Northmead
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Northmead's population, as of August 2025, is around 22,168. This figure shows an increase of 1,893 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 20,275. The growth is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 21,718 as of June 2024 and an additional 383 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,738 persons per square kilometer, placing Northmead in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 9.3% since the 2021 census exceeds both state (6.4%) and metropolitan area averages, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.3% of 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on latest population numbers and demographic trends, Northmead is projected to grow by an above median rate of national areas, increasing by 4,292 persons to reach a total of 26,460 by the year 2041, marking a gain of 17.3% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Northmead when compared nationally

Northmead has seen approximately 167 new homes approved each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 838 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY26. Despite recent population decline, new supply appears to have kept pace with demand, offering a good range of options for buyers.

The average construction value of new properties is $610,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. In the current financial year, commercial approvals totaling $309.9 million have been registered, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Northmead has similar development levels per capita, maintaining market balance with surrounding areas. New building activity consists of 23% detached houses and 77% medium and high-density housing, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers due to affordable entry pathways.

Currently, there are around 245 people per dwelling approval in Northmead, indicating a growing market. Population forecasts project an increase of 3,830 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Northmead has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 63 projects that could impact the area, with notable ones including Westmead Innovation Quarter (iQ), Integrated Mental Health Complex Westmead, Children's Hospital at Westmead Stage 2, and Westmead Health and Innovation District. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Northmead demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Northmead has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.5%.

As of June 2025, 14,450 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is high at 66.1% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance has notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 6.1% versus the regional average of 8.6%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 1.0, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.5%, labour force grew by 3.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Northmead's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.9% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending 30 June 2022 shows median income in Northmead was $58,055 and average income was $71,280. This is higher than the national averages of $56,994 (median) and $80,856 (average) for Greater Sydney during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes are approximately $64,209 (median) and $78,836 (average) in Northmead. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes in Northmead rank between the 71st and 79th percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 37.1% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (8,224 residents), similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.9%. High housing costs consume 17.9% of income in Northmead, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Northmead features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Northmead, according to the latest Census evaluation, 28.4% of dwellings were houses and 71.5% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 36.4% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Northmead was at 17.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.3% and rented ones at 53.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, aligning with Sydney metro's average. The median weekly rent figure was $420, similar to Sydney metro's $420. Nationally, Northmead's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Northmead features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 69.2% of all households, including 34.9% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 30.8%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 5.3%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.6.

Northmead shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Northmead is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 53.0% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 31.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 18.6% and graduate diplomas at 2.7%. Vocational pathways account for 23.0% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.3% in tertiary education, and 5.6% pursuing secondary education. There are nine schools operating within Northmead, educating approximately 4,627 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1067. The educational mix includes two primary schools, four secondary schools, and three K-12 schools.

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

Northmead has 63 active public transport stops. These include train, lightrail, and bus services. There are 99 individual routes operating from these stops, serving a total of 9,586 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 164 meters. On average, there are 1,369 daily trips across all routes, which equates to about 152 weekly trips per individual stop.

Northmead's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Northmead, with common health conditions seen at a standard level across both young and elderly populations.

Approximately 55% of the total population (~12,192 people) have private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 5.7 and 5.5% of residents respectively. 78.8% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 79.0% across Greater Sydney. Northmead has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,808 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population, despite being above average.

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

Northmead has a high level of cultural diversity, with 53.7% speaking a language other than English at home and 52.9% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Northmead, accounting for 41.8%. Hinduism is present but lower than the Greater Sydney average at 23.6%.

Top ancestry groups are Other (22.2%), Indian (16.5%), and Australian (13.6%). Korean representation is higher than regional averages at 2.1%, while Lebanese and Filipino are slightly lower at 2.4% and 2.7% respectively.

Northmead hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Northmead's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Northmead has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (21.6%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.7%). This concentration of residents aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the percentage of Northmead's population aged 15-24 has increased from 9.8% to 10.7%, while the percentage of residents aged 35-44 has decreased from 20.0% to 18.5%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Northmead. The cohort aged 75-84 is projected to grow by 80%, adding 797 residents and reaching a total of 1,791. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 54% of population growth, indicating a trend towards demographic aging. Conversely, population declines are forecast for the cohorts aged 35-44 and 0-4 years.