Yagoona - Birrong
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Yagoona-Birrong's population was around 23,415 as of Aug 2025. This is an increase of 931 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,484. The change was inferred from ABS' June 2024 estimate of 23,409 and 146 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 4,211 persons per square kilometer, placing Yagoona-Birrong among the top 10% nationally. Its growth rate of 4.1% exceeded the SA3 area's 4.0%, indicating it was a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.9% to population gains recently.

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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 using 2021 as the base year are utilised. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the national median by Aug 2041, with an expected expansion of 2,304 persons reflecting a total increase of 9.8%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Yagoona - Birrong among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Yagoona-Birrong averaged approximately 138 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY20-FY25, there were 694 homes approved, with an additional 26 approved in FY26. On average, 1.6 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This suggests balanced supply and demand, creating stable market conditions. The average construction value of new properties was $436,000, aligning with regional patterns. In FY26, there have been $27.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to Greater Sydney, Yagoona-Birrong maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium. Recent construction comprised 56.0% standalone homes and 44.0% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points. With around 226 people per dwelling approval, the area shows characteristics of low density. By 2041, Yagoona-Birrong is expected to grow by 2,294 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.

Yagoona - Birrong has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 44 projects expected to influence the area. Notable projects include Henry Lawson Drive Upgrade Program, Power Supply Upgrade at Yagoona Station, and developments at 25-29 Rookwood Road Yagoona and 283-289 Cooper Road Redevelopment. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Yagoona - Birrong are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Yagoona - Birrong has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 8.7% as of June 2021, with an estimated employment growth of 2.1% over the past year.

As of June 2025, there were 9,751 residents in work, but the unemployment rate stood at 4.5%, higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was significantly lower at 44.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. Notably, the area had a high concentration in transport, postal & warehousing, with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services employed only 6.8% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1%, while labour force increased by 2.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of Sep-25 showed employment had contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.26%, and the unemployment rate was 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Yagoona - Birrong's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Yagoona-Birrong has a median taxpayer income of $41,154 and an average of $52,450 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, with Greater Sydney having a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $45,516 (median) and $58,010 (average), accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, individual incomes are at the 5th percentile ($528 weekly), while household income is at the 33rd percentile. The majority of residents (7,235 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, which represents 30.9% of the population, mirroring regional levels. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 26th percentile.

Yagoona - Birrong displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Yagoona-Birrong, evaluated at the Census in 2016, dwelling structures consisted of 67.1% houses and 32.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 61.5% houses and 38.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Yagoona-Birrong was at 30.1%, similar to Sydney metro, with the rest being mortgaged (31.6%) or rented (38.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,131, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,240, while the median weekly rent figure was $400, compared to Sydney metro's $425. Nationally, Yagoona-Birrong's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,131 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were also higher at $400 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 77.8% of all households, including 42.6% couples with children, 17.5% couples without children, and 16.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 22.2%, with lone person households at 19.8% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 3.1.

Educational outcomes in Yagoona - Birrong fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area has lower university qualification rates at 23.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 17.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.5%) and certificates (16.8%). Educational participation is high at 33.9%, with 11.3% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

There are six schools operating within Yagoona - Birrong, educating approximately 2,310 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 972) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with four primary and two secondary schools serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are lower at 9.9 compared to the regional average of 16.8, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Public transport analysis shows 125 active transport stops operating within Yagoona-Birrong. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. There are 35 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 6,466 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 139 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 923 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 51 weekly trips per individual stop.

Yagoona - Birrong's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows strong health performance in Yagoona - Birrong, with low prevalence of common conditions among younger cohorts. Private health cover is low at approximately 46% (~10,817 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 48.6% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.0%) and asthma (6.0%).

76.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 75.8% in Greater Sydney. 16.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,751 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

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

Yagoona-Birrong has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Australia, with 47.4% born overseas and 69.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 41.5% of its population. However, Islam is notably overrepresented at 33.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 27.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (20.4%), Lebanese (18.4%), and Vietnamese (14.7%), the latter being significantly higher than the regional average of 8.5%. Additionally, Macedonian (3.1% vs 1.7%), Samoan (0.7% vs 0.5%), and Chinese (7.7% vs 7.6%) ethnic groups are notably divergent from regional averages.

Yagoona - Birrong's population is younger than the national pattern

Yagoona-Birrong has a median age of 35 years, slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. The age group of 5-14 years comprises 14.0% of the population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 35-44 cohort makes up 12.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 4.1% to 5.0% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has decreased from 11.7% to 10.7%. By 2041, projections indicate significant demographic shifts in Yagoona-Birrong. The 75 to 84 age cohort is expected to rise substantially by 883 people (75%), from 1,177 to 2,061. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 69% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. In contrast, both the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.