Prestons
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Prestons reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Preston's population is 15,995 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 15,692 people. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 15,603 in June 2024 and an additional 253 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,732 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Population projections indicate lower quartile growth nationally, with Preston expected to increase by 93 persons by 2041 based on the latest population numbers. This represents a reduction of 2.3% over the 17-year period.

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

Prestons has averaged approximately 31 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 156 homes were approved. As of FY26, 11 dwellings have been approved so far.

The average value for new dwellings is $303,000, aligning with regional trends. This year has seen $1 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Sydney, Prestons has significantly less development activity, 74.0% below the regional average per person. The scarcity of new properties typically enhances demand and prices for existing homes, although recent periods have seen an increase in development activity. This is also below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

New developments consist predominantly of detached dwellings (86.0%) with a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (14.0%), maintaining Prestons' suburban identity with a concentration of family homes. The location has approximately 321 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Prestons may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Prestons Grove Estate, Prestons Industrial Estate, 44 Manildra Street Residential Development Site, and Chapter Place. The following list details those expected 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.

Prestons ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Prestons has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.6% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.1%. As of June 2025, 9,163 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.6%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing sectors had high employment concentrations in Prestons.

Transport, postal & warehousing had particularly notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average. Professional & technical services had limited presence, with 6.4% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.8, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities as of the Census. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 5.1%, labour force grew by 5.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points in Prestons. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Prestons' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Preston's median income among taxpayers was $48,609 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $57,150 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median and average incomes were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes in Preston would be approximately $54,739 and $64,357 based on a 12.61% growth since financial year 2022. According to census data, household incomes rank at the 84th percentile ($2,309 weekly), while personal income ranks at the 40th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 37.4% of residents (5,982 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings bracket. A significant 32.9% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 82nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Prestons is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Prestons, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.5% houses and 7.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of residences. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan areas which had 63.3% houses and 36.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Prestons was higher than that of Sydney metro at 24.2%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (57.1%) or rented (18.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Prestons was $2,200, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure in Prestons was recorded at $520, compared to Sydney metro's $400. Nationally, Prestons' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 90.1% of all households, including 59.9% couples with children, 15.5% couples without children, and 13.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 9.9%, with lone person households at 8.8% and group households comprising 1.2%. The median household size is 3.6 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.0.

The educational profile of Prestons exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 24.8%, significantly below the Greater Sydney average of 38.0%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 30.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (18.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 36.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.8% in primary education, 11.7% in secondary education, and 7.2% pursuing tertiary education. Prestons has 5 schools with a combined enrollment of 5,700 students, demonstrating above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1051). The educational mix includes 3 primary and 2 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub, with 35.6 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 16.7 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Prestons has 85 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 67 different routes that together facilitate 2,955 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 152 meters.

On average, there are 422 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 34 weekly trips per individual stop.

Prestons's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Prestons, with younger cohorts having particularly low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 48% (~7,725 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 50.4%. Nationally, it stands at 55.3%.

Diabetes and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 5.9% and 5.7% of residents respectively. 78.0% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 76.4% in Greater Sydney. Prestons has 12.1% (1,930 people) of residents aged 65 and over, requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Preston's cultural diversity is notable, with 44.9% of its population born overseas and 58.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Preston, accounting for 49.0% of the population. However, Islam is significantly overrepresented, comprising 23.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 17.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are 'Other' (31.5%), Australian (12.2%), and English (8.9%). Some ethnic groups show significant variations: Serbian representation is higher at 1.9% in Preston versus the regional average of 2.4%, Spanish at 1.2% compared to 0.8%, and Lebanese at 5.4% versus 5.2%.

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

Preston'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, Preston has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (18.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.1%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the current time, the proportion of Preston's population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 16.7% to 18.6%, while the proportion of residents aged 65 to 74 has grown from 5.5% to 6.9%. Meanwhile, the proportion of residents aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 16.6% to 14.4%, and the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has dropped from 13.8% to 12.7%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Preston, with the strongest projected growth occurring in the 75 to 84 age group, which is expected to grow by 136%, adding 807 residents and reaching a total of 1,399. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 89% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups.