Haberfield - Summer Hill

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

Haberfield-Summer Hill's population was approximately 14,073 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 553 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,520. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 14,007 in June 2024 and 47 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,055 persons per square kilometer, placing Haberfield-Summer Hill among the top 10% of locations nationally assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 4.1% growth since the census is within 2.2 percentage points of its SA4 region (6.3%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration primarily drove this population increase.

AreaSearch uses 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. Future population trends show an overall decline: the area's population is projected to decrease by 319 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 75-84 age group, 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 FY2021 to FY2025, 66 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved so far in FY2026. The average number of new residents per year arriving for each new home over these five years is 0.1.

This suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $389,000. In FY2026, commercial development approvals totalled $43.6 million, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Haberfield-Summer Hill shows significantly reduced construction levels, with 81.0% fewer new dwellings per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, this activity is also below average, suggesting maturity of the area and possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% medium to high-density housing.

This shift towards higher-density living creates more affordable entry points, appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix, which is 45.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 4472 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. With population projections showing stability or decline, Haberfield-Summer Hill should experience reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, 845-847 New Canterbury Road Development, Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Public Domain Improvements, and Inner West GreenWay (Cooks to Cove). The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.8%, Haberfield - Summer Hill has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Haberfield-Summer Hill has an educated workforce with a notable presence in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.8%. As of September 2025, 8,417 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.4% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation stands at 72.0%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 60.4% of residents work from home. The leading employment industries are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 5.6%, compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force remained unchanged while employment decreased by 0.5%, leading to an unemployment rate increase of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. According to Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Haberfield-Summer Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Haberfield - Summer Hill SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $70,920. The average income stood at $107,047 in this area. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to the national median and average incomes of $60,817 and $83,047 respectively across Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year ending June 2023 until September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $77,204 for median income and $116,531 for average income in Haberfield - Summer Hill. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes in Haberfield - Summer Hill rank highly nationally, between the 87th and 90th percentiles. Income analysis shows that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 28.9% of residents, differing from regional patterns where the $1500-$2999 bracket dominates at 30.9%. Economic strength is evident through 40.8% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 85th percentile nationally. The area's 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

In Haberfield-Summer Hill as per the latest Census (2016), 45.2% of dwellings were houses while 54.8% were other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This contrasts with Sydney's metropolitan area where 55.9% were houses and 44.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Haberfield-Summer Hill stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged properties at 30.0% and rented ones at 36.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Sydney's average of $2,427. Weekly rent in Haberfield-Summer Hill was $470, matching Sydney's figure but significantly higher than the national average of $375 for mortgage repayments and $416 for rents (as per the 2016 Census).

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

Family households comprise 67.2% of all households, including 31.5% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.8%, with lone person households at 28.2% and group households comprising 4.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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 notably higher than national averages. Specifically, 50.3% of residents aged 15 years and above have university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and New South Wales' average of 32.2%. This indicates a significant educational advantage in the area, potentially opening up more opportunities for knowledge-based jobs. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification at 31.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%).

Vocational pathways account for 21.7% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.9% and certificates 11.8%. Educational participation is high in the area, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.0% in primary education, 7.9% in tertiary education, and 7.2% pursuing secondary education.

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 Haberfield - Summer Hill shows that there are 89 active transport stops currently operating. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with 43 individual routes collectively providing 6,497 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 156 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most residents commute outward for work or other purposes. The dominant mode of transportation remains the car, used by 65% of residents, while only 15% use the train and 6% walk. On average, there are 0.9 vehicles per dwelling in the area, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents work from home, with 60.4% doing so, potentially reflecting conditions related to COVID-19. The service frequency averages at 928 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 73 weekly trips per individual stop.

Haberfield - Summer Hill's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data for Haberfield-Summer Hill shows positive outcomes, with mortality rates and health conditions similar to national benchmarks. Common health conditions are seen across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high at 74% of the total population (10,414 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (9.4%) and arthritis (6.9%), with 69.9% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. The area has 17.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,389 people), higher than the 15.3% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings similar to the general population.

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, surveyed in June 2016, had 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 was the predominant religion, comprising 48.3%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to 0.8% in Greater Sydney.

Top ancestry groups were English (19.7%), Australian (17.3%), and Italian (12.9%), significantly higher than regional averages of 16.5%, 13.6%, and 3.4% respectively. Notable divergences included Hungarian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%), Korean at 0.9% (vs 1.1%), and Spanish at 0.7% (vs 0.6%).

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

The median age in Haberfield - Summer Hill is 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. The 55-64 age cohort is notably over-represented locally at 12.4%, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.3% to 12.7% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 10.6% to 9.5%, and the 45 to 54 age 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 to 84 age cohort is projected to expand by 342 people (44%), from 776 to 1,119. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 98% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 45 to 54 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.