Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills
Statistical Area - sa2

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of Aug 2025, Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills's population is around 13,371. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,040 people. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 13,127 as of June 2024 and an additional 369 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 84 persons per square kilometer. Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills's growth of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.3%) and the state, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 40.5% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Considering projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth is predicted over the period from Aug 2025 to 2041, with the area expected to increase by 15,230 persons, recording a gain of 112.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills has seen approximately 113 new homes approved annually. Development approval data, produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totals 568 approvals from FY20 to FY25, with 7 approvals so far in FY26. On average, 3.1 new residents arrive per dwelling constructed each year over these five years. Demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers.

New homes are being built at an average construction cost of $572,000. This financial year has seen $327.8 million in commercial development approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills has 62.0% more new home approvals per person. Recent construction activity has eased, however. New development consists of 59.0% detached dwellings and 41.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points.

This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is currently 93.0% houses. Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills reflects a transitioning market, with around 245 people per approval. Population forecasts indicate it will gain 14,986 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 46thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 118 projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include Everdene (Glenmore Park Stage 3), Glenmore Park Stage 3 - Mirvac Development, Highland Views, and M12 Motorway. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills has a skilled workforce with the construction sector prominently represented. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 1.3%.

The area's employment rate is 2.9% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and its workforce participation is 69.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for residents are construction, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Construction employs twice the regional average. However, professional & technical services employ only 5.3% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%.

The area may have limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by a decrease in labour force (-2.3%) and employment (-2.3%) from June 2024 to June 2025, keeping unemployment stable at 1.3%. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6% during the same period. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, slightly better than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills' industry mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 12.7% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills' median taxpayer income was $61,765 and average income was $83,381 in the financial year 2022. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. As of March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $68,312 (median) and $92,219 (average), based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since the financial year 2022. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills rank highly nationally, between the 81st and 94th percentiles. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket captures 30.5% of the community (4,078 individuals), consistent with broader trends in the area showing 30.9% in the same category. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 43.9% of households, indicating economic strength and elevated consumer spending. Housing costs consume 15.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 94th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills' latest Census data shows 93.1% houses and 6.9% other dwellings, compared to Sydney metro's 77.4% houses and 22.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in the area was 31.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.5% and rented dwellings at 19.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,773, above Sydney metro's $2,167. The median weekly rent was $530, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, the area's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 86.1% of all households, including 52.0% couples with children, 23.0% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 13.9%, with lone person households at 12.6% and group households comprising 1.2%. The median household size is 3.3 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.8.

Educational attainment in Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 23.0%, substantially below Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 15.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (25.9%). Educational participation is high at 31.1%, including primary education (11.5%), secondary education (9.0%), and tertiary education (4.4%).

There are 10 schools in Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills, educating approximately 4,140 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities with an ICSEA score of 1026, including 6 primary and 4 K-12 schools. It functions as an education hub with 31.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 16.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills region has 93 active public transport stops. These are served by 88 different bus routes, offering a total of 1,630 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 269 meters.

On average, there are 232 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 17 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills shows excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% (8,196 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 53.8%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 6.6 and 6.0% of residents respectively. 75.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 69.5%. The area has 12.8% (1,712 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 14.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills showed cultural diversity above average, with 20.3% of its population born overseas and 19.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills, accounting for 68.6%, compared to 57.9% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (25.0%), English (22.1%), and Other (9.4%).

Notable differences included Maltese at 6.2% (regional average: 2.9%), Croatian at 1.5% (regional average: 0.7%), and Lebanese at 1.9% (regional average: 0.8%).

Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills's population is younger than the national pattern

Mulgoa-Luddenham-Orchard Hills has a median age of 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38 years. The 5-14 age group constitutes 15.6%, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. The 25-34 cohort makes up 11.5%, lower than Greater Sydney's figure. Between 2021 to present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 3.6% to 4.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 12.3% to 11.5%. By 2041, projections indicate significant demographic shifts. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to grow exceptionally, increasing by 2,528 people (146%) from 1,731 to 4,260.