Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough
Statistical Area - sa2

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 25,488. This figure represents an increase of 900 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 24,588. The change is inferred from ABS estimates: 25,400 in June 2024 and an additional 181 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,162 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth rate of 3.7% since the 2021 census surpassed the SA3 area's rate of 2.8%. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

All migration factors, including overseas and interstate, were positive contributors to growth. AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Demographic trends project an above median population growth for locations outside capital cities, with the area expected to grow by 4,453 persons to 2041, recording a total gain of 17.1% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough when compared nationally

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough has seen approximately 55 dwellings granted development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25276 homes have been approved, with an additional 11 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 3.4 new residents arrive per dwelling constructed over these five years.

This supply lagging demand results in heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction value of new homes is $395,000, lower than regional levels, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, $17.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity compared to the rest of NSW. Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks among the 41st percentile nationally, indicating somewhat limited buyer options while demand for established homes strengthens. Recent construction comprises 62.0% standalone homes and 38.0% medium to high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing diverse price points.

This shift from the area's existing 90.0% houses indicates decreasing developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles. Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough has around 439 people per approval, indicating a mature market. Population forecasts project an increase of 4,365 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly impacted by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 58 such projects that could potentially affect the area. Notable projects include the Lake Macquarie Bridge Replacement Program, Lake Macquarie Modular Social Housing, Vida - 2 Turrug Street Whitebridge, and Cardiff Strategic Planning Framework. The following list details those projects most likely to be relevant:.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.2%.

As of June 2025, 13,917 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, and a workforce participation rate of 64.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance (1.3 times the regional average), construction, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.4% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data.

In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, labour force grew by 2.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch reports median taxpayer income in Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough as $55,905 and average income at $66,505 for financial year 2022. This is slightly above the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on a 10.6% increase from March 2022 to March 2025 using the Wage Price Index, estimated median income for Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough is approximately $61,831 and average income is around $73,555 as of March 2025. Census data indicates that incomes in this area cluster around the 55th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 35.3% of residents (8,997 people) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 income bracket, reflecting regional patterns where 29.9% occupy this range. After housing costs, 84.9% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the fifth decile.

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough dwelling structure in the latest Census showed 89.6% houses and 10.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 82.4% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough was 33.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.5% and rented at 23.6%. Median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,885, lower than Non-Metro NSW's $2,000. Median weekly rent was $380, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $370. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents exceeded the average of $375.

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 73.5% of all households, including 32.9% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.5%, with lone person households at 23.4% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

Educational attainment in Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough trail has 23.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees, compared to the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common (16.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are held by 38.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 28.5%. Current educational participation is high, with 28.6% of residents enrolled in formal education: primary (9.9%), secondary (7.5%), and tertiary (4.6%).

There are 15 schools serving 4,398 students in the area, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1023) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 10 primary, 3 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools. Note that some schools may have 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus details.

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

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough has 256 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 128 individual routes that collectively facilitate 5,310 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 151 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 758 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 20 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts.

Approximately 52% (~13,355 people) of the total population have private health cover, slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most frequent medical conditions in the region are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 11.3% and 8.9% of residents respectively. Conversely, 62.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, comparable to the 62.6% figure for Rest of NSW. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.3% (4,149 people), compared to the 21.4% in Rest of NSW. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough, surveyed in 2016, had low cultural diversity: 89.1% born in Australia, 93.2% citizens, 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, at 51.3%, compared to 52.5% regionally. Top ancestral groups were Australian (30.7%), English (29.9%), Scottish (8.5%).

Notably, Welsh (0.9% vs regional 0.8%), Macedonian (0.5% vs 0.4%), and Polish (0.9% vs 0.7%) were overrepresented.

Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Glendale-Cardiff-Hillsborough is 37, which is lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and close to Australia's national average of 38. The age profile shows that the 35-44 year-olds are prominent at 15.4%, while the 65-74 group is smaller at 8.3% compared to Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 13.9% to 15.4%, and the 25-34 cohort has increased from 13.5% to 14.7%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 11.5% to 10.1%, and the 65-74 group has dropped from 9.7% to 8.3%. By 2041, demographic projections show that the 25-34 age cohort is expected to increase by 1,455 people (39%), from 3,736 to 5,192, while the 65-74 group will decrease by 45 residents.