Narara
Statistical Area - sa2

Narara has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Narara's population is around 7,352 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 195 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,157 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,344 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 954 persons per square kilometer. Narara's growth rate of 2.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.3%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 51.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median is expected for Narara, with an expansion of 837 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, resulting in an overall increase of 11.3% over the 17 years.

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

Narara has seen approximately 14 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 72 homes. As of FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.9 new residents per year are associated with every home built between FY-21 and FY-25. The demand for housing significantly outpaces supply, which typically influences prices upwards and intensifies competition among buyers.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $428,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options. In this financial year, $3.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Narara has roughly half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 24th percentile nationally for assessed areas, implying somewhat limited buyer options while strengthening demand for established dwellings. This reflects market maturity and potential development constraints.

Recent construction consists of 82.0% detached dwellings and 18.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Narara's traditional suburban character focused on family homes. With around 688 people per approval, Narara indicates a mature, established area. By 2041, Narara is projected to grow by 829 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to meet population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Narara has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Narara Valley Estate, Narara Ecovillage, Narara Community Centre and Library Redevelopment, and The Outlook Narara. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

The labour market in Narara shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Narara has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.0% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1%.

As of June 2025, 3900 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.2%, which is below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 65.1%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment in Narara is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area shows strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services employ only 6.4% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.1%, while the labour force grew by 2.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, the labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. According to Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Narara's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Narara's median income among taxpayers was $52,821 in financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $68,261 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively in financial year 2022. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Narara would be approximately $59,482 (median) and $76,869 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Narara cluster around the 57th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 36.2% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (2,661 residents), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 30.9% in the same category. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 63rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Narara is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Narara's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.7% houses and 11.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 74.2% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narara stood at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.4% and rented ones at 20.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,993, below Sydney metro's average of $2,150. The median weekly rent in Narara was $420, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Narara's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Narara features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.2% of all households, including 38.0% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 13.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 19.1% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

The area has lower university qualification rates at 25.0% compared to Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are most common among qualifications at 17.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (27.2%). Educational participation is high at 28.9%, comprising primary education (10.6%), secondary education (7.9%), and tertiary education (4.0%).

Narara's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,478 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1014) offering balanced educational opportunities. The area serves as an educational center due to its excess school capacity (20.1 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 15.9).

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

Narara has 59 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 63 routes, providing 1,341 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 224 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency across all routes averages 191 trips per day, equating to about 22 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Narara is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Narara faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 54% of Narara's total population (~3,948 people) has private health cover. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 9.4% of residents and asthma impacting 9.3%. 66.5% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 64.8% across Greater Sydney. As of 2016, 16.8% of Narara's residents are aged 65 and over (1,234 people), lower than the 24.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly inline with the general population's health profile.

In terms of cultural diversity, Narara records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Narara's cultural diversity aligns with its wider region, with 80.1% born in Australia, 91.6% being citizens, and 88.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Narara at 52.6%, similar to Greater Sydney's 53.4%. The top three ancestry groups are English (29.5%), Australian (28.8%), and Irish (8.1%).

Notably, Russian (0.5% vs regional 0.4%), Spanish (0.6% vs 0.4%), and Maltese (0.6% vs 0.7%) are overrepresented in Narara compared to the region.

Narara's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Narara is 39 years, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, the 5-14 age group is over-represented in Narara at 14.2%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 4.1% to 5.5% of Narara's population, and the 15-24 age group has risen from 11.3% to 12.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 12.9% to 11.2%. By 2041, Narara's population is forecasted to see significant demographic changes. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 70%, reaching 689 people from the current 404. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 55-64 age groups are expected to decrease in number.