Croydon (NSW)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Croydon reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population of the suburb of Croydon (NSW) is around 11,144. This reflects an increase of 389 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,755. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 11,125 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 38 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,567 persons per square kilometer, placing Croydon in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 3.6% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of the SA4 region (6.4%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 96.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, an above median population growth is projected for the suburb until 2041, with an expected increase of 1,761 persons reflecting a total increase of 15.1% over the 17-year period.

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

Croydon has recorded approximately 23 residential properties granted approval per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 119 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved so far in FY-26. This suggests that new supply has likely been keeping pace with demand despite population decline, offering buyers good choice.

The average construction value of new properties is $681,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms, reflecting quality-focused development. In FY-26, there have been $70,000 in commercial development approvals recorded, indicating minimal commercial development activity compared to Greater Sydney, where Croydon has significantly less development activity at 56.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes, though construction activity has intensified recently. However, this activity remains below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 59.0% standalone homes and 41.0% townhouses or apartments, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points.

At around 361 people per approval, Croydon indicates a mature market. Looking ahead, Croydon is expected to grow by 1,684 residents through to 2041 according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Croydon 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 identified 40 projects likely to affect the area. Key projects include Croydon Transport Oriented Development Precinct, The Carlyle Enfield, 15-33 Brighton Avenue Croydon Park, and 137-139 Burwood Road Croydon Park. Below is a list of 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.

The employment landscape in Croydon shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Croydon has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.0% as of June 2025, which is 0.1% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth in Croydon over the past year was estimated at 4.3%. As of June 2025, 6,020 residents were employed and workforce participation was 57.8%, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training, with the latter showing particularly high concentration at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, construction showed lower representation at 6.4% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 4.3% while labour force grew by 4.4%, leading to a slight rise in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Croydon's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Croydon had a median income among taxpayers of $56,480. The average income level was $77,950. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Croydon would be approximately $63,602 (median) and $87,779 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 75th percentile ($2,157 weekly), while personal income sits at the 56th percentile. The predominant income cohort spans 28.4% of locals (3,164 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category. In the broader area, 30.9% occupy this range. Economic strength is evident with 35.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Croydon's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 54.9% houses and 45.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Croydon stood at 36.2%, with the rest mortgaged (33.0%) or rented (30.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,700, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. Median weekly rent in Croydon was $480, compared to Sydney metro's $465. Nationally, Croydon's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863, and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Croydon features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 73.2% of all households, including 37.6% that are couples with children, 23.3% that are couples without children, and 10.9% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.8%, with lone person households at 22.7% and group households comprising 4.1%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Croydon's residents aged 15+ have a higher rate of university qualifications at 44.9% compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational pathways account for 21.5%, with advanced diplomas at 9.7% and certificates at 11.8%. Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.4%), tertiary (7.9%), secondary (7.8%).

Croydon's five schools have a combined enrollment of 3,345 students, with an ICSEA score of 1119. The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. There are 30.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.8. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

Croydon's public transport analysis shows that as of February 2023 there are 52 active transport stops operating within the area. These include a mix of train and bus services. As of this date, these stops are serviced by 44 individual routes, collectively providing 5,310 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 143 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 758 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 102 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Croydon shows above-average health outcomes for both young and elderly populations, with low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 58% (~6,431 people) have private health cover, a rate higher than that found across Greater Sydney. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.6%) and mental health issues (6.2%), while 72.6% report being completely free of medical ailments, compared to 77.0% in Greater Sydney. Croydon has a larger proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.8% (2,317 people), which is higher than the 14.5% found in Greater Sydney. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with those of the general population.

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

Croydon has a high level of cultural diversity, with 42.9% of its population born overseas and 46.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Croydon, comprising 51.1% of the population. However, Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 5.1% of Croydon's population versus 6.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (18.5%), Australian (14.0%), and English (13.8%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences in representation: Lebanese is overrepresented at 4.5% compared to the regional average of 3.1%, Korean at 1.6% versus 2.8%, and Croatian at 1.4% versus 0.7%.

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

The median age in Croydon is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The percentage of people aged 85 and above in Croydon is 4.5%, compared to the percentage in Greater Sydney. Conversely, the percentage of people aged 35-44 is lower at 12.3%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 11.8% to 14.0%, while the percentage of those aged 5-14 has declined from 10.9% to 9.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Croydon. The age group of 35-44 is expected to grow by 62%, adding 852 people, reaching a total of 2,223 from the current figure of 1,370. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are projected to account for 60% of the total population growth, reflecting Croydon's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the populations aged 0-4 and 5-14 are expected to decline.