Macquarie Fields

Macquarie Fields is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Macquarie Fields' population is 14,503 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase from the 2021 Census total of 14,198 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,477 in June 2024 and an additional 72 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is 1,607 persons per square kilometer, above the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 59.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections for Macquarie Fields are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Future population growth is anticipated to be lower than the quartile average for Australian statistical areas, with Macquarie Fields expected to grow by 632 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 4.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Macquarie Fields according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Macquarie Fields has received approximately 42 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 211 homes from FY-20 to FY-25. As of FY-26, 21 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.1 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction cost of new properties was $235,000 during this period, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.

This financial year, $69,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, highlighting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Macquarie Fields has significantly less development activity, with 55.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Nationally, Macquarie Fields also reflects lower development activity, suggesting market maturity and potential development constraints. New developments consist of 71.0% detached houses and 29.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suitable for buyers seeking space.

With around 397 people per dwelling approval, Macquarie Fields demonstrates a developed market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by 606 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Macquarie Fields has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects potentially affecting the area. Notable ones include Macquarie Fields Station Upgrade, Macquarie Fields Precinct, Macquarie Fields Indoor Sports Centre Floor Replacement, and Atchison, Saywell and Parliament Roads Traffic Light Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Macquarie Fields faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Macquarie Fields has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 9.5% as of September 2021, with an estimated employment growth of 5.3% over the past year.

As of September 2025, 6,238 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 5.3%, higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Macquarie Fields lags at 49.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing, with a particular specialization in manufacturing, which has an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 6.3%, compared to the regional average of 11.5%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 5.3% and labour force increased by 5.2%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, while the state unemployment rate was 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Macquarie Fields's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2022 for financial year 2022, the Macquarie Fields SA2's median income among taxpayers is $46,459. The average income is $52,507. This is below the national average. Comparing with Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856 shows this difference. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $52,317 (median) and $59,128 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household income ranks at the 26th percentile with $1,378 weekly. Personal income sits at the 10th percentile. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.3% of the community (4,829 individuals), mirroring regional levels where 30.9% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 20th percentile.

Macquarie Fields is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Macquarie Fields' dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 70.6% houses and 29.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). This compares to Sydney metro's 78.5% houses and 21.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Macquarie Fields was at 22.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.4% and rented ones at 43.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,800, lower than Sydney metro's $2,100. The median weekly rent was $340, compared to Sydney metro's $380. Nationally, Macquarie Fields' mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Macquarie Fields has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 75.9% of all households, including 38.3% couples with children, 16.6% couples without children, and 19.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 24.1%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households making up 2.2%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

Educational outcomes in Macquarie Fields fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 25.7%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 16.5% of residents holding one, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.7% and graduate diplomas at 1.5%. Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 30.1% of residents aged 15+ possessing them, including advanced diplomas (9.3%) and certificates (20.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 34.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 12.6% in primary, 10.0% in secondary, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis in Macquarie Fields shows 106 active public transport stops operating. These are a mix of bus stops serviced by 33 individual routes. The total weekly passenger trips across these routes is 828.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 139 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 118 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 7 weekly trips per stop.

Health outcomes in Macquarie Fields are marginally below the national average with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Macquarie Fields shows below-average health outcomes with common conditions being somewhat typical but higher than national averages in older cohorts. Private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~6,772 people), compared to 49.3% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.0%) and asthma (7.7%), while 69.9% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Greater Sydney average of 70.3%.

The area has 15.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,227 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting challenges compared to the broader population.

Macquarie Fields is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Macquarie Fields has a high level of cultural diversity, with 43.3% of its population born overseas and 47.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Macquarie Fields, making up 43.9% of the population, but Islam is notably overrepresented at 17.9%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 12.5%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Other (26.9%), Australian (18.0%), and English (15.8%).

Samoan (3.3%) and Indian (6.7%) populations are overrepresented in Macquarie Fields compared to regional averages of 2.4% and 4.8%, respectively, while Filipino representation is slightly lower at 3.0%.

Macquarie Fields's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Macquarie Fields's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37, which is modestly under Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Macquarie Fields has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (15.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.8%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 12.8% to 14.1%, while those aged 75-84 have increased from 4.3% to 5.3%. Conversely, the population aged 25-34 has declined from 12.8% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Macquarie Fields's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 26%, adding 457 residents to reach 2,214. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 63% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the populations aged 25-34 and 35-44 are projected to decline.