Prestons

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 approximately 15,550 as of February 2026. This figure represents a decrease of 142 individuals (0.9%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,692 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,539 in June 2024 and an additional 251 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,684 persons per square kilometer, which exceeds the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to population projections, lower quartile growth is anticipated across statistical areas nationwide. Preston is expected to increase by 93 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 0.5% over the 17 years.

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, with an additional 18 approved so far in FY26. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $303,000, consistent with regional trends.

This year, there have been $1.0 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential focus. In comparison to Greater Sydney, Prestons has significantly less development activity, at 74.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. However, there has been an increase in development activity in recent periods. New development in Prestons consists predominantly of detached dwellings (86.0%) with a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (14.0%), maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space.

The location currently has approximately 321 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Future projections estimate Prestons will add 78 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 31 such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are Prestons Grove Estate, Prestons Industrial Estate, the residential development site at 44 Manildra Street, and Edmondson Park Precinct Development. The following list outlines those projects deemed most relevant.

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

Prestons has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.5%. As of September 2025, 9,026 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was 73.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 35.0% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. Transport, postal & warehousing has notably high employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average.

Professional & technical services have limited presence with 6.4% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicates above-average local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 4.5%, labour force grew by 4.0%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1%, labour force grow by 2.4%, and unemployment increase by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Prestons' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Preston SA2's median income among taxpayers was $52,945 and average income stood at $60,779 in the financial year 2023. These figures were below Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median income was approximately $57,636 and average income was $66,164 based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023. According to census data, household incomes ranked at the 83rd percentile with a weekly income of $2,309, while personal incomes ranked lower at the 39th percentile. The earnings profile showed that 37.4% of residents (5,815 people) earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting similar patterns in the broader area where 30.9% occupied this range. A significant 32.9% earned above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consumed 16.8% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 81st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking was in the 6th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Prestons, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 92.5% houses and 7.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan areas which had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings at the same time. In Prestons, the level of home ownership was recorded at 24.2%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (57.1%) or rented (18.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,200 during this period, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $520. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan areas had median mortgage repayments of $2,427 and median weekly rents of $470. Nationally, Prestons's 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 comprise 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 make up the remaining 9.9%, consisting of 8.8% lone person households and 1.2% group households. The median household size is 3.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 24.8%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 30.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (18.9%). Educational participation is high, with 36.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 11.8% in primary, 11.7% in secondary, and 7.2% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

Preston has 94 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 67 different routes that collectively facilitate 3,380 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in Preston is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 152 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 90%, while trains are used by 6% of residents. On average, there are 2.0 vehicles per dwelling, which is higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 35.0% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 482 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 35 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Prestons are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Prestons shows below-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are higher than average for both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is relatively low at 49%, compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent conditions are diabetes (5.9%) and asthma (5.7%). 78% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. As of 2021, Prestons has 12.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,002 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. National rankings are broadly in line with the general 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 has a high level of cultural diversity, 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, comprising 49.0% of the population. However, Islam is significantly overrepresented, making up 23.1%, which is substantially higher than the Greater Sydney average of 6.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are 'Other', at 31.5%, Australian at 12.2%, and English at 8.9%. These figures differ significantly from the regional averages: 'Other' is higher (16.0%), Australian is lower (17.8%), and English is also lower (19.0%). Notably, certain ethnic groups are overrepresented in Preston compared to regional averages: Serbian at 1.9% vs 0.5%, Spanish at 1.2% vs 0.6%, and Lebanese at 5.4% vs 2.6%.

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 considerably younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Preston has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 (18.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.1%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is well above the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the percentage of Preston's population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 16.7% to 18.6%, while the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 5.5% to 7.3%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group has declined from 16.6% to 14.0%, and the 35 to 44 age group has decreased from 13.8% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Preston, with the 75 to 84 age cohort projected to grow by 121%, adding 764 residents to reach a total of 1,399. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 82% of population growth, highlighting trends towards an aging demographic. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups.