Riverstone
Statistical Area - sa2

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 November 2025, is approximately 21,209. This figure represents a growth of 7,365 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,844. The increase was inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. Riverstone's population density is around 659 persons per square kilometer. Its growth rate of 53.2% since the 2021 census exceeds both state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, positioning it as a leading growth area in the region. Interstate migration accounted for approximately 71.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch's projections, based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a 2022 base year and NSW State Government data for areas not covered by this data, project significant growth for Riverstone over the next two decades. By 2041, the population is expected to increase by 34,283 persons, representing a total increase of 150.6% over the 17-year period.

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

Riverstone has approved approximately 465 residential properties annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 2,326 homes were approved, with an additional 142 approved in FY26 so far. On average, around 3.3 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This supply lagging demand has led to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction value of new homes is $272,000, below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $6.6 million, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Sydney, Riverstone has slightly more development activity, at 47.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This activity is well above national averages, indicating strong developer confidence in the area.

New developments consist of 63.0% detached houses and 37.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the existing housing stock, which is currently 96.0% houses. This change suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects evolving lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. With around 45 people per dwelling approval, Riverstone exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Future projections estimate that Riverstone will add approximately 31,934 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 91 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Riverstone Town Centre Rezoning, Riverstone Community Resource Hub and Aquatic Facility, New High School for Schofields and Tallawong, and Schofields Precinct Development. Below 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.

Employment conditions in Riverstone demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Riverstone has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.6%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 6.7%. As of June 2025, 10,414 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Riverstone is 66.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

Construction is particularly specialized with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Professional & technical services employ only 8.0% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 6.7%, labour force by 6.5%, resulting in a unemployment decrease of 0.2 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Riverstone's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on 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

Riverstone's median income among taxpayers was $65,869 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $77,780 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Riverstone would be approximately $74,175 (median) and $87,588 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Riverstone rank highly nationally, between the 75th and 82nd percentiles. The predominant income cohort spans 40.5% of locals (8,589 people), falling within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly bracket. This aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 30.9%. Higher earners make up a substantial presence in Riverstone, with 30.8% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 20.3% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Riverstone is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Riverstone, as per the latest Census, 96.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.5% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Sydney metro's 84.9% houses and 15.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Riverstone stood at 16.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 48.5% and rented ones at 34.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,700. Median weekly rent in Riverstone was $490, compared to Sydney metro's $540. Nationally, Riverstone's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,600 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Riverstone features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-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 comprise the remaining 16.5%, with lone person households at 13.9% and group households making up 2.7%. The median household size is 3.0 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 3.3.

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%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. 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 - advanced diplomas account for 10.1% and certificates for 22.8%.

Educational participation is high, at 31.6%, including 11.5% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education. Eleven schools serve 5,324 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1023) offering balanced educational opportunities. The area functions as an education hub with 25.5 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Riverstone has 108 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 47 different routes, together facilitating 4,626 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in Riverstone is rated as good, with residents on average located 226 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 660 trips per day, which translates to approximately 42 weekly trips per individual stop.

Riverstone's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Riverstone's health outcomes data shows excellent results overall, with younger age groups notably having a low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 59% of Riverstone's total population of 12,470 has private health cover, indicating an exceptionally high rate. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.5 and 6.9% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 76.1%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 80.0%. Riverstone has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 7.4% (1,577 people) falling into this category.

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

Riverstone's population exhibits high cultural diversity, with 34.2% born overseas and 33.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 51.6%. Hinduism, however, is underrepresented at 11.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 20.2%.

Regarding ancestry, Australian (21.6%), English (18.8%), and Other (17.0%) are the top groups. Notably, Filipino (4.5% vs regional 6.2%), Maltese (2.9% vs 1.7%), and Indian (6.9% vs 16.9%) groups show significant divergences in representation compared to regional averages.

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 14.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has grown from 17.0% to 20.2%, while those aged 5 to 14 increased from 14.3% to 16.4%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 decreased from 19.3% to 16.1%. Demographic projections suggest Riverstone's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort is expected to show strong growth, increasing by 298% to reach 9,623 residents, adding 7,203 residents in total.