Rhodes

Population growth drivers in Rhodes are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Rhodes's population is around 13,785 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,332 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,453 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,518 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 653 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 13,648 persons per square kilometer. Rhodes's 20.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.9%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 79.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. A significant population increase is forecast, with the area expected to grow by 3,699 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 17.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Rhodes among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Rhodes has received approximately 214 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 1071 homes. As of FY-26, there have been 0 recorded approvals. On average, between FY-21 and FY-25, 0.2 people moved to Rhodes for each dwelling built, indicating that supply has met or exceeded demand. The average construction cost value of new properties is $466,000.

In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $28.8 million. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rhodes has 178% more construction activity per person. New developments consist of 1% detached houses and 99% townhouses or apartments. As of the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Rhodes is expected to grow by 2432 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Looking ahead, Rhodes is expected to grow by 2,432 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Rhodes 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 14 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Marquet and Mary, Rhodes Bay, Harmony - Rhodes Central East, and Rhodes East Mixed-Use Development. 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 analysis reveals Rhodes significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Rhodes has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%.

Employment stability was maintained over the past year. As of September 2025, 8,395 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9% lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation in Rhodes is 69.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

Rhodes has a particularly high specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 5.9% compared to the regional average of 8.9%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.8, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Rhodes's labour force increased by 0.3%, while employment decreased by 0.2%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and the labour force increase by 2.4%, with a smaller rise in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rhodes's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

Rhodes SA2 has a high national income level based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers is $55,745 and average income is $75,667, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. As of September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $62,774 (median) and $85,209 (average), accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Rhodes rank highly nationally, between the 77th and 86th percentiles. Income distribution reveals that 36.2% of the population (4,990 individuals) fall 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 (31.3% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Rhodes. High housing costs consume 23.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 65th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Rhodes features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Rhodes' dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 3.2% houses and 96.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Sydney metro had 37.8% houses and 62.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rhodes was at 10.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.4% and rented ones at 60.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, below Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent was $560, equal to Sydney metro's figure but higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, Rhodes' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863.

Rhodes features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.9% of all households, including 21.2% couples with children, 35.6% couples without children, and 6.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.1%, with lone person households at 25.7% and group households comprising 9.3%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Rhodes performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Rhodes has a notably high educational attainment with 67.7% of its residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications, surpassing the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. This is largely due to Bachelor degrees being the most prevalent qualification at 39.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 25.9% and graduate diplomas at 2.5%. Vocational pathways, however, account for a significant portion as well, with advanced diplomas making up 9.5% and certificates 5.8%. Educational participation is also high in Rhodes, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.1% in tertiary education, 4.5% in primary education, and 2.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Rhodes has 28 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 14 different routes, collectively facilitating 7,455 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically residing 128 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,065 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 266 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Rhodes has excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Approximately 7,871 people (57%) have private health cover, compared to 68.8% in Greater Sydney.

The most prevalent conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 3.6 and 3.3% respectively. About 88.0% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 76.3% across Greater Sydney. Rhodes has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (7.8%, or 1,069 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 18.4%. Despite this, senior health outcomes in Rhodes align with the general population's profile.

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

Rhodes has one of the highest levels of cultural diversity in Australia, with 77.9% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 75.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Rhodes, accounting for 26.7% of the population. However, Buddhism is notably overrepresented in Rhodes compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 7.0% versus 3.2%.

The top three ancestry groups in Rhodes are Chinese at 39.7%, Other at 16.2%, and Korean at 10.6%, all significantly higher than the regional averages of 12.7% for Chinese and 2.7% for Korean. Additionally, there is overrepresentation of Indian (6.8% vs 2.6%), Vietnamese (1.8% vs 1.1%), and Filipino (2.4% vs 1.3%) ethnic groups in Rhodes compared to the regional averages.

Rhodes hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Rhodes has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and substantially under Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rhodes has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (33.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.3%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, residents have aged by an average of 1.3 years, with the median age rising from 32 to 33. Specifically, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.0% to 12.2%, while the 45 to 54 cohort increased from 6.5% to 8.3%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 37.7% to 33.4%, and the 0 to 4 group dropped from 7.0% to 5.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Rhodes's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to increase solidly, expanding by 731 people (16%) from 4,598 to 5,330. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts.