Rhodes
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Rhodes are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Rhodes's population is around 13,714 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,261 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 621 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 13,578 persons per square kilometer. Rhodes's 19.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.8%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of Australian statistical areas, with Rhodes expected to grow by 3,699 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, an increase of 18.2% 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 annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1071 homes. As of FY26, no approvals have been recorded yet. On average, 0.2 people moved to Rhodes for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value of new properties is $522,000.

In FY26, there have been $28.8 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong commercial development momentum compared to Greater Sydney, where Rhodes has 178.0% more construction activity per person. New developments consist of 1.0% detached houses and 99.0% townhouses or apartments, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 3075 people per dwelling approval, Rhodes reflects a highly mature market. By 2041, Rhodes is projected to grow by 2503 residents. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Looking ahead, Rhodes is expected to grow by 2,503 residents through to 2041. 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 very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones are Rhodes Recreation Centre, Marquet and Mary, Rhodes Bay, and Harmony - Rhodes Central East. The following details those most relevant:.

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

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

Rhodes has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 2.3% as of June 2025, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.9%. As of June 2025, 8,590 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 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, at 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 5.9% versus the regional average of 8.9%. The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.8 as at the Census, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. In the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.9% and labour force increased by 4.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Rhodes, projecting a growth of approximately 7.4%% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to Rhodes's employment mix.

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

Rhodes' median income among taxpayers was $55,745 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $75,667 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By March 2025, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.6%, current estimates suggest Rhodes' median income would be approximately $61,654 and the average income around $83,688. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Rhodes rank between the 77th and 87th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 36.2% of Rhodes' population (4,964 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 30.9% in the same category. Notably, 31.3% of the population earns above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Rhodes. High housing costs consume 23.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 66th percentile. 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' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 3.2% houses and 96.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 37.8% houses and 62.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rhodes stood at 10.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.4% and rented dwellings at 60.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, below Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent in Rhodes was $560, matching Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Rhodes' median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $2,500 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and median weekly rents were substantially higher at $560 than the national figure of $375.

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 making up 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 higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than Australia and New South Wales (NSW). As of 2021, 67.7% of Rhodes' residents aged 15 and above hold such qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. The most common qualification is the Bachelor degree, held by 39.3% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications (25.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational pathways account for 15.3%, with advanced diplomas making up 9.5% and certificates 5.8%.

Educational participation is high in Rhodes, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2021. This includes 11.1% in tertiary education, 4.5% in primary education, and 2.1% pursuing secondary education. However, educational facilities appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas for the 2021-2022 academic year.

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, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 14 different routes, offering a total of 7,455 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 128 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency across all routes averages 1,065 trips, equating to around 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' health outcomes data shows excellent results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. As of 2021, approximately 57% (~7,830 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 3.6% and 3.3% of residents respectively. Notably, 88.0% report having no medical ailments, higher than Greater Sydney's 76.3%. As of 2021, 7.8% (1,064 people) are aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 18.4%. Seniors' health outcomes 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 significant cultural diversity, with 77.9% speaking a language other than English at home and 75.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Rhodes, practiced by 26.7%. However, Buddhism stands out with 7.0%, higher than Greater Sydney's 3.2%.

In ancestry, Chinese comprise 39.7%, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's 12.7%. Other groups include Other at 16.2% and Korean at 10.6%, both substantially higher than regional averages of 4.5% and 2.7% respectively. Notably, Indian (6.8%), Vietnamese (1.8%), and Filipino (2.4%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 2.6%, 1.1%, and 1.3% respectively.

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 Australia's figure of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rhodes has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (33.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, residents have aged by an average of 1.3 years, with the median age rising from 32 to 33. Specifically, the percentage of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 10.0% to 12.2%, while those aged 45-54 have risen from 6.5% to 8.3%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 37.7% to 33.4%, and those aged 0-4 have dropped from 7.0% to 5.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Rhodes's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to increase by 755 people (17%), from 4,574 to 5,330. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.