Glebe - Forest Lodge

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 was approximately 21,843 as of November 2025, an increase of 1,581 people (7.8%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 20,262. This increase is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 21,794 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was 9,497 persons per square kilometer, placing Glebe - Forest Lodge in the top 10% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch. This growth exceeded the state's average of 6.7%, making it a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.4% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicate lower quartile growth nationally, with Glebe - Forest Lodge expected to grow by 620 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 2.6% over the 17-year period.

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 a further 45 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.5 new residents arrived per year for each new home over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand conditions. However, recent data shows this ratio has intensified to 96.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $1,105,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, $543.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating 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 proportion of new building activity shows 14.0% detached houses and 86.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a trend towards denser development that 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 571 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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 40 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include New Sydney Fish Market, Cowper Street Social Housing Development, Wentworth Park Rd, Glebe, and Elger Street Social Housing. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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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 notable 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 of 3.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Glebe - Forest Lodge stands at 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.

The construction sector has limited presence with only 3.7% employment, compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.5%, while labour force grew by 0.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 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 its current employment mix.

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 SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $64,577 and an average of $98,071. This is notably higher than national figures and Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $72,720 (median) and $110,438 (average). Census data indicates individual earnings reach the 92nd percentile nationally at $1,230 weekly. Income distribution shows 26.3% of the population earns between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, aligning with surrounding regions where this cohort represents 30.9%. Significantly, 35.2% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting areas of prosperity driving local economic activity. High housing costs consume 21.5% of income, however 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

Glebe - Forest Lodge had 3.6% houses and 96.4% other dwellings in its dwelling structure as of the latest Census, compared to Sydney metro's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership was at 17.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.4% and rented ones at 63.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,949, higher than Sydney metro's $2,705, while the median weekly rent was $505 compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Glebe - Forest Lodge's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents 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 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 comprise the remaining 50.6%, with lone person households at 42.1% and group households making up 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. This surpasses 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 (21.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational pathways account for 17.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.9% and certificates 8.6%.

Educational participation is 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 57 active public transport stops. These include ferry, lightrail, and bus services. There are 37 individual routes operating in total.

Weekly passenger trips amount to 9,995. Residents' average proximity to the nearest stop is 132 meters. Daily service frequency averages 1,427 trips across all routes, equating to about 175 weekly trips per stop.

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

Analysis shows strong health performance in Glebe-Forest Lodge, with low prevalence of common conditions across young and old age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 70%, higher than the national average of 55.3%.

Common medical conditions include mental health issues (10.8%) and asthma (7.6%). 71.8% declare no medical ailments, compared to 77.4% in Greater Sydney. The area has 14.1% residents aged 65+, totaling 3,068 people, higher than the Greater Sydney average of 9.7%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

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 a high cultural diversity, with 27.2% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Glebe-Forest Lodge, making up 30.8% of people there, compared to 1.1% across Greater Sydney for Judaism. The top three ancestry groups are English (22.2%), Australian (16.2%), and Other (12.6%).

Notably, French (1.0%) is slightly overrepresented in Glebe-Forest Lodge compared to the regional average of 1.1%. Similarly, Russian (0.7%) and Spanish (0.8%) are also somewhat overrepresented.

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, 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 (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 now, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 12.3% to 15.1%, while the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 3.7% to 4.8%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has declined 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 56%, adding 589 residents to reach a total of 1,634. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 81% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age groups are expected to experience population declines.