Glebe - Forest Lodge

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

Glebe - Forest Lodge's population is around 21,806 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,544 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,262 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,805 from the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 121 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 9,480 persons per square kilometer, which places Glebe - Forest Lodge in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area highly sought after. The area's growth rate of 7.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded the state average of 7.1%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 90.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year for each SA2 area covered by this data. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated, with Glebe - Forest Lodge expected to grow by 387 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 1.8% in total over the 16 years.

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

Glebe - Forest Lodge has witnessed approximately 28 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 143 homes were approved, with an additional 46 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.5 new residents have arrived per year for each new home over these five years, suggesting a balanced supply and demand scenario. However, recent data shows this has intensified to 96.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $498,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year alone, $543.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe - Forest Lodge has significantly less development activity, 76.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's development activity is also lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows 14.0% detached houses and 86.0% attached dwellings, indicating a trend towards denser development that provides accessible entry options and appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

With around 3708 people per dwelling approval, Glebe - Forest Lodge reflects a highly mature market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 386 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Glebe - Forest Lodge has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 43 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Cowper Street Social Housing Development, Sydney Metro West - The Bays Station, Wentworth Park Rd, Glebe, and Elger Street Social Housing. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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Employment drivers in Glebe - Forest Lodge are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Glebe - Forest Lodge had an unemployment rate of 7.7% as of December 2025, with 12,480 residents employed. The area's unemployment rate was 3.6% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Sydney's at 68.8%.

According to Census responses, 63.0% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The leading employment industries were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical employment was at 1.7 times the regional average. However, construction had limited presence with only 3.7% of residents employed in this sector compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Over the year ending December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.4%, and employment declined by 1.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Sydney's employment growth of 2.2% and labour force expansion of 2.3%. According to Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glebe - Forest Lodge's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years.

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

The Glebe - Forest Lodge SA2 had one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year ended June 2023. Its median income among taxpayers was $67,786 and average income stood at $101,649, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since June 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $74,782 (median) and $112,139 (average). From the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census conducted in August 2021, individual earnings stood out at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,230 weekly). Income analysis revealed that 26.3% of the population (5,734 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the region showing 30.9% in the same category. A significant 35.2% earned above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consumed 21.5% of income, though strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 62nd percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

Glebe - Forest Lodge features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As of the latest Census, dwelling structures in Glebe - Forest Lodge comprised 3.6% houses and 96.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership within Glebe - Forest Lodge was at 17.7%, with the remainder being mortgaged (18.4%) or rented (63.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,949, while the median weekly rent figure was $505. Nationally, Glebe - Forest Lodge's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Glebe - Forest Lodge features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 49.4 percent of all households, including 13.7 percent couples with children, 27.6 percent couples without children, and 7.0 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 50.6 percent, with lone person households at 42.1 percent and group households comprising 8.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Glebe - Forest Lodge shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Glebe - Forest Lodge shows a significant advantage with 61.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 21.4% and graduate diplomas at 3.9%. Vocational pathways account for 17.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 8.6%. Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 14.8% in tertiary education, 5.0% in primary education, and 3.5% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.8% in tertiary education, 5.0% in primary education, and 3.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Glebe - Forest Lodge has 104 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry, light rail, and bus services. These are served by 38 routes, providing 11,661 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 131 meters to the nearest stop. The area is predominantly residential, with most commuters travelling outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 44%, followed by walking at 20% and bus at 15%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.4 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 63% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,665 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 112 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Glebe - Forest Lodge's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows strong health performance in Glebe - Forest Lodge based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Very low prevalence of common health conditions was found across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 71% of the total population (15,569 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and 55.7% nationally.

Mental health issues impact 10.8% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.6%. A total of 71.8% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 14.3% of residents aged 65 and over (3,122 people), lower than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

Glebe - Forest Lodge 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

Glebe-Forest Lodge has notable cultural diversity, with 27.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 40.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 30.8%. Judaism is slightly overrepresented at 0.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

Top ancestry groups are English (22.2%), Australian (16.2%), and Other (12.6%). French (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), Russian (0.7% vs 0.4%), and Spanish (0.8% vs 0.6%) are notably overrepresented in Glebe-Forest Lodge.

Glebe - Forest Lodge's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Glebe-Forest Lodge's median age is nearly 36 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years but slightly below Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe-Forest Lodge has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (25.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has grown from 12.3% to 14.8%, while those aged 75 to 84 have increased from 3.7% to 5.0%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 55 to 64 has declined from 10.8% to 9.4%, and those aged 45 to 54 have decreased from 12.1% to 10.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Glebe-Forest Lodge's age profile. The number of residents aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 162%, adding 501 residents to reach a total of 811. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 83% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the populations of those aged 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 are expected to decline.