Lilyfield - Rozelle

An assessment of population growth drivers in Lilyfield - Rozelle reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Lilyfield - Rozelle's population is around 14,170 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 346 people (2.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,824 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,152 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,936 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought-after resource. Lilyfield - Rozelle's 2.5% growth since the census positions it within 1.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.8%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 66.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to grow by 2,882 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 20.2% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Lilyfield - Rozelle when compared nationally

Lilyfield - Rozelle has recorded around 68 residential properties granted approval per year, with 342 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 13 so far in FY-26. As the area has experienced population decline, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $999,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $49.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Lilyfield - Rozelle has 64.0% more development activity (per person), which should provide buyers with ample choice. Recent construction comprises 17.0% detached dwellings and 83.0% medium and high-density housing. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 32.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 563 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Population forecasts indicate Lilyfield - Rozelle will gain 2,864 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

Lilyfield - Rozelle has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 39 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Rozelle Village Mixed-Use Precinct, Rozelle Village, Balmain Shores - Harbourwatch Building G, and The Bays Metro Station Development, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Lilyfield - Rozelle has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Lilyfield - Rozelle has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector a particular standout in terms of representation, and an unemployment rate of 4.9%. As of December 2025, 8,513 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.7% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (75.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 65.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, retail trade shows lower representation at 6.5% versus the regional average of 9.3%. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of Census working population to local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw the labour force decreasing by 1.6% alongside a 1.7% employment decline, leaving unemployment broadly flat. This compares to Greater Sydney, where employment grew by 2.2%, the labour force expanded by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Lilyfield - Rozelle. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Lilyfield - Rozelle's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.6% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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 FY-23, the Lilyfield - Rozelle SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $86,982 with the average level standing at $123,688. This is exceptionally high nationally and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $94,689 (median) and $134,647 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Lilyfield - Rozelle, between the 97th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $4000+ bracket dominates with 39.8% of residents (5,639 people), diverging from regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 50.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 16.5% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 96th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Lilyfield - Rozelle displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Lilyfield - Rozelle, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 32.4% houses and 67.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Lilyfield - Rozelle was slightly lagging that of Sydney metro, at 27.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (33.4%) or rented (39.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,500, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $600, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Lilyfield - Rozelle's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Lilyfield - Rozelle features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 66.4% of all households, comprising 30.3% couples with children, 26.8% couples without children, and 8.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.6%, with lone person households at 29.4% and group households comprising 4.2% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Lilyfield - Rozelle demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Lilyfield - Rozelle significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 55.4% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 34.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 21.5% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (10.9%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.2% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 79 active transport stops operating within Lilyfield - Rozelle, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 31 individual routes, collectively providing 11,602 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 164 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 67%, with 12% by bus and 9% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 0.8 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 65.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,657 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 146 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Lilyfield - Rozelle, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 79% of the total population (11,165 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.2 and 7.1% of residents, respectively, while 73.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 15.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,122 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Lilyfield - Rozelle was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lilyfield - Rozelle is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 15.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 29.9% born overseas. The main religion in Lilyfield - Rozelle is Christianity, which makes up 41.7% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.5% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Lilyfield - Rozelle are English, comprising 26.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 19.0%, Australian, comprising 19.9% of the population, and Irish, comprising 11.0% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Hungarian is notably overrepresented at 0.5% of the population (vs 0.3% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.4%) and French at 0.8% (vs 0.5%).

Lilyfield - Rozelle's population is slightly older than the national pattern

With a median age of 40, Lilyfield - Rozelle is somewhat higher than the Greater Sydney figure of 37 and similarly marginally higher than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 45 - 54 cohort is notably over-represented (15.7% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (12.8%). In the period since 2021, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 8.2% to 10.3% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 11.8% to 13.3%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 17.9% to 16.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Lilyfield - Rozelle's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to grow significantly, expanding by 550 people (74%) from 739 to 1,290. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 cohort grows by a modest 3% (48 people).