Surry Hills

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Surry Hills' population is around 17,165 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,337 people (8.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,828 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,099 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 59 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 13,003 persons per square kilometer, which places Surry Hills in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly-sought resource. Surry Hills' 8.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state's (6.7%) and metropolitan areas, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 99.3% 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 any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of national areas is projected, with Surry Hills expected to expand by 2,694 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 15.3% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Surry Hills is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Surry Hills averaged approximately eight new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years ending June 2021, totalling forty homes. As of July 2026, five approvals have been recorded for this financial year. The area has experienced population decline, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good choices for buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $121,000, which is below regional norms, offering more affordable housing options for purchasers.

In the current financial year ending June 2026, $178.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Surry Hills has significantly less development activity, at 92.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, development activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, catering to compact living options that attract downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Surry Hills is expected to grow by 2,628 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Surry Hills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 63 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Sydney Jewish Museum Redevelopment, Marlborough House Redevelopment, The Post House, and Mariyung Fleet (New Intercity Fleet). The following list highlights 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 performance in Surry Hills has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Surry Hills has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector being particularly prominent. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 5.8%.

In this month, 11,289 residents are employed, which is 1.6% higher than Greater Sydney's unemployment rate of 4.2%. The workforce participation in Surry Hills stands at 70.9%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents include professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Notably, the area has a high concentration in professional & technical jobs, with employment levels being double the regional average.

Conversely, construction has limited presence, with only 3.3% of employment compared to the regional average of 8.6%. There are approximately two workers for every resident in Surry Hills, indicating that it serves as an employment hub attracting workers from nearby areas. In the year leading up to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.6%, while employment declined by 1.1% in Surry Hills, resulting in a fall of 0.4 percentage points in the unemployment rate. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1%, the labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment increased slightly by 0.2 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data up to 25-November shows that NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state's unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably with the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. For future demand insights within Surry Hills, Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can be considered. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Surry Hills' employment mix suggests that local employment should increase by approximately 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, although it's important to note that this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The latest postcode level ATO data from AreaSearch, released for the financial year ending June 2022, indicates that Surry Hills SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $70,916 and an average income of $111,705. These figures place Surry Hills in the top percentile nationally when compared to other areas across Australia. In contrast, Greater Sydney's median income was $56,994 with an average of $80,856 during the same period. Based on the Wage Price Index growth rate of 12.61% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated current incomes in Surry Hills would be approximately $79,859 (median) and $125,791 (average). The Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2021 Census figures reveal that household, family, and personal incomes in Surry Hills rank highly nationally, between the 83rd and 97th percentiles. The income distribution shows that 29.2% of locals (5,012 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income category, which is similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 30.9%. A significant portion of households in Surry Hills, 39.6%, achieve high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, contributing to elevated consumer spending. However, high housing costs consume 21.3% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Surry Hills, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 1.1% houses and 98.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metropolitan area's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surry Hills was at 14.1%, similar to the Sydney metro level, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.9% and rented dwellings at 67.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surry Hills was $2,839, higher than the Sydney metro average of $2,705. Median weekly rent in Surry Hills was recorded at $550, matching the Sydney metro figure. Nationally, Surry Hills's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Surry Hills features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 40.9% of all households, including 7.4% couples with children, 29.3% couples without children, and 3.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 59.1%, with lone person households at 46.8% and group households comprising 12.2%. The median household size is 1.8 people, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

Surry Hills shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Surry Hills has a notably higher educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 62.8% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This high level of educational attainment is driven by bachelor degrees (41.1%), postgraduate qualifications (18.1%), and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational pathways account for 18.2%, with advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 8.3%.

A significant 24.7% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 10.9% in tertiary education, 3.1% in primary education, and 2.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 34 active stops operating in Surry Hills. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 25 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 14,902 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 118 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 2,128 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 438 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Surry Hills shows excellent health outcomes, especially for younger residents who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 76% of the total population (13,079 people), compared to 69.7% across Greater Sydney and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (10.1%) and asthma (7.0%), while 74.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 77.4% in Greater Sydney.

As of 2021, 10.1% of Surry Hills' population is aged 65 and over (1,738 people). Despite the strong health outcomes among seniors, they require more attention than the broader population.

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

Surry Hills has a high level of cultural diversity, with 27.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 47.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Surry Hills, making up 28.0% of people. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 1.3% of Surry Hills' population.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.8%), Other (15.1%), and Australian (14.7%). Notably, French (1.6%) Spanish (1.2%) and Russian (0.9%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Surry Hills compared to regional averages of 1.1%, 1.0% and 0.8% respectively.

Surry Hills's population is younger than the national pattern

Surry Hills' median age of 35 years is slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and somewhat younger than the national average of 38 years. The percentage of residents aged 25-34 is strong at 32.2%, compared to Greater Sydney, while those aged 5-14 are less prevalent at 2.8%. This concentration of young adults is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of residents aged 15-24 has grown from 9.4% to 11.4%, while the 45-54 age group has declined from 12.7% to 11.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Surry Hills. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase substantially, with an addition of 770 people (a 40% rise) from 1,944 to 2,715. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is forecast to grow by a modest 0%, adding just 7 people.