Haberfield - Summer Hill
Statistical Area - sa2

Haberfield - Summer Hill has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of Aug 2025, Haberfield - Summer Hill's population is around 13,996, reflecting a 476 person increase (3.5%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 13,520 people. This change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 14,007 in June 2024 and additional 42 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 4,033 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This area's growth rate of 3.5% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of its SA4 region (6.3%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate an overall decline over this period, with the area's population expected to shrink by 319 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group which is projected to expand by 368 people.

The level of residential development activity in Haberfield - Summer Hill is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Haberfield-Summer Hill has seen approximately 13 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, 66 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY26. On average, 0.1 new residents arrived per new home over these years, indicating that supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand.

The average dwelling value is $974,000, suggesting a focus on the premium market. This financial year, $43.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, showing strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Haberfield-Summer Hill has significantly lower building activity, 81.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, this activity is also below average, indicating maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% medium to high-density housing, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles.

With around 4472 people per dwelling approval, Haberfield-Summer Hill reflects a highly mature market with stable or declining population projections. Consequently, reduced housing demand pressures are expected, benefiting potential buyers in the area.

Haberfield - Summer Hill has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion - Dulwich Hill Station, Inner West GreenWay (Cooks to Cove), Amici Apartments, and Sydenham to Bankstown Transport Oriented Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Haberfield - Summer Hill ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Haberfield-Summer Hill has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment grew by 4.0% over the past year, compared to Greater Sydney's 2.6%. Key industries include professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Specialization in professional & technical services is high, at 1.4 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 5.6% versus the regional average of 8.6%. Employment levels increased by 4.0% from June 2024 to June 2025, with labour force growth of 4.2%, causing unemployment to rise slightly to 3.9%.

In contrast, Greater Sydney's employment and labour force grew by 2.6% and 2.9% respectively over the same period. At Sep-25, NSW experienced a slight contraction in employment of 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.26% with an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Haberfield-Summer Hill's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

In financial year 2022, Haberfield - Summer Hill had a median income among taxpayers of $68,214 and an average income of $107,074. These figures are significantly higher than the national averages of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $75,445 and an average income of around $118,424 in Haberfield - Summer Hill. As per the 2021 Census, incomes in Haberfield - Summer Hill rank highly nationally. Household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 87th and 90th percentiles. The income distribution shows that the $40,000+ bracket dominates with 28.9% of residents, while the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is more prevalent in regional areas at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident in Haberfield - Summer Hill, with 40.8% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000. This supports elevated consumer spending despite high housing costs consuming 15.9% of income. The area's disposable income ranks at the 86th percentile nationally, and its SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Haberfield - Summer Hill displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Haberfield-Summer Hill's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census (2016), consisted of 45.2% houses and 54.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Haberfield-Summer Hill stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.0% and rented ones at 36.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, significantly higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,436 and the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Haberfield-Summer Hill was $470, substantially above the Sydney metro figure of $465 and the national average of $375.

Haberfield - Summer Hill features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 67.2 percent of all households, including 31.5 percent couples with children, 25.5 percent couples without children, and 9.1 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.8 percent, with lone person households at 28.2 percent and group households comprising 4.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Haberfield - Summer Hill shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Haberfield-Summer Hill is notable, with 50.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to national (30.4%) and NSW (32.2%) averages. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 31.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational pathways account for 21.7% of qualifications, including advanced diplomas (9.9%) and certificates (11.8%). Educational participation is high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 8.0% in primary, 7.9% in tertiary, and 7.2% in secondary education.

The area has five schools with a combined enrollment of 1,649 students, demonstrating significant socio-educational advantages (ICSEA: 1130). All five schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. School places per 100 residents are lower than the regional average at 11.8, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Public transport analysis indicates that Haberfield-Summer Hill area has 58 active transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 36 individual routes, collectively facilitating 5,614 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically residing within 158 meters of the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 802 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 96 weekly trips per individual stop.

Haberfield - Summer Hill's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Haberfield-Summer Hill residents show positive health outcomes, with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover stands at 75%, compared to Greater Sydney's 57.3% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 9.4%, arthritis impacts 6.9%, while 69.9% report no medical ailments, lower than Greater Sydney's 77.0%.

The area has 17.0% residents aged 65 and over (2,376 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Senior health outcomes are above average, mirroring the general population's profile.

Haberfield - Summer Hill 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

Haberfield-Summer Hill was found to have a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 31.2% of its population born overseas and 27.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Haberfield-Summer Hill, making up 48.3% of the population. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 0.4%, compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.7%), Australian (17.3%), and Italian (12.9%), all substantially higher than their respective regional averages of 12.9%, 11.5%, and 5.9%. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Hungarian at 0.5% (vs regional 0.3%), Korean at 0.9% (vs regional 2.8%), and Spanish at 0.7% (vs regional 0.7%).

Haberfield - Summer Hill's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Haberfield - Summer Hill is 40, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 55-64 age group is notably over-represented at 12.4% locally, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 11.3% to 12.7%, the 5-14 cohort has declined from 10.6% to 9.5%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 14.8% to 13.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Haberfield - Summer Hill's age profile. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to expand by 346 people (45%), from 772 to 1,119. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 97% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 45-54 and 0-4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.