Rockdale - Banksia
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Rockdale - Banksia reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Rockdale - Banksia's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stood at around 22,608 by August 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 2,755 people (13.9%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 19,853. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 22,577 in June 2024 and an additional 103 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,315 persons per square kilometer, placing Rockdale - Banksia among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 13.9% growth since the 2021 census surpassed both the SA4 region (5.3%) and the state, indicating its status as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 88.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving Rockdale - Banksia's population growth.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses 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. Looking ahead, demographic trends project an above median population growth for Australian statistical areas. Rockdale - Banksia is expected to expand by 4,392 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 19.3% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Rockdale - Banksia among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Rockdale - Banksia has approved around 85 residential properties each year over the past five financial years, totalling 428 homes. As of FY-26, 13 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.7 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. This high demand exceeds new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $410,000, below the regional average. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $14.7 million, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rockdale - Banksia shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 70th percentile nationally in terms of building activity. However, development has accelerated recently. Currently, new building activity consists of 15.0% detached houses and 85.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (34.0% houses).

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Rockdale - Banksia reflects a developing area with around 197 people per approval. Future projections estimate an addition of 4,358 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 59 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Northern Georges River Submain Upgrade, Marque Rockdale, Fox Lane Rockdale, and Rockdale Central. The following details those likely to be 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 Rockdale - Banksia demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Rockdale - Banksia has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. In June 2025, 14,675 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food, with a particularly strong specialization in the latter at 1.7 times the regional level.

Education & training shows lower representation at 6.0% compared to the regional average of 8.9%. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.3%, while labour force grew by 2.5%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points over the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Rockdale - Banksia. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with industry-specific growth rates varying significantly. Applying these projections to Rockdale - Banksia's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Rockdale - Banksia had a median taxpayer income of $49,953 and an average income of $63,195. These figures are slightly below the national averages of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $56,252 and $71,164 respectively. The 2021 Census indicates that Rockdale - Banksia's household, family, and personal incomes are at the 54th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 36.3% of locals (8,206 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the broader regional trend of 30.9%. High housing costs consume 18.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 57th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Rockdale - Banksia's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 33.9% houses and 66.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 39.8% houses and 60.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rockdale - Banksia stood at 25.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.8% and rented ones at 44.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,185, below Sydney metro's average of $2,383. Median weekly rent in the area was $460, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Rockdale - Banksia's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,185 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Rockdale - Banksia features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 68.5% of all households, including 29.8% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.5%, consisting of 23.0% lone person households and 8.7% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

The educational profile of Rockdale - Banksia exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 39.7% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and NSW's rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 25.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.5% and certificates for 13.4%.

Educational participation is high at 30.9%, including 8.4% in tertiary education, 6.7% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education. The five schools in Rockdale - Banksia have a combined enrollment of 841 students, serving distinct age groups with four primary and one secondary school. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1050). Local school capacity is limited at 3.7 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 11.4, leading many families to travel nearby for schooling.

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

Rockdale-Banksia has 75 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 29 different routes, facilitating 5,898 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 141 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 842 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 78 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Rockdale-Banksia's health outcomes show excellent results, with younger age groups having a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The area has approximately 51% private health cover, slightly lower than the average SA2 region (~11,575 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 5.1% of residents) and asthma (4.6%), while 79.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.5% in Greater Sydney. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 13.7% of the population (3,090 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 16.4%. Despite this, seniors' health outcomes are above average and require more attention than the broader population.

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

Rockdale-Banksia, as of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census conducted on 28 August 2016, exhibits significant cultural diversity. Among its residents, 66.6% speak a language other than English at home. Additionally, 60.9% were born overseas.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Rockdale-Banksia, with 42.6% of people identifying as Christian. However, Hinduism stands out with 16.0%, which is considerably higher than the Greater Sydney average of 6.6%. Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are 'Other' at 30.7%, Chinese at 11.0%, and English at 9.3%. Notably, Macedonian (6.2%), Russian (0.9%), and Lebanese (4.3%) ethnicities show significant representation in Rockdale-Banksia compared to regional averages of 3.8%, 0.6%, and 5.2% respectively.

Rockdale - Banksia's population is younger than the national pattern

Rockdale-Banksia's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rockdale-Banksia has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 12.9% to 14.4%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 10.9% to 10.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Rockdale-Banksia. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 37%, adding 860 residents to reach a total of 3,167. Conversely, the 0-4 age group shows minimal growth of just 4%, with an increase of only 53 people.