Matraville - Chifley

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

Matraville - Chifley's population is approximately 14,293 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 881 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,412. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,966 in June 2024 and an additional 79 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4,191 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Matraville - Chifley has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outperforming its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 82.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is anticipated to expand by 667 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of approximately 2.4% in total over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Matraville - Chifley when compared nationally

Matraville - Chifley has recorded approximately 76 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 382 homes. In FY26 so far, there have been 31 approvals. On average, 0.8 people moved to the area per dwelling built each year between FY21 and FY25. This suggests new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing buyers with more options and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

The average expected construction cost of new properties in the area is $496,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment. There has been $675,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Matraville - Chifley shows 113.0% higher new home approvals per person than Greater Sydney, offering buyers greater choice. The majority of new building activity consists of townhouses or apartments (82.0%), with detached houses making up the remainder (18.0%). This shift towards higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers, marking a significant change from existing housing patterns that are currently 50.0% houses. With around 200 people per approval, Matraville - Chifley reflects a low density area.

According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 340 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include Finucane Reserve Upgrade, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, Prince Henry at Little Bay, and Heffron Park Central Amenities Upgrade. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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.

The labour market performance in Matraville - Chifley lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Matraville - Chifley has a well-educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 8.8% as of September 2021. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.6%.

As of September 2025, 6,950 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 4.6%, above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Matraville - Chifley is 66.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 39.7% of residents work from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Construction shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services show lower representation at 8.8% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.6%, while labour force increased by 2.9%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% with unemployment rising slightly. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Matraville - Chifley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

The Matraville-Chifley SA2 has a high national income level according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers is $57,700 and the average income stands at $78,513. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003 respectively. Based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates are approximately $62,812 (median) and $85,469 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Matraville-Chifley cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 25.3% of the population (3,616 individuals) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the region showing 30.9% in the same category. Economic strength is evident through 35.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 18.3% of income, however strong earnings place disposable income at the 70th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Matraville - Chifley displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Matraville - Chifley, as per the latest Census, 50.5% of dwellings were houses while 49.5% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This differs slightly from Sydney metropolitan area's composition where 55.9% were houses and 44.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Matraville - Chifley stood at 33.0%, with mortgaged properties at 32.6% and rented ones at 34.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Matraville - Chifley was $475, compared to the Sydney metro figure of $470. Nationally, Matraville - Chifley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 versus Australia's average of $1,863. Similarly, rents in Matraville - Chifley were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Matraville - Chifley has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 75.0% of all households, including 40.4% couples with children, 19.6% couples without children, and 13.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 25.0%, with lone person households at 22.3% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational attainment in Matraville - Chifley aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 30.4%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 54.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 32.0% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 20.7%. Educational participation is high, with 30.8% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary (10.1%), secondary (8.8%), and tertiary (5.6%) education levels.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 82 active transport stops operating within Matraville-Chifley. These stops are serviced by 31 individual routes, collectively providing 4,471 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 151 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 83%, with 8% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 39.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 638 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 54 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis shows Matraville - Chifley performed well on health metrics.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low for both young and old age groups. Private health cover was high at approximately 58% of the total population (~8,289 people). Common medical conditions included arthritis (7.2%) and asthma (6.5%). 72.6% of residents reported no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 18.4% residents aged 65 and over (2,632 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, aligning with national rankings.

Matraville - Chifley 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

Matraville-Chifley has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.8% of its population born overseas and 29.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Matraville-Chifley, accounting for 63.5% of people. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, comprising 3.5% of the population compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestral groups based on country of birth of parents are English at 18.5%, Australian at 18.4%, and Other at 13.2%. There are also notable divergences in the representation of French, Russian, and Hungarian ethnic groups: French is overrepresented at 1.3% compared to 0.5% regionally, Russian at 1.1% compared to 0.4%, and Hungarian at 0.6% compared to 0.3%.

Matraville - Chifley's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Matraville-Chifley is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group makes up 15.6% of the population compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort constitutes 8.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the percentage of the population aged 15-24 has increased from 12.0% to 15.6%, while the percentage for those aged 25-34 has decreased from 9.8% to 8.2%. The 55-64 age group has also seen a decrease, from 13.2% to 12.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Matraville-Chifley. Notably, the 85+ age group is projected to grow by 79%, reaching 609 people from 340. The combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 54% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 5-14 and 65-74 age cohorts are forecasted to experience population declines.