Camperdown (NSW)

Camperdown has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Camperdown's population was estimated at 10,772 as of May 2026, reflecting a 14.8% increase since the 2021 Census which reported 9,381 people. This growth exceeds both the state (7.1%) and Greater Sydney figures, making Camperdown a regional growth leader. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 91.0% of population gains in recent periods. AreaSearch's projections indicate that by 2041, the suburb's population is expected to increase by 22.8%, reaching 13,225 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is forecast, with the area expected to expand by 2,453 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting with an increase of 22.8% in total over the 16 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Camperdown had around 11 residential properties approved per year. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 58 homes were approved, with an additional 16 approved in FY-26 so far. Despite a falling population during this period, the housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $713,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment. In FY-26, $1.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. New building activity comprises 38.0% detached houses and 62.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a skew towards compact living which offers affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

Notably, developers are constructing more traditional houses than the current market mix suggests (3.0% at Census), implying strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 1621 people per dwelling approval, Camperdown exhibits a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Camperdown is projected to add 2453 residents by 2041. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Camperdown 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 identified 32 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Redevelopment, University of Sydney Campus Transformation, Landcom Camperdown Mixed-Use Development, and University of Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA). The following list details those 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.

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

Camperdown has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate is 3.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 7,207 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Camperdown stands at 74.0%, exceeding Greater Sydney's rate of 68.8%. Census responses indicate that 59.9% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdown impacts. The dominant employment sectors are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Camperdown shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level, while construction has limited presence at 3.6% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

The area functions as an employment hub with 1.5 workers per resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.5%, alongside a 0.6% decline in employment, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Camperdown's employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

The suburb of Camperdown had one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year ending June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Camperdown was $77,242, with an average income of $106,656. These figures compared to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. By March 2026, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% suggested the median income would be approximately $85,213 and the average income $117,663. Census data from 2021 showed incomes in Camperdown ranked highly nationally, between the 85th and 94th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income brackets indicated that 32.2% of Camperdown's population (3,468 individuals) had weekly earnings between $1,500 and $2,999. A substantial proportion of higher earners, 38.8%, exceeded $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consumed 21.6% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 76th percentile nationally. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Camperdown's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 3.1% houses and 96.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's figures of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Camperdown stood at 14.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.3% and rented ones at 61.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Camperdown was $570, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Camperdown's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,817 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 47.8 percent of all households, including 12.3 percent couples with children, 30.1 percent couples without children, and 4.3 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 52.2 percent, with lone person households at 41.8 percent and group households comprising 10.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

In Camperdown, residents aged 15+ have a notably higher proportion of university qualifications compared to national and state averages: 60.5% versus 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This educational advantage is evident in the prevalence of bachelor degrees (37.1%), postgraduate qualifications (19.9%), and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways are also pursued, with advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 7.5%. Educational participation is notably high, with 35.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 25.4% in tertiary education, 3.5% in primary education, and 2.4% in secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 35.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 25.4% in tertiary education, 3.5% in primary education, and 2.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Camperdown has 40 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 36 different routes that together facilitate 9,991 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 115 meters from the nearest stop. Most Camperdown residents commute outward due to its primarily residential nature. Cars remain the most popular mode of transport, used by 44% of residents, followed by walking at 24%, and public buses at 14%. On average, each dwelling owns 0.4 vehicles, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 59.9%, work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 1,427 trips per day, equating to approximately 249 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Camperdown is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Camperdown shows superior health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence among both young and old age groups. The prevalence of common health conditions is low in this area. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (7,427 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 11.4% and 8.5% of residents respectively. A significant portion, 73.4%, of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 74.6%. The under-65 population in Camperdown exhibits better-than-average health outcomes. The area has a smaller proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 786 people representing 7.3% of the population, compared to Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors in Camperdown are notably strong, ranking even higher than those of the general population nationally.

Camperdown 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

Camperdown's population is more linguistically diverse than most local areas, with 22.1% speaking a language other than English at home, and 36.9% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in Camperdown, comprising 29.1%. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.7% of Camperdown's population versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (22.9%), Australian (18.2%), and Other (11.4%). Notably, French (0.9%) and Welsh (0.8%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively, while Russian is also slightly overrepresented at 0.6%.

Camperdown's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Camperdown's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Camperdown has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (28.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows that younger residents have shifted Camperdown's median age down by 1.4 years to 32. Key changes include the growth of the 15-24 age group from 19.3% to 24.9%, and declines in the 45-54 cohort from 11.9% to 10.0% and the 35-44 group from 18.1% to 16.4%. Demographic modeling suggests that Camperdown's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow strongly, adding 671 residents to reach 1,749. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort is projected to decline by 30 people.