Glebe - Forest Lodge
Statistical Area - sa2

Glebe - Forest Lodge has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Glebe - Forest Lodge's population is around 21,837 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,575 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,262 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,794 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 117 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 9,494 persons per square kilometer. Glebe - Forest Lodge's growth of 7.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the state (6.4%) and metropolitan area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 87.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. 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, population growth is anticipated to slow, with Glebe - Forest Lodge expected to grow by 620 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, recording a gain of 2.6% in total over the 17 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 seen 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 44 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.5 new residents arrived per year for each new home over these five years, suggesting balanced supply and demand conditions. However, recent data shows this ratio has increased to 96.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $1,105,000, demonstrating developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year alone, $543.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe - Forest Lodge has significantly less development activity, at 76.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows a trend towards denser development, with 14.0% detached houses and 86.0% attached dwellings. This trend 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. Population forecasts indicate the area will gain approximately 577 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 very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 40 such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are the New Sydney Fish Market, Cowper Street Social Housing Development, Wentworth Park Rd project in Glebe, and Elger Street Social Housing development. The following list provides details on those projects likely to have the most relevance.

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

Employment performance in Glebe - Forest Lodge has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Glebe - Forest Lodge has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 7.2%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relatively consistent. There are 13,088 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 3.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Glebe - Forest Lodge is 66.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services (1.7 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Construction employment stands at 3.7%, lower than the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute outside the area for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.5% while labour force grew by 0.7%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, and an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glebe - Forest Lodge's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Glebe - Forest Lodge's median income among taxpayers is $64,577, with an average of $98,071. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. As of September 2025, current estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% would be approximately $72,720 (median) and $110,438 (average). Census data indicates individual earnings stand out at the 92nd percentile nationally ($1,230 weekly). Income distribution shows that 26.3% of the population fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, comprising 5,743 individuals. This aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.9%. Notably, 35.2% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 21.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 62nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Glebe - Forest Lodge features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Glebe - Forest Lodge, as per the latest Census, consisted of 3.6% houses and 96.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glebe - Forest Lodge was at 17.7%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (18.4%) or rented (63.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,949, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $505, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Glebe - Forest Lodge's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Glebe - Forest Lodge features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 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 account for the remaining 50.6%, with lone person households making up 42.1% and group households comprising 8.5%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

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 notably high, 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%. This area's educational advantage is evident in its Bachelor degree holders (35.9%), postgraduate qualifications (21.4%), and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways are also pursued, with advanced diplomas accounting for 8.9% and certificates for 8.6% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above. Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including tertiary (14.8%), primary (5.0%), and secondary (3.5%) levels.

Glebe - Forest Lodge operates a robust network of seven schools educating approximately 2,954 students, demonstrating above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1092. The area functions as an education hub with 13.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 7.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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 Glebe - Forest Lodge shows that there are 57 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of ferry, light rail, and bus services. The stops are serviced by 37 individual routes which collectively provide 9,995 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent access to public transport, with an average distance of 132 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 1,427 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 175 weekly trips per individual stop.

Glebe - Forest Lodge's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Glebe - Forest Lodge, where both younger and older age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is notably high at approximately 70% of the total population (15,242 people), exceeding the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.8 and 7.6% of residents respectively. Notably, 71.8% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.1%, with 3,068 people falling into this age bracket, compared to the 9.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, mirroring those of the general population's health profile.

Glebe - Forest Lodge is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch 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 main religion, comprising 30.8%. Judaism is overrepresented at 0.7%, compared to 1.1% in Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.2%), Australian (16.2%), and Other (12.6%). French (1.0%) is notably overrepresented, while Russian (0.7%) and Spanish (0.8%) show slight divergences from regional percentages.

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

Glebe-Forest Lodge's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and slightly below Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Glebe-Forest Lodge has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (24.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has grown from 12.3% to 15.1%, while the proportion of those aged 75 to 84 has increased from 3.7% to 4.8%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 55 to 64 has decreased from 10.8% to 9.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Glebe-Forest Lodge's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 57%, adding 590 residents and reaching a total of 1,634. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 81% of population growth, indicating a trend towards demographic aging. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.