Ashbury

Ashbury is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Ashbury is around 3,511. This figure reflects a growth of 158 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,353. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,468 in Jun 2024, along with an additional 66 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,408 persons per square kilometer, placing Ashbury in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The suburb's growth rate of 4.7% since the Census is within 1.8 percentage points of its SA4 region's growth rate of 6.5%, indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 78.0% of Ashbury's population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch projects that by 2041, based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb's population will increase by 410 persons to a total of 3,921, reflecting a 10.4% overall increase over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Ashbury, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Ashbury shows around 11 residential properties granted approval per year over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 56 homes. So far in FY26, 1 approval has been recorded. This results in approximately 2293 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. The average new residents per year per dwelling constructed is 1.2 over the past 5 financial years (FY21 to FY25), though this increased to 35.3 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years. New properties are constructed at an average value of $389,000.

In FY26, there have been $152,000 in commercial approvals, demonstrating Ashbury's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Ashbury has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and places among the 8th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. Recent construction comprises 8.0% detached dwellings and 92.0% medium and high-density housing, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The current housing mix is 91.0% houses. Looking ahead, Ashbury is expected to grow by 367 residents through to 2041, with new housing supply comfortably meeting demand at current development rates.

Looking ahead, Ashbury is expected to grow by 367 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to affect the region: Cardinal Freeman Final Release Development - Wattle Building, Canterbury Local Centre Redevelopment, NSW School Infrastructure Program - Inner West, and Sydney Metro City & Southwest. The following details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions Ashbury ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Ashbury's workforce is well-educated with a notable presence in the technology sector. The unemployment rate stands at 2.7%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 1,839 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Ashbury is at 64.6%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. Census responses indicate that 63.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Top employment industries include education & training, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Ashbury specializes in education & training, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Retail trade is under-represented, with only 5.9% of Ashbury's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 9.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Between December 2024 and November 2025, labour force decreased by 1.5%, while employment declined by 1.9%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ashbury's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Ashbury suburb has a median taxpayer income of $52,420 and an average income of $68,498 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is slightly above national averages, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $57,064 (median) and $74,567 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes rank at the 91st percentile ($2,571 weekly), while personal income ranks at the 65th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 29.6% of locals (1,039 people) fall into the $4000+ category, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 - $2,999 range dominates with 30.9%. Economic strength is evident through 43.3% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 87.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Ashbury's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.8% houses and 9.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashbury was at 50.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.3% and rented ones at 12.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent was recorded at $600, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Ashbury's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 83.0% of all households, including 46.1% couples with children, 23.1% couples without children, and 12.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 17.0%, with lone person households at 15.3% and group households comprising 1.7%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 36.4%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 49.5%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 23.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 11.1% and certificates for 16.2%. Educational participation is high, with 30.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.9% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Ashbury has 19 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 14 different routes that together facilitate 672 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 181 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Ashbury's primarily residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport for these residents at 81%, while only 8% use trains. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in Ashbury, which is higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 63.1% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 96 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 35 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Ashbury's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were notably low, especially among younger cohorts.

Approximately 54% of Ashbury's total population (~1,896 people) had private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%. The most prevalent medical conditions in Ashbury were arthritis (7.1%) and asthma (6.6%). A significant portion, 72.0%, reported being completely free of medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Ashbury has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.4% (716 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among Ashbury's seniors are above average but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Ashbury was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Ashbury has a high level of cultural diversity, with 31.6% of its population born overseas and 36.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashbury, accounting for 67.3% of the population, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups in Ashbury are Australian (17.1%), English (15.5%), and Italian (12.9%), with Italians being significantly more represented than the regional average of 3.4%.

Notably, certain ethnic groups have higher representation in Ashbury compared to the region: Greek at 8.0% vs 1.9%, Spanish at 1.3% vs 0.6%, and Lebanese at 5.7% vs 2.6%.

Ashbury hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Ashbury's median age is 44, surpassing Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and significantly exceeding the national average of 38. The 55-64 age group comprises 14.3% of Ashbury's population, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort makes up 7.4%, lower than Greater Sydney's figure. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 13.4% to 14.7%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 13.3% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling predicts significant changes in Ashbury's age profile. The 75 to 84 group is projected to grow by 46%, reaching 358 people from the current 245. The population aged 65 and above is expected to comprise 66% of the total growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.