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 was 14,198 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This marked an increase of 786 people, a 5.9% rise from the 2021 Census figure of 13,412. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 13,966 in June 2024 and 80 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 4,163 persons per square kilometer, placing Matraville-Chifley in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Matraville-Chifley showed resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration drove population growth, contributing approximately 82.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, Matraville-Chifley is expected to increase by 667 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 3.1% over the 17-year period.

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

Matraville - Chifley has granted approximately 76 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 382 homes. As of FY-26, 26 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.8 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and facilitating population growth.

The average expected construction cost of new properties in the area is $496,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. In FY-26, there have been $675,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Compared to Greater Sydney, Matraville - Chifley has recorded 113.0% higher new home approvals per person. The area's building activity consists of 18.0% detached houses and 82.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 50.0% houses. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Matraville - Chifley is considered a low-density area, with around 200 people per approval.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 435 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling 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 impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that may affect the region. Notable initiatives include Finucane Reserve Upgrade, Yorktown Parade redevelopment, Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, Prince Henry at Little Bay project, 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 professional services representation. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 8.8%, with an estimated employment growth of 3.6% over the past year.

There are 6,950 residents in work, and the unemployment rate is 4.6% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's at 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training, with a particularly strong specialization in construction (1.3 times the regional level). Professional & technical services show lower representation at 8.8% compared to the regional average of 11.5%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 3.6%, labour force by 2.9%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point decrease in unemployment. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and unemployment rose by 0.2%. As of 25-Nov, NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts project a 6.6% increase 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 only.

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

The Matraville - Chifley SA2 had a very high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers was $54,499 and average income stood at $76,352, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $61,371 (median) and $85,980 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Matraville - Chifley cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 25.3% of the population (3,592 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, though strong earnings still 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, houses constituted 50.5% of dwellings, with other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings making up the remaining 49.5%. In contrast, Sydney metropolitan area had 26.9% houses and 73.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Matraville - Chifley stood at 33.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.6% and rented ones at 34.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, lower than Sydney's average of $3,033. The median weekly rent in Matraville - Chifley was $475, compared to Sydney's $550. Nationally, Matraville - Chifley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $475 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 make up 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 2.4.

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 and above, with advanced diplomas at 11.3% and certificates at 20.7%. Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.1% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Matraville-Chifley has 66 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 31 different routes, offering a total of 4690 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 151 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 670 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 71 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Matraville - Chifley is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Matraville-Chifley demonstrates above-average health outcomes, with both young and elderly residents experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 58% of the total population (around 8,206 people), compared to 70.6% across Greater Sydney.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.2% and 6.5% of residents respectively. A total of 72.6% of residents reported no medical ailments, compared to 76.0% in Greater Sydney. As of 31 December 2020, 18.2% of the population is aged 65 and over (around 2,579 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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 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%. However, Judaism is overrepresented at 3.5%, compared to 4.4% regionally.

The top three ancestral groups are English (18.5%), Australian (18.4%), and Other (13.2%). French, Russian, and Hungarian ethnicities show notable representation in Matraville-Chifley at 1.3%, 1.1%, and 0.6% respectively, compared to the regional averages of 1.5%, 1.1%, and 0.6%.

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 national average of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 years has a strong representation at 14.7% compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 8.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 12.0% to 15.1%, whereas the 25-34 cohort has declined from 9.8% to 8.7%, and the 55-64 age group has decreased from 13.2% to 12.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Matraville - Chifley. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 86% (an increase of 282 people), reaching a total of 609 from the previous figure of 326. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 52% of the total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 25-34 and 65-74 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.