Redfern

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

Redfern's population, as of November 2025, is around 15,571. This figure reflects an increase of 1,901 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,670. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,359 in June 2024 and an additional 33 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9,159 persons per square kilometer, placing Redfern in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 13.9% since the 2021 census exceeds both the state (6.7%) and metropolitan area rates. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.3% of overall population gains during recent periods in Redfern.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Redfern is expected to grow by 3,061 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 18.3% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Redfern according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Redfern has received approximately four dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 21 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. On average, around 15.5 people moved to Redfern annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply has significantly lagged demand. This has likely contributed to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, with new properties constructed at an average cost of $100,000, below regional norms.

In the current financial year, $31.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting high local commercial activity. However, Redfern's overall development activity is significantly lower than Greater Sydney and national levels, which may reinforce demand and pricing for existing dwellings due to constrained new construction. Recent building activity has focused solely on townhouses or apartments, creating more affordable entry points and suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Redfern is projected to grow by 2,849 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Looking ahead, Redfern is expected to grow by 2,849 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 59 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include Redfern Place, Redfern Co-Living Housing, Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Renewal, and Hudson Vine Mixed Use Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Redfern faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Redfern has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 10.4%.

As of September 2025, there are 8,708 employed residents, an unemployment rate of 6.3%, which is above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Redfern is 65.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. The area specializes particularly in professional & technical jobs with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.4% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. As per Census data, there are 1.5 workers for every resident, indicating Redfern functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Redfern's labour force decreased by 1.4% alongside a corresponding decrease in employment of the same percentage, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1%, the labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data from NSW to 25-Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 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 overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Redfern's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The median income among taxpayers in Redfern SA2 was $68,489 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $96,484 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income will be approximately $77,125 and the average income around $108,651, factoring in a Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. Individual earnings in Redfern stand at the 89th percentile nationally, with weekly earnings of $1,178. In terms of income distribution, 24.9% of Redfern's population falls within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 30.9% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners (36.5%) is observed above the $3,000/week threshold, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Redfern. High housing costs consume 21.6% of income, but despite this, disposable income ranks at the 64th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Redfern features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Redfern's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 1.4% houses and 98.6% other types (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Redfern was 14.7%, similar to Sydney metro's 14.8%. Dwellings were either mortgaged (21.0%) or rented (64.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Redfern was $2,789, higher than Sydney metro's $2,705. Median weekly rent in Redfern was $500, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Redfern's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Redfern features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 45.3 percent of all households, including 11.6 percent couples with children, 27.2 percent couples without children, and 5.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 54.7 percent, with lone person households at 42.1 percent and group households comprising 12.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 1.9 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

Educational outcomes in Redfern fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Redfern's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 56.5% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational pathways account for 20.0%, with advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 10.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in tertiary education, 4.6% in primary education, and 3.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Redfern shows that there are 43 active transport stops currently operating. These consist of a mix of train and bus services. A total of 30 individual routes service these stops, collectively providing 22,909 weekly passenger trips.

The report rates transport accessibility as excellent, with residents typically located just 129 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 3,272 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 532 weekly trips per individual stop.

Redfern's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data shows Redfern residents have relatively positive health outcomes. Prevalence of common conditions is low among the general population but higher than national averages for older, at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (10,868 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 11.0 and 7.4% of residents respectively. 70.5% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. Redfern has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 13.6% (2,122 people), compared to 9.7% in Greater Sydney.

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

Redfern's population shows high linguistic diversity, with 29.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 43.5% of Redfern residents were born outside Australia. Christianity is the prevalent religion in Redfern, comprising 30.3%.

Judaism, at 1.6%, is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 1.1%. In terms of ancestry, the top groups are English (21.7%), Australian (15.7%), and Other (14.2%). French (1.4% vs regional 1.1%), Spanish (1.1% vs 1.0%), and Russian (0.9% vs 0.8%) ethnicities are notably overrepresented in Redfern.

Redfern's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

At 36 years, Redfern's median age is nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37, which is modestly under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Redfern has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (26.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.1%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 10.3% to 13.2%, while the 35-44 cohort has declined from 17.5% to 16.5%. Demographic modeling suggests Redfern's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow strongly at 85%, adding 3,517 residents to reach a total of 7,650. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to have reduced numbers.