Petersham - Stanmore

Petersham - Stanmore is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Petersham - Stanmore's population was around 21,302 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,404 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,898. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,986 in June 2024 and an additional 358 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 7,100 persons per square kilometer, placing Petersham - Stanmore in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 7.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 5.6%, indicating it as a region leader in population growth. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for Petersham - Stanmore.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by this data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Petersham - Stanmore expected to increase by 1,155 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 3.9% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Petersham - Stanmore, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Petersham - Stanmore averaged approximately 35 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY21-FY25175 homes were approved, with 9 more approved in FY26 as of the current date. Despite a falling population during this period, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction cost value for new dwellings is $338,000. In FY26, there have been $69.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Petersham - Stanmore has significantly lower building activity, 56.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area's development activity is also below the national average, suggesting its established nature and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 25.0% standalone homes and 75.0% townhouses or apartments, providing accessible entry options appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

Petersham - Stanmore has around 758 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 839 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Twenty-eight projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key among these are 29-31 Brighton Street, Petersham; Stanmore North Precinct Planning (Our Fairer Future Plan); A Fairer Future - Inner West Local Housing Strategy (35,000 New Homes); and Petersham Station Low and Mid Rise Housing / TOD Precinct. The following list details those likely to be 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Petersham - Stanmore recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Petersham-Stanmore has an educated workforce with the technology sector prominent. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. As of September 2025, 12,745 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.8% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is 73.0%, similar to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census data, 61.4% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Petersham-Stanmore specialises in professional & technical jobs at 1.5 times the regional level but has lower construction representation at 4.9% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Local employment opportunities appear limited based on resident population vs working population count. Between September 2024 and 2025, Petersham-Stanmore's labour force decreased by 1.3%, while employment declined by the same percentage, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 6.0%. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% and a labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment increasing slightly to 4.4%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Petersham-Stanmore's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for local population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Petersham - Stanmore SA2 has exceptionally high income levels nationally. The median income is $73,911 and the average income stands at $98,923. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $80,460 (median) and $107,688 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Petersham - Stanmore, between the 83rd and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that the predominant cohort spans 28.6% of locals (6,092 people) with weekly earnings between $1,500 and $2,999, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 30.9% in the same category. A significant 39.6% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 18.9% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 78th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Petersham - Stanmore 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 Petersham-Stanmore, as per the latest Census, consisted of 20.5% houses and 79.5% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This is in contrast to Sydney metropolitan areas which had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Petersham-Stanmore was at 21.4%, with the rest being mortgaged (29.5%) or rented (49.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure stood at $470, matching Sydney metro's figure but significantly higher than the national average of $375 for rents and $1,863 for mortgage repayments.

Petersham - Stanmore features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.9 percent of all households, including 21.9 percent couples with children, 26.6 percent couples without children, and 6.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 43.1 percent, with lone person households at 32.9 percent and group households comprising 10.3 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Petersham - Stanmore places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Petersham-Stanmore is notably higher than national averages. As of 2016, 55.6% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 35.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational pathways accounted for 20.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 10.7%.

Educational participation was high, with 28.8% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This included 10.0% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 5.8% pursuing secondary education.

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

Petersham-Stanmore has 74 operational public transport stops offering train and bus services. These are served by 44 routes facilitating 10,532 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 159 meters to the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most commute outward using cars (54%), followed by trains (18%) and walking (11%). Average vehicle ownership is 0.6 per dwelling, below the regional norm. In 2021 Census data, possibly influenced by COVID-19 conditions, 61.4% of residents worked from home.

Daily service frequency averages 1,504 trips across all routes, equating to around 142 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Petersham - Stanmore is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Petersham-Stanmore demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (14,996 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues impacting 12.0% of residents and asthma affecting 8.6%. A total of 69.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 11.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,490 people), which is lower than the 15.3% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Petersham-Stanmore had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 29.3% of its residents born overseas and 20.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Petersham-Stanmore, accounting for 33.5% of the population. However, Judaism had a higher representation in Petersham-Stanmore at 0.6%, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups were English (23.0%), Australian (18.5%), and Other (11.7%). Notably, French (0.9%) and Irish (11.2%) residents were overrepresented in Petersham-Stanmore compared to regional figures of 0.5% and 6.1%, respectively. Spanish residents also showed a slight overrepresentation at 0.8%.

Petersham - Stanmore's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Petersham-Stanmore's median age is nearly 36 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37, which is slightly below Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Petersham-Stanmore has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 11.9% to 12.9%, while the proportion of those aged 45-54 has decreased from 14.7% to 13.4%. The proportion of residents aged 5-14 has also dropped, from 8.4% to 7.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Petersham-Stanmore's age profile. The 65-74 cohort is projected to grow by 29%, adding 366 residents and reaching a total of 1,634. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 71% of population growth, indicating substantial demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 0-4 and 25-34 age groups are expected to experience population declines.