Birchgrove

Birchgrove 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, Birchgrove's population is estimated around 3,467. This reflects an increase of 239 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,228. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 3,480 following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 5,876 persons per square kilometer, placing Birchgrove in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 7.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA3 area (3.4%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.0% 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. For 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 are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, Birchgrove is expected to increase by 240 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of approximately 2.0% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Birchgrove averaged around 1 new dwelling approval per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Approximately 5 homes were approved between FY-21 and FY-25, with 1 more approved so far in FY-26.

The area's population decline suggests that new supply has kept pace with demand, offering good choice to buyers. New properties are constructed at an average value of $1,278,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Birchgrove has significantly less development activity (90.0% below regional average per person), which generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. This level is also below national average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of standalone homes, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (28.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Birchgrove reflects a highly mature market with around 3276 people per dwelling approval. Future projections show Birchgrove adding 70 residents by 2041, potentially leading to increased competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth if current development rates continue and housing supply does not keep pace with population growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely to impact this region. Key projects are Western Harbour Tunnel, White Bay Power Station Redevelopment, Loyalty Square Balmain Revitalisation, and Bays West Precinct Master Plan. The following details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Birchgrove ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Birchgrove has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.1%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.3%. As of June 2025, 1,999 residents are employed, with a participation rate of 66.3% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Retail trade employs only 5.1% of local workers compared to Greater Sydney's 9.3%. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.3%, labour force grew by 4.6%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Sep-22 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Birchgrove's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.3% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Birchgrove's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Birchgrove's median income among taxpayers is $91,183 and average income stands at $169,838, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $102,681 (median) and $191,255 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Birchgrove, between the 99th and 99th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that the $4000+ earnings band captures 47.1% of the community (1,632 individuals), differing from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. The substantial proportion of high earners (57.7% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout this suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Birchgrove displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Birchgrove's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 28.4% houses and 71.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings. Birchgrove's home ownership rate was 41.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.5% and rented ones at 27.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's $3,500 average. Birchgrove's median weekly rent figure was $700, compared to Sydney metro's $600. Nationally, Birchgrove's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Birchgrove has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 72.4% of all households, including 32.7% couples with children, 32.1% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.6%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households comprising 2.2%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which exceeds the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

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

Educational attainment in Birchgrove is notably higher than broader averages. 65.5% of residents aged 15 years and over hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational pathways account for 15.8% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, with advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 7.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. Birchgrove Public School serves the local area, enrolling 246 students as of a recent date. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with an ICSEA score of 1138 indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. School places per 100 residents stand at 7.1, below the regional average of 10.3.

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

Birchgrove has eight active public transport stops, offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by seven different routes, together facilitating 1,082 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 171 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency across all routes is 154 trips per day, equating to approximately 135 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Birchgrove shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Its private health cover rate stands at approximately 94% (3,247 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 80.5%. Nationally, this rate is 55.3%.

Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 6.8% and 5.8% respectively. About 74.5% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 73.2% in Greater Sydney. Birchgrove has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.9% (759 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Seniors' health outcomes are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Birchgrove was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Birchgrove's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 9.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 29.0% born overseas. Christianity was the main religion in Birchgrove, comprising 41.6% of people. Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.7% compared to the Greater Sydney average of 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (20.0%), and Irish (12.7%). Notably, Welsh (1.1%) and French (0.7%) were overrepresented, while Scottish (9.1%) was slightly more prevalent than the regional average of 8.1%.

Birchgrove hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Birchgrove is 46 years, which exceeds Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and is also higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age cohort makes up 15.4% of the local population, compared to the Greater Sydney average, indicating over-representation in Birchgrove. Conversely, the 25-34 age group constitutes only 9.0%, showing under-representation locally compared to Greater Sydney's average. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has increased from 8.3% to 10.0%, while the 75-84 cohort has risen from 6.1% to 7.6%. However, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 12.4% to 11.1%, and the 35-44 age group has dropped from 13.5% to 12.3%. By 2041, Birchgrove's population is projected to see significant demographic shifts. The 75-84 age cohort is expected to grow by 80 people (31%), increasing from 263 to 344 individuals. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 91% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 25-34 and 45-54 age cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.