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 approximately 21,813 as of February 2026. This represents an increase of 1,551 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 20,262. The change is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 21,794 in June 2024 and an additional 121 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9,483 persons per square kilometer, placing Glebe - Forest Lodge among the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch due to its high land demand. Over the past decade, ending in February 2026, Glebe - Forest Lodge has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outperforming the state's average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for Glebe - Forest Lodge are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024, using 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a 2021 base year for areas not covered by ABS data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, national statistical areas are anticipated to have lower quartile growth moving forward. By 2041, Glebe - Forest Lodge is expected to expand by approximately 620 persons based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 2.8% over the 17-year period from February 2026.

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 seen approximately 28 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 143 homes. As of FY-26, 45 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.5 new residents arrived per new home each year between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand. However, this has accelerated to 96.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $498,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY-26, $543.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, showing strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe - Forest Lodge records significantly lower building activity, which is 76.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. Nationally, this activity is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home 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 projected to add 601 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 41 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Cowper Street Social Housing Development, Wentworth Park Rd, Glebe, Elger Street Social Housing, and Bidura. The following list details those 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 labour market performance in Glebe - Forest Lodge lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Glebe - Forest Lodge has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. The unemployment rate here is 7.6%, as of September 2025. There are 12,466 residents employed, which is 3.5% higher than Greater Sydney's unemployment rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney at 70.0%. According to Census responses, 63.0% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a particularly high concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

However, construction is under-represented, with only 3.7% of Glebe - Forest Lodge's workforce compared to 8.6% in Greater Sydney. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.4%, while employment declined by 1.8%, increasing unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and the labour force expand by 2.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia suggest that Glebe - Forest Lodge's employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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 ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $67,786 and the average income stood at $101,649. These figures compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $73,792 (median) and $110,655 (average). Census data showed individual earnings stood out at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,230 weekly). Distribution data revealed that 26.3% of the community earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (5,736 individuals), mirroring regional levels where 30.9% occupied this bracket. Higher earners represented a substantial presence with 35.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consumed 21.5% of income, but strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 62nd percentile nationally. 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

In Glebe - Forest Lodge, as per the latest Census, 3.6% of dwellings were houses while 96.4% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In contrast, Sydney metropolitan area had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glebe - Forest Lodge stood at 17.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.4% and rented ones at 63.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,949, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Glebe - Forest Lodge was $505, compared to $470 in Sydney metro. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly 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% of all households, including 13.7% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 7.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 50.6%, with lone person households at 42.1% and group households comprising 8.5%. 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 is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016 Census data, 61.2% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% statewide (NSW). The area's educational advantage is reflected in its strong representation of bachelor degrees (35.9%), postgraduate qualifications (21.4%), and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways accounted for 17.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 8.6%.

Educational participation was notably high, with 29.5% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This included 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

Public transport analysis reveals 104 active transport stops operating within Glebe - Forest Lodge. These include a mix of ferry, light rail, and bus services. The stops are serviced by 38 individual routes, collectively providing 11,661 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 44%, with 20% walking and 15% by bus.

Vehicle ownership averages 0.4 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high 63.0% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,665 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 112 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

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

AreaSearch's assessment shows Glebe - Forest Lodge performs strongly in health metrics, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The area has a high rate of private health cover at approximately 71% of its total population (15,574 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.8% and 7.6% of residents respectively.

A total of 71.8% of residents 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 14.6% of residents aged 65 and over (3,184 people), with health outcomes among seniors broadly in line with national rankings.

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 as of the 2016 Census. This figure is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 35.4%. Additionally, 40.8% of Glebe-Forest Lodge residents were born overseas, compared to 34.2% across Greater Sydney.

Christianity is the main religion in Glebe-Forest Lodge, with 30.8%, slightly lower than the regional average of 37.9%. Judaism, at 0.7%, is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%. The top three ancestry groups are English (22.2%), Australian (16.2%), and Other (12.6%). Notably, French ancestry is overrepresented at 1.0% versus the regional average of 0.5%, as are Russian (0.7% vs 0.4%) and Spanish (0.8% vs 0.6%) ancestries.

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

Glebe-Forest Lodge's median age is nearly 36 years, closely matching Greater Sydney's average of 37, which is slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe-Forest Lodge has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (23.5%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of residents aged 15 to 24 has grown from 12.3% to 15.1%, while those aged 75 to 84 have increased from 3.7% to 5.1%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 24.9% to 23.5%, and those aged 55 to 64 have dropped from 10.8% to 9.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Glebe-Forest Lodge's age profile will change significantly. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 47%, adding 521 residents and reaching a total of 1,634. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 81% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the cohorts aged 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 are projected to experience population declines.