Darlington (Sydney - NSW)

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

Darlington's population is estimated at around 2,958 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 361 people from the 2021 Census figure of 2,597. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of a resident population of 2,938 based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and one additional validated new address since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 7,784 persons per square kilometer, placing Darlington in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 13.9% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the state average (7.8%) and Greater Sydney. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. 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 Australian statistical areas, with Darlington expected to grow by 1,128 persons to 2041. This reflects an overall increase of 37.5% over the 17-year period.

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

Darlington has seen minimal dwelling approvals in recent years. From AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, approximately 4 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, ending on June 30, 2021. As of July 1, 2022 (FY-26), no dwelling approvals have been recorded in Darlington.

Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with diverse buyer choices. The average construction cost value for new homes is $625,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Compared to Greater Sydney, there is substantially reduced construction activity in Darlington. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Nationally, Darlington's construction levels are below average.

Darlington 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 has identified 12 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include the University of Sydney Campus Transformation, Redfern North Eveleigh Paint Shop Sub-Precinct development, University of Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA), and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Redevelopment. 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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Darlington has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Darlington has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector prominently represented. Its unemployment rate is 5.2%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 1,873 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 6.2% compared to Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Darlington mirrors Greater Sydney's at 70.2%. Census responses show that 59.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, education & training, and health care & social assistance sectors. Darlington specializes in professional & technical jobs with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level, while construction has limited presence at 5.2% compared to the regional average of 8.6%.

There are 1.6 workers per resident as of the Census, indicating that Darlington functions as an employment hub attracting workers from nearby areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, Darlington's labour force decreased by 0.5% and employment fell by 0.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.2% during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Darlington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Darlington suburb's income level is slightly below the national average, according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Darlington is $50,267, with an average income of $65,974. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes are approximately $54,721 (median) and $71,819 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 data shows household incomes rank at the 87th percentile ($2,392 weekly), while personal income ranks at the 44th percentile. Income analysis reveals that 30.7% of Darlington's population (908 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range. This is similar to the regional pattern where 30.9% occupy this range. The suburb demonstrates affluence with 41.4% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 23.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 77th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Darlington displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Darlington, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 3.8% houses and 96.2% other dwellings such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Darlington was at 18.2%, with the remainder of dwellings being mortgaged (21.2%) or rented (60.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Darlington was $3,200, which is higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure for Darlington was recorded at $650, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Darlington's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Darlington features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 46.8% of all households, including 11.3% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 5.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 53.2%, with lone person households at 29.3% and group households comprising 23.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Darlington performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Darlington's educational attainment exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 57.5% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 37.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Technical qualifications account for 12.8%, with advanced diplomas (6.2%) and certificates (6.6%) being the main categories.

Educational participation is high, with 48.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 39.6% in tertiary education, 2.4% in primary education, and 2.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Darlington has eight active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by fourteen routes that facilitate 4,630 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 226 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 35%, followed by trains at 24% and walking at 22%. On average, there are 0.5 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 59.1% of residents work from home, a figure possibly influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 661 trips per day, equating to about 578 weekly trips per individual stop.

Darlington's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows strong health performance across Darlington, based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups.

Private health cover was around 53%, slightly higher than the average SA2 area (1,568 people). This compares to 59.9% in Greater Sydney. Mental health issues impacted 11.8% of residents, while asthma affected 7.7%. Around 75.9% reported no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 5.4% of residents aged 65 and over (159 people), lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, ranking higher than the general population nationally.

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

Darlington has a high level of cultural diversity, with 32.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 43.8% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Darlington, comprising 19.8% of people there. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 1.2% of Darlington's population versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 20.4%, Australian at 17.2%, and Chinese at 13.7%, which is higher than the regional average of 8.4%. There are also notable differences in the representation of French, Russian, and New Zealand ethnicities compared to the regional averages.

Darlington hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Darlington's median age is 25 years, significantly below Greater Sydney's average of 37 and lower than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Darlington has a higher proportion of 15-24 year-olds at 40.9%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 1.4%. This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is well above the national average of 12.5%. Post-2021 Census, Darlington's median age decreased by 2.4 years to 25 from 27. The 15-24 age group grew from 34.3% to 40.9%, while the 35-44 cohort declined from 10.9% to 9.0% and the 5-14 group dropped from 3.1% to 1.4%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Darlington's age structure, with the 15-24 cohort projected to grow by 30%, adding 364 residents to reach 1,574.