Ashtonfield

Ashtonfield 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 Nov 2025, Ashtonfield's population is estimated at around 4,622 people. This reflects an increase of 33 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,589 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,621 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 1 validated new address since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 676 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 56.99999999999999% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, 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 indicate an increase just below the median of regional areas across the nation, with Ashtonfield expected to increase by 531 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 11.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

Ashtonfield had minimal residential development activity between 2016 and 2020, with fewer than one dwelling approval annually. Over this five-year period, only four dwellings were approved. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity.

It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects. Ashtonfield's development activity was much lower than the Rest of NSW during this period. Nationally, development patterns were also higher compared to Ashtonfield's levels.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to influence the region: Stony Pinch Urban Development, Ashtonfield Public School Upgrade, Bloomfield Colliery Continuation Project, and Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road Intersection Upgrade. The following details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market strength in Ashtonfield positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Ashtonfield has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 2,466 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.0% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 68.4%, higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Ashtonfield specializes in mining employment with a share 2.8 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.4% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

Residents may commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Ashtonfield's labour force decreased by 2.3%, with employment down by 2.2%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decrease of 0.1%, resulting in a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National unemployment stands at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ashtonfield's employment mix, local employment is expected to increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Ashtonfield's median income among taxpayers is $61,345. The average income in the suburb is $75,390. Nationally, this is very high compared to Rest of NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Ashtonfield would be approximately $66,780 (median) and $82,070 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, incomes in Ashtonfield cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The predominant income cohort spans 35.8% of locals (1,654 people), earning between $1,500 and $2,999 per week. This pattern is similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% of residents fall within this income range. Economic strength in Ashtonfield is evident with 30.4% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, while strong earnings rank residents within the 77th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

In Ashtonfield, as per the latest Census evaluation, 94.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 6.0% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 87.1% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashtonfield stood at 34.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.4% and rented ones at 21.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,862. The median weekly rent in Ashtonfield was $440, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $375. Nationally, Ashtonfield's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $440 against the national figure of $375.

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

Family households make up 81.8% of all households, including 41.8% couples with children, 28.7% couples without children, and 11.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.2%, with lone person households at 16.2% and group households comprising 1.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 22.0%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (15.0%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (28.5%). Educational participation is high, with 32.5% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (11.2%), secondary (9.7%), and tertiary (4.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 4.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Ashtonfield shows that there are currently 42 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 74 individual routes providing service to these locations. This results in 675 weekly passenger trips collectively across all routes.

The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 158 meters away from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 96 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Ashtonfield are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Ashtonfield shows below-average health outcomes, with common conditions slightly more prevalent than average among both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population, which numbers around 2,621 people. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.2 and 8.9% of residents respectively. Conversely, 65.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% across Rest of NSW. The proportion of residents aged 65 and over is 14.8%, totaling 684 people, which aligns broadly with the general population's health profile.

Ashtonfield ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Ashtonfield's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.3% of its population born in Australia, 93.5% being citizens, and 91.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ashtonfield, comprising 57.3% of people. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Rest of NSW, with 0.2% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (31.5%), English (30.7%), and Irish (8.2%). Other ethnic groups show notable divergences: Welsh is equally represented at 0.6%, Russian is slightly overrepresented at 0.3%, and Australian Aboriginal is underrepresented at 3.3% compared to the regional average of 5.1%.

Ashtonfield's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Ashtonfield is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligns with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Ashtonfield has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (15.0%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (8.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25-34 grew from 10.7% to 12.4%, while the 5-14 age group decreased from 15.9% to 15.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Ashtonfield's age structure. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 31% (175 people), reaching a population of 749 from the current 573. Conversely, the 55-64 and 15-24 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.