Riverstone

Riverstone lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Riverstone's population, as of February 2026, is approximately 22,334. This figure represents a significant increase from the 13,844 recorded in the 2021 Census, marking a growth of 8,490 people (61.3%) over this period. This change can be inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,860 as of June 2024 and an additional 1,853 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density in Riverstone is around 694 persons per square kilometer, which aligns with averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Notably, Riverstone's growth rate since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (7.8%) and Greater Sydney figures, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration was the primary driver of population growth, contributing approximately 71.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

However, all factors including natural growth and overseas migration also played positive roles. AreaSearch uses 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 employs the 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. Based on these projections, Riverstone is expected to experience exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of national areas. By 2041, the area's population is projected to increase by 34,283 persons, reflecting a total gain of 137.9% over the 17-year period, according to the latest annual ERP population numbers.

The level of residential development activity in Riverstone was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Riverstone has seen approximately 465 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 2,326 homes were approved, with an additional 263 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 3.3 new residents have arrived per dwelling constructed each year over these five years.

This indicates a significant lag between supply and demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction value of new properties is $272,000, which is below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY26, $6.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Riverstone records elevated construction activity, with a 47.0% increase per person over the past five years. This maintains good buyer choice and supports existing property values, although development activity has moderated recently.

This level is substantially higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New developments consist of 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points. This reflects a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is currently 96.0% houses. This shift is due to reduced availability of development sites and addresses shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Riverstone has an approval rate of around 45 people per approval, indicating a developing area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Riverstone is expected to grow by approximately 30,809 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Riverstone has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 91 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Riverstone Town Centre Rezoning, Riverstone Community Resource Hub and Aquatic Facility, New High School for Schofields and Tallawong, and Schofields Precinct Development. 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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Riverstone ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Riverstone's workforce is highly educated with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 3.2% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 6.3%. As of September 2025, 11,023 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is 1.0% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was high at 81.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 40.4% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment in Riverstone were health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade, with a notable specialization in construction at 1.4 times the regional level. Professional & technical services employed only 8.0% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%.

Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data comparison. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 6.3%, while the labour force grew by 5.6%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% and unemployment increase by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Riverstone's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections 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 taxpayer income in Riverstone SA2 is $70,566 according to AreaSearch's postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. The average income is $81,142. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, the estimated median income would be approximately $76,818, and the average would be around $88,331. Census data shows Riverstone's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 75th and 81st percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 40.5% of Riverstone's community (9,045 individuals), which is consistent with broader trends in the area showing 30.9% in the same category. Economic strength is evident as 30.8% of households earn high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 20.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Riverstone is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Riverstone's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 96.5% houses and 3.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Riverstone was at 16.9%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (48.5%) or rented (34.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Riverstone was $2,600, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure for Riverstone was $490, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Riverstone's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 83.5% of all households, including 47.1% couples with children, 21.4% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 16.5%, with lone person households at 13.9% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 32.5%, significantly lower than the SA3 area average of 44.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 32.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.1%) and certificates (22.8%). Educational participation is high, with 31.6% currently enrolled in formal education: 11.5% in primary, 7.4% in secondary, and 4.7% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.5% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Riverstone has 136 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are covered by 51 routes providing 5,782 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have good access to transport, with an average distance of 239 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car is the dominant mode of transport at 83%, while train accounts for 12%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 40.4% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. There are approximately 826 trips daily across all routes, equating to about 42 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this data, showing the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Riverstone's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance throughout Riverstone.

AreaSearch's assessment shows mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low among the general population, although they are higher than the national average for older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high, at approximately 60% of the total population (13,378 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.5% and 6.9% of residents respectively. A total of 76.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. Riverstone has 7.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,670 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Nationally, however, the area ranks lower than the broader population.

Riverstone 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

Riverstone has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.2% of its population born overseas and 33.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Riverstone, making up 51.6% of the population. Notably, Hinduism is overrepresented in Riverstone compared to the Greater Sydney average, with 11.3% of the population identifying as Hindu.

The top three ancestry groups in Riverstone are Australian (21.6%), English (18.8%), and Other (17.0%). There are also significant differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Filipino is overrepresented at 4.5%, Maltese at 2.9%, and Indian at 6.9%.

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

Riverstone's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Riverstone has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (20.2%), but fewer residents aged 65-74 (4.3%). This concentration of 35-44 year-olds is notably higher than the national figure of 14.3%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 17.0% to 20.2%, while those aged 5 to 14 grew from 14.3% to 16.6%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 decreased from 19.3% to 15.4%, and the 0 to 4 age group dropped from 10.4% to 9.1%. Demographic projections suggest that Riverstone's age profile will significantly change by 2041, with the strongest growth expected in the 45 to 54 cohort, which is projected to grow by 266%, adding 6,994 residents to reach a total of 9,623.