Strathfield - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Strathfield - West's population was around 8,986 as of Aug 2025. This reflected a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 9,253 people, indicating a drop of 267 individuals (2.9%). The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures: 8,983 in June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 2,298 persons per square kilometer, higher than the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, 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. Future population trends suggest a growth of around 809 persons to 2041, based on latest population numbers, indicating an increase of approximately 8.9% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Strathfield - West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Strathfield - West has recorded approximately 78 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 391 homes over the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, with 7 recorded so far in FY26. The population has declined recently, but development activity has been adequate relative to this decline, maintaining a balanced housing market with good buyer choice. New dwellings are developed at an average construction cost value of $1,485,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $200,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Strathfield - West has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 59th percentile of areas assessed nationally. New building activity comprises 93.0% standalone homes and 7.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes.

The location has approximately 259 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. By 2041, Strathfield - West is expected to grow by 804 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Strathfield - West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 39 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include Strathfield Medium Density Housing Strategy, Strathfield Roads Capital Works from 2024 to 2025, Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program, and Hudson Park Driving Range Upgrade. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

The labour market in Strathfield - West shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Strathfield-West has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.9% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.9%.

As of June 2025, 5173 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate at 1.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation matching Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Health care has a significant presence, being 1.4 times the regional level, while transport, postal & warehousing is limited at 3.2% compared to 5.3% regionally. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.9%, labour force by 4.3%, raising unemployment by 0.4 percentage points.

Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6%, labour force by 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. In NSW as of Sep-25, employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Strathfield-West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.5% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Strathfield - West had a median taxpayer income of $47,629 and an average income of $79,511 in financial year 2022, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $52,678 (median) and $87,939 (average) as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 shows household incomes rank exceptionally at the 94th percentile ($2,726 weekly). Distribution data shows the largest segment comprises 33.1% earning $4000+ weekly (2,974 residents), differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners, 45.8% above $3,000/week, indicates strong economic capacity throughout the area. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 94th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Strathfield - West, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 78.6% houses and 21.4% other dwellings including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan area's structure with 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Strathfield - West stood at 43.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.2% and rented properties at 20.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,200, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,436 as of June 2019. The median weekly rent figure for Strathfield - West was recorded at $530, compared to Sydney metro's $465 during the same period. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Strathfield - West were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as reported by the ABS in June 2021, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 81.7% of all households, including 47.5% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 18.3%, with lone person households at 15.2% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Strathfield-West has a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 50.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational pathways account for 18.7% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 9.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.0% in tertiary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 8.1% pursuing primary education. The area's five schools have a combined enrollment of 3,685 students as of the latest data. Strathfield-West has above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1056. It functions as an education hub with 41 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 15.9. The educational mix includes one primary, two secondary, and two K-12 schools.

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

The analysis shows that there are currently 85 active public transport stops operating within Strathfield-West. These stops offer a variety of bus services, with a total of 37 individual routes providing 1,620 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 127 meters away from the nearest stop on average.

On a daily basis, there are approximately 231 trips across all routes, which equates to around 19 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Strathfield-West demonstrates excellent health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 59% of its total population (5,337 people), higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 57.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, affecting 5.8% and 5.1% of residents respectively. 76.5% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.0% in Greater Sydney. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 20.8% (1,870 people) of the population, higher than Greater Sydney's 14.5%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

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

Strathfield-West is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 47.9% of its population born overseas and 58.5% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Strathfield-West is Christianity, comprising 53.7% of the population. However, Hinduism is notably overrepresented, making up 10.6% compared to the Greater Sydney average of 11.2%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Chinese (20.3%), Other (15.4%), and Lebanese (10.3%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 3.1%. There are also notable differences in the representation of Korean (4.4% vs 2.8%), Sri Lankan (1.5% vs 0.4%), and Vietnamese (3.8% vs 2.1%) groups.

Strathfield - West's median age exceeds the national pattern

Strathfield-West's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly older than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, the cohort aged 55-64 is notably over-represented in Strathfield-West at 13.5%, while those aged 35-44 are under-represented at 10.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 14.2% to 15.6%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 5.9% to 7.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 13.0% to 11.6%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 11.6% to 10.5%. Demographic projections suggest that Strathfield-West's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The cohort aged 35-44 is projected to grow strongly at 104%, adding 986 residents to reach a total of 1,938. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 65-74 age groups are expected to decrease in number.