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 was around 15,571 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,901 people from the 2021 Census figure of 13,670. The growth was inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 15,359 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted 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 exceeded both state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 uses 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate an above median growth, with Redfern projected to grow by 3,061 persons by 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 18.3% 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, totaling 21 homes. As of FY-26, zero approvals have been recorded. On average, 15.5 people moved to Redfern annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply lagging demand and potential buyer competition. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $368,000, lower than regional norms, offering more affordable housing options.

In FY-26, $31.9 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney and nationally, Redfern has significantly less development activity, which may reinforce demand and pricing for existing dwellings due to constrained new construction. Recent building activity consists solely of townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and affordability for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. By 2041, Redfern is projected to gain 2,849 residents, potentially outpacing housing supply at current development rates, which could heighten buyer competition and support 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 likely impacting the area. Key projects include Redfern Place, Redfern Co-Living Housing, Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Renewal, and Hudson Vine Mixed Use Redevelopment. The following details those 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 assessment indicates Redfern faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Redfern has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector being notably represented. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 9.8%, having increased by an estimated 0.9% over the past year.

This rate is 1.4 percentage points higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. The workforce participation rate in Redfern is 65.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Notably, the area has a high specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 4.4% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a worker-to-resident ratio of 1.5 as per the Census, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels in Redfern increased by 0.9%, while the labour force grew by 0.6%, resulting in a 0.3 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate to 5.6%. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced higher employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with an increase in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, while the state unemployment rate was at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stood at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Redfern's employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

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

Redfern SA2's median income among taxpayers was $68,489 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $96,484 during the same period. Comparing these figures with Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively, Redfern SA2's income levels were exceptionally high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $77,125 and average income around $108,651 as of September 2025. Census data shows individual earnings in Redfern SA2 stood out at the 89th percentile nationally with a weekly income of $1,178. Income distribution revealed that 24.9% of the population (3,877 individuals) fell 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%, were found to be earning above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Redfern SA2. High housing costs consumed 21.6% of income, but despite this, strong earnings placed disposable income at the 64th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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 dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 1.4% houses and 98.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Redfern was 14.7%, similar to Sydney metro's level. Dwellings were either mortgaged (21.0%) or rented (64.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as of the latest data, was $2,789, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. The median weekly rent figure for Redfern was $500, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Redfern's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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% of all households, including 11.6% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 5.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 54.7%, with lone person households at 42.1% and group households comprising 12.6%. 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 residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications (56.5%) compared to Australia (30.4%) and NSW (32.2%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 36.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.4% and graduate diplomas at 3.4%. Vocational pathways make up 20.0% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 10.2%. Educational participation is high, with 28.8% 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

Redfern has 43 active public transport stops, operating a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 30 individual routes, collectively providing 22,909 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 129 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 3,272 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 532 weekly trips per 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. Common health conditions' prevalence is low among the general population but higher than the national average in older, at-risk cohorts.

Approximately 70% of Redfern's total population (10,868 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 11.0% and 7.4% of residents respectively. 70.5% of residents declare no medical ailments, compared to 77.4% in Greater Sydney. Redfern has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over (13.6%, or 2,122 people), than Greater Sydney's 9.7%.

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 cultural diversity is notable, with 29.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 43.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Redfern, accounting for 30.3%. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 1.6% versus 1.1%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (21.7%), Australian (15.7%), and Other (14.2%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: French (1.4% vs regional 1.1%), Spanish (1.1% vs 1.0%), and Russian (0.9% vs 0.8%) are overrepresented in Redfern.

Redfern's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Redfern's median age is 36 years, nearly matching Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, which is modestly under the Australian median of 38 years. 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, Redfern's population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 10.3% to 13.2%, while the 35 to 44 age group has declined from 17.5% to 16.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Redfern's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25 to 34 cohort is projected to grow strongly at 85%, adding 3,517 residents to reach a total of 7,650. In contrast, both the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to have reduced numbers.