Putney

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Putney's population is around 4,199 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 36 people (0.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,163 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,181 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 15 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,762 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 77.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. As we examine future population trends, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to increase by 201 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 4.4% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Putney when compared nationally

Putney has experienced around 50 dwellings receiving development approval each year, totalling 252 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 31 approvals have been recorded. As the area has experienced population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a well-balanced market with good buyer choice, while new homes are being built at an average value of $919,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $6.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating a limited commercial development focus.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Putney has slightly more development (13.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. This is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New development consists of 26.0% detached dwellings and 74.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 84.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 78 people per dwelling approval, Putney shows characteristics of a low density area.

Future projections show Putney adding 183 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Putney has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 7 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Putney Wharf, Mortlake Ferry Upgrade, Ryde Hospital Redevelopment, and Putney Hill, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

The exceptional employment performance in Putney places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Putney possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.8%, and 4.9% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,586 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.4% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (74.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 49.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Meanwhile, accommodation & food has a limited presence with 3.3% employment compared to 5.8% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw employment increasing by 4.9% alongside the labour force increasing by 4.6%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.2%, the labour force grew by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Putney. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Putney's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The Putney SA2's income level is extremely high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Putney SA2's median income among taxpayers is $60,075 and the average income stands at $79,607, which compares to figures for Greater Sydney's of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $65,398 (median) and $86,660 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Putney, between the 85th and 97th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows the $4000+ bracket dominates with 37.7% of residents (1,583 people), diverging from the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. A significant 50.3% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. Housing accounts for 13.4% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 97th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Putney, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 84.2% houses and 15.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Putney was well beyond that of Sydney metro, at 47.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (37.2%) or rented (15.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Sydney metro average at $3,467, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $700, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Putney's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 83.9% of all households, comprising 47.6% couples with children, 26.9% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 16.1%, with lone person households at 14.4% and group households comprising 1.3% of the total. The median household size of 3.0 people is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational attainment in Putney significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 42.4% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 29.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 27.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (15.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in primary education, 9.1% in secondary education, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 31 active transport stops operating within Putney, comprising a mix of ferry and buses. These stops are serviced by 18 individual routes, collectively providing 6,725 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 143 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 89%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A high 49.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 960 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 216 weekly trips per individual stop.

Putney's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Putney, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~2,452 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be arthritis and asthma, impacting 6.3 and 5.9% of residents, respectively, while 75.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 22.8% of residents aged 65 and over (956 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Putney was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Putney was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 31.9% of its population born overseas and 32.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Putney is Christianity, which makes up 67.3% of people in Putney, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Putney are English, comprising 16.6% of the population, Australian, comprising 16.5% of the population, and Chinese, comprising 11.6% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Italian is notably overrepresented at 11.0% of Putney (vs 3.4% regionally), Lebanese at 3.8% (vs 2.6%) and Croatian at 1.4% (vs 0.7%).

Putney's median age exceeds the national pattern

The 43-year median age in Putney is considerably higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 as well as substantially exceeding the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 65 - 74 year-olds are particularly prominent (12.5%), while the 25 - 34 group is comparatively smaller (8.2%) than in Greater Sydney. Since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.7% to 7.3% of the population, while the 65 to 74 cohort increased from 11.4% to 12.5%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 14.6% to 12.2% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.7% to 14.6%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Putney's age structure. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to rise substantially, expanding by 190 people (62%) from 308 to 499. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 91% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.