Guildford West - Merrylands West
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Guildford West - Merrylands West are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Guildford West - Merrylands West's population was around 24,566 as of August 2025. This showed an increase of 1,637 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,929 people. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 24,554 in June 2024 and 78 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 4,491 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 7.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the state's growth rate of 6.4% and that of its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.8% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch used NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts and latest population numbers, Guildford West - Merrylands West is expected to grow by approximately 3,075 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 12.5% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Guildford West - Merrylands West among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Guildford West - Merrylands West has averaged approximately 127 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 637 dwellings approved over the past five years from FY-21 to FY-25, and 16 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling has accommodated around 2.4 new residents annually over the past five financial years, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. New homes are constructed at an average expected cost of $398,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options for purchasers.

This year alone, there have been $2.8 million in commercial approvals, highlighting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Guildford West - Merrylands West has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 67th percentile nationally when measured against other areas assessed. The current development trend consists of 35.0% detached houses and 65.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the existing housing pattern of 58.0% houses, likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With approximately 210 people per dwelling approval, there is room for growth in the area. Future projections indicate Guildford West - Merrylands West will add around 3,063 residents by 2041.

Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth to exceed current forecasts.

Guildford West - Merrylands West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly impact performance. AreaSearch identified 31 projects likely affecting the area. Notable projects include Guildford Pool Modernisation Project, 246 Woodville Road Mixed-Use Development, 239 Merrylands Road Mixed-Use Development, and The Gladstone Village - Amber (Stage 2). Relevant projects are listed below.

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

Employment conditions in Guildford West - Merrylands West face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Guildford West - Merrylands West has an unemployment rate of 12.0%. As of June 2025, 9,859 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 7.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

The workforce participation rate in the area is significantly lower at 45.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area has a strong specialization in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services have lower representation at 5.8%, compared to the regional average of 11.5%.

Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels increased by 3.1% while employment decreased by 0.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 3.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6% and an increase in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Guildford West - Merrylands West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Guildford West - Merrylands West's median income among taxpayers was $40,837 in financial year 2022, according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This figure is lower than the national average of $56,994 for Greater Sydney. The average income in Guildford West - Merrylands West stood at $51,015 in the same period, compared to the national average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest median and average incomes would be approximately $45,166 and $56,423 respectively as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 shows individual incomes at the 10th percentile were $587 weekly, while household incomes performed better at the 33rd percentile. Income brackets indicate that 31.4% of individuals in Guildford West - Merrylands West earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, consistent with broader trends across metropolitan regions showing 30.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 24th percentile.

Guildford West - Merrylands West displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As of the latest Census, in Guildford West - Merrylands West, 58.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 41.4% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. In comparison, Sydney metro had 62.1% houses and 37.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Guildford West - Merrylands West stood at 25.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.4% and rented ones at 42.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with the Sydney metro average. However, it is significantly higher than the national average of $1,863 as of the latest available data. The median weekly rent in Guildford West - Merrylands West was $400, matching the Sydney metro figure but exceeding the national average of $375.

Guildford West - Merrylands West features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 72.8% of all households, including 38.7% couples with children, 17.1% couples without children, and 15.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.2%, with lone person households at 23.0% and group households making up 4.2%. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 3.1.

Guildford West - Merrylands West shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 22.6%, substantially below the SA4 region average of 39.1%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 16.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 5.0% and graduate diplomas at 1.3%. Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 29.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.5% and certificates at 18.1%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.5% in primary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education. A robust network of seven schools operates within Guildford West - Merrylands West, educating approximately 3,400 students while Guildford West - Merrylands West demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 981) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with four primary and three secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Guildford West - Merrylands West has 151 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus services. There are 47 individual routes operating in total, providing 5,519 weekly passenger trips combined.

The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 119 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 788 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 36 weekly trips per individual stop.

Guildford West - Merrylands West's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance throughout Guildford West - Merrylands West. Prevalence of common health conditions was low among the general population but higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover rate was found to be extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~11,398 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.1% and 5.8% of residents respectively, while 75.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (3,127 people), which is lower than the 13.9% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

Guildford West - Merrylands West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Guildford West-Merrsylands West is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 47.0% of its population born overseas and 61.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Guildford West-Merrsylands West, as of 2021 data, was Christianity, comprising 48.4% of the population. However, Islam was notably overrepresented, making up 32.0% compared to the regional average of 29.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were Other (32.2%), Lebanese (16.8%), and Australian (13.3%). Notably, Samoan (0.9%) and Maltese (0.9%) populations were overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Filipino population was slightly higher at 2.2%.

Guildford West - Merrylands West's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Guildford West - Merrylands West has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Guildford West - Merrylands West has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (15.2%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (13.4%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of those aged 15 to 24 has increased from 13.6% to 15.2%, while the proportion of those aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 16.9% to 15.8%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are projected for Guildford West - Merrylands West. The 55-64 age group is expected to grow by 30%, adding 751 residents to reach a total of 3,215. Conversely, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.