Castle Hill (NSW)

Population growth drivers in Castle Hill are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated since Feb 2026, the suburb of Castle Hill (NSW) has an estimated population of around 43,660. This figure reflects a growth of 2,786 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 40,874. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 42,156 residents following examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 1,878 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,316 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Castle Hill's growth rate of 6.8% since the 2021 census surpassed the SA3 area's growth rate of 6.4%, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 97.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

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 a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, forecasting an addition of 17,352 persons to Castle Hill's population by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 36.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Castle Hill among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval data for Castle Hill shows an average of approximately 793 new home approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 3,969 homes. As of FY26691 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents per year arriving per new home in Castle Hill between FY21 and FY25 is approximately 0.1. This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially enabling population growth to exceed current expectations.

The average value of new dwellings developed in Castle Hill over this period is $454,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY26, there have been approximately $139.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Castle Hill has seen 104.0% higher new home approvals per person since FY21. This reflects strong developer confidence in the area and offers greater choice for buyers. The majority of new building activity in Castle Hill consists of townhouses or apartments (93.0%), with a smaller proportion being detached houses (7.0%). This shift towards denser development provides accessible entry options, appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. This trend marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns, which are currently dominated by houses (74.0%).

With around 43 people per dwelling approval, Castle Hill exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Castle Hill is projected to gain approximately 15,795 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by changes in local projects and initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 63 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Hills Shire Council's Delivery Program and Operational Plan 2024-2025 Infrastructure Works, Castle Hill Panorama, Castle Towers Expansion, and Hills Showground East Precinct. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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While Castle Hill retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.9%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Castle Hill's workforce is highly educated with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.9% as of December 2025, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of that month, 22,210 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was lower at 66.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. Census responses showed 54.3% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing had lower representation at 2.9%, compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. Over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.1% and employment decreased by 1.2%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 1.0 percentage points, while Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Castle Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Castle Hill is among the highest in Australia. The median income is $59,533, while the average income stands at $87,988. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $64,808 (median) and $95,784 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank exceptionally at the 91st percentile ($2,551 weekly). Income distribution shows that 29.2% of the population (12,748 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. A significant 43.1% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 90th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Castle Hill's latest Census evaluation, 73.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 26.2% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Sydney metro's dwelling structure of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Castle Hill stood at 36.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 39.2% and rented ones at 24.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Weekly rent in Castle Hill was recorded at $560 compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Castle Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 82.8% of all households, including 48.0% couples with children, 24.9% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 17.2%, with lone person households at 15.9% and group households comprising 1.3%. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Castle Hill places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Castle Hill's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 47.0% possess university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. This high level of educational attainment positions Castle Hill favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 29.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%).

Vocational pathways account for 24.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 11.2% and certificates 12.9%. Educational participation is high in Castle Hill, with 31.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Castle Hill's public transport analysis indicates 298 active transport stops operating within the area. These consist of a mix of lightrail and bus services. The stops are serviced by 236 individual routes, collectively providing 14,570 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 170 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 82%, with train usage at 8%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling, above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high 54.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 2,081 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 48 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

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

Castle Hill's health outcomes show remarkable results based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

Approximately 62% of Castle Hill's total population (26,912 people) have private health cover, which is higher than the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 6.4 and 5.8% of residents respectively. 75.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Castle Hill has 21.0% of residents aged 65 and over (9,168 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors in the area are particularly strong, closely aligned with national rankings for the general population.

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

Castle Hill's population shows high linguistic diversity, with 43.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 45.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Castle Hill, accounting for 52.6% of its residents. Notably, Hinduism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 6.6% versus 5.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (17.2%), Chinese (16.2%, substantially higher than the regional average of 8.4%), and Australian (15.6%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Korean (2.8% vs regional 1.1%) Sri Lankan (0.9% vs regional 0.3%), and Indian (5.9% vs regional 3.6%).

Castle Hill's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Castle Hill is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's national average of 38. The age group of 45-54 years has a strong representation at 14.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's figure, while the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 7.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group grew from 12.5% to 14.5% of the population between 2016 and 2021, while the 75 to 84 age group increased from 6.2% to 7.4%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group declined from 14.5% to 13.7% during this period. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Castle Hill. Leading this shift, the 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 44%, adding 2,831 people and reaching a total of 9,250 from its current figure of 6,418.