Northmead

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

Northmead's population was 20,275 people as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it had increased to around 22,167 people. This reflects a growth of 9.3% since the Census, which is higher than the state average of 6.7%. The population increase was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 82.3% of overall population gains during recent periods. As of June 2024, Northmead's estimated resident population was 21,712, with an additional 385 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,738 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch.

Looking ahead, Northmead is projected to have above median population growth based on demographic trends. By 2041, the area is expected to grow by 4,292 persons, reflecting a gain of 17.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Northmead has seen approximately 167 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, with a total of 838 homes approved between FY21 and FY25. As of FY26, 19 homes have been approved so far. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $264,000, which is below regional levels, indicating more affordable housing choices for buyers. In FY26, commercial approvals worth $309.9 million have been registered, suggesting strong local business investment. Northmead's development levels per person are similar to those in Greater Sydney, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas. New building activity comprises 23.0% detached houses and 77.0% medium and high-density housing, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers due to affordable entry pathways.

With around 245 people per dwelling approval, Northmead exhibits a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Northmead is projected to gain 3,831 residents by 2041. If current development patterns continue, new housing supply should meet demand, potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections and offering good conditions for buyers.

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

The AreaSearch identified 70 infrastructure projects that could impact a specific area. Key projects include The Children's Hospital at Westmead Redevelopment, Westmead Health and Innovation District, Integrated Mental Health Complex Westmead, and Westmead Shopping Village Redevelopment. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Northmead has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% as of September 2025, below Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.9%. As of September 2025, 14,427 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 1.8% points lower than Greater Sydney's. Workforce participation in Northmead was 66.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries among Northmead residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade.

Health care & social assistance shows notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, construction has lower representation at 6.1% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The worker-to-resident ratio in Northmead was 1.0 as at the Census, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.9%, labour force grew by 3.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment over the same period. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Northmead's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 2022 shows that median income in Northmead SA2 is $58,055 and the average income stands at $71,280. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Northmead are approximately $65,376 (median) and $80,268 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Northmead cluster around the 74th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 37.1% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (8,223 residents), which aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.9%. High housing costs consume 17.9% of income, 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

The dwelling structure in Northmead, as per the latest Census, consisted of 28.4% houses and 71.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro 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 recorded at $420, similar to Sydney metro's figure of $420. Nationally, Northmead's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 constitute the remaining 30.8%, comprising 25.6% lone person households and 5.3% group households. 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

Northmead's educational attainment is notably higher than Australian and NSW averages. Among residents aged 15+, 53.0% 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 (18.6%) and graduate diplomas (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% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.3% in tertiary education, and 5.6% pursuing secondary education.

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 offering a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 99 individual routes, facilitating 9,586 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 164 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 1,369 daily trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 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 notable results in Northmead, with common health conditions seen at a standard level across both young and elderly populations.

Approximately 55% of the total population (~12,191 people) has 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 Northmead's residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 79.0% across Greater Sydney. In Northmead, 12.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (2,808 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

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% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 52.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Northmead, accounting for 41.8% of people. Hinduism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 23.6% of Northmead's population against an average of 28.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other at 22.2%, Indian at 16.5%, and Australian at 13.6%. Notably, Korean is overrepresented at 2.1% compared to the regional figure of 1.5%, Lebanese at 2.4% (regional: 3.5%), and Sri Lankan at 0.7% (regional: 0.9%).

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 considerably younger than Australia's median age 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 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 9.8% to 10.7%, while the 35 to 44 age group has decreased from 20.0% to 18.5%. By 2041, Northmead's demographic landscape is projected to change significantly. The 75 to 84 age cohort is expected to grow by 80%, adding 797 residents and reaching a total of 1,791. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 54% of the population growth, indicating a trend towards demographic aging. Conversely, populations in the 35 to 44 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are projected to decline.