South African (1.0%) ethnicities had higher representations in Frenchs Forest-Oxford Falls compared to regional averages of 1.1%, 0.7%, and 0.9% respectively.

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls's median age exceeds the national pattern

Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls has a median age of 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls at 16.8%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 6.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has grown from 13.2% to 16.1% of the population. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has declined from 8.6% to 7.4%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 16.3% to 15.2%. Demographic modeling indicates that Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls' age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 168%, adding 727 residents to reach 1,162. This growth is primarily driven by demographic aging, with residents aged 65 and older representing 64% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.