Matraville - Chifley
Statistical Area - sa2

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, as of August 2025, is approximately 14,198. This figure represents an increase of 786 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,412. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 13,966 as of June 2024 and an additional 80 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4,163 persons per square kilometer, placing Matraville - Chifley within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2015 to 2025, Matraville - Chifley has shown a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.9% of overall population gains during this period.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections suggest that Matraville - Chifley will experience population growth just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, increasing by approximately 667 persons to reach around 14,865 by 2041, representing a total increase of about 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 around 76 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 382 homes. As of FY-26, 20 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.8 people move to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. New construction is meeting or exceeding demand, offering buyers more options while enabling population growth that could surpass current expectations.

The average expected construction cost of new properties is $639,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $675,000, indicating minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Matraville - Chifley has 113.0% higher new home approvals per person, providing greater choice for buyers. New building activity consists of 18.0% detached houses and 82.0% townhouses or apartments, shifting away from the current housing pattern of 50.0% houses. This reflects diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Matraville - Chifley has a population density of around 200 people per approval, classified as low density.

Population forecasts indicate it will gain 435 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Matraville - Chifley has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Finucane Reserve Upgrade, Seniors Housing - Combles Parade & Hamel Road, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, Prince Henry at Little Bay. The following list details those most 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.

Matraville - Chifley shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Matraville - Chifley has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 8.5% in June 2021.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.5%. As of June 2025, 7,102 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 4.3%, which is 0.1 percentage points higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Matraville - Chifley is broadly similar to Greater Sydney's rate of 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

The area shows strong specialization in construction with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 8.8% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 3.5% while labour force increased by 2.4%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment by 1.0 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that Matraville - Chifley's employment mix could grow by approximately 6.8%% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

Matraville - Chifley's median income among taxpayers was $54,499 and average income was $76,352 in the financial year 2022. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest median income will be approximately $61,371 and average income will be around $85,980, based on a 12.61% growth in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Matraville - Chifley cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 25.3% of the population falls within the $1,500-$2,999 income range, with 3,592 individuals in this category. This is consistent with broader trends across the region where 30.9% fall into the same income bracket. Economic strength is evident through 35.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, which supports elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 18.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 71st percentile nationally. 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, with the remaining 49.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from Sydney's metropolitan area, where 26.9% of dwellings are houses. 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, lower than Sydney's average of $3,033. Weekly rent in Matraville-Chifley was $475, compared to Sydney's $550. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national average 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 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 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 30.4%, significantly below the SA4 region average of 54.6%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 32.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (20.7%).

Educational participation is high at 30.8%, including 10.1% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education. Matraville - Chifley's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,148 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 989) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 3 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents stand at 8.1, below the regional average of 11.1, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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 that together facilitate 4,690 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 151 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 670 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 71 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 has low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 58% (8,206 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 70.6%.

The most common conditions are arthritis (7.2%) and asthma (6.5%), with 72.6% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 76.0% in Greater Sydney. Residents aged 65 and over make up 18.2% (2,579 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.1%. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

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

Matraville-Chifley has notable 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 compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 3.5% versus 4.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.5%), Australian (18.4%), and Other (13.2%). Notably, French, Russian, and Hungarian ethnicities have similar representations in Matraville-Chifley compared to Greater Sydney, at 1.3%, 1.1%, and 0.6% respectively.

Matraville - Chifley hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

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 45-54 age group makes up 14.7% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort represents only 8.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.0% to 15.1%, but the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 9.8% to 8.7%, and the 55-64 group has dropped from 13.2% to 12.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Matraville - Chifley. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 86%, reaching 609 people from 326. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 52% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 25-34 and 65-74 cohorts are forecasted to experience population declines.