Dudley

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

By Feb 2026, Dudley's population is estimated at around 2,518. This reflects an increase of 13 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,505. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,482 residents following examination of ABS data released in June 2024, along with 8 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 461 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Dudley is expected to grow by 257 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 11.7% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Dudley according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Dudley has recorded around 5 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 25 homes. So far in FY-26, 0 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 3.6 people moving to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demand significantly outpaces supply, typically putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers.

Commercial approvals totalling $190,000 have been registered this financial year, demonstrating Dudley's residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Dudley records markedly lower building activity, 52.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, Dudley's building activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows 33.0% detached dwellings and 67.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns which are currently 92.0% houses. The estimated count of 638 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects Dudley's quiet, low activity development environment.

Population forecasts indicate Dudley will gain 294 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Dudley has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely to impact the area: Lonus Estate - Whitebridge, Redhead Business Park, Charlestown Swim Centre Expansion, and First Creek Realignment Project. The following details these key projects in order of relevance.

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

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

Dudley has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.9% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.8%. As of September 2025, Dudley's unemployment rate was 0.9% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%, and its workforce participation was 70.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%.

According to Census responses, 33.7% of residents worked from home as of September 2025. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Dudley had a higher share of workers in health care & social assistance (1.3 times the regional level) but was under-represented in agriculture, forestry & fishing (0.3% compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%). The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.6 as at Census.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 2.8%, labour force by 3.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.5% and labour force decline by 0.1%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dudley's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows median income in Dudley suburb is $68,554 and average income is $91,918. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.86% from financial year ending June 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income in Dudley would be approximately $74,628 and average income would be around $100,062 as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Dudley rank highly nationally, between 84th and 90th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income analysis shows that 26.3% of Dudley residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (662 individuals), which is consistent with the broader regional trend of 29.9%. A substantial proportion of high earners (42.0%) in Dudley have incomes above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity. After accounting for housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dudley's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.4% houses and 7.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Non-Metro NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dudley was at 42.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.3% and rented dwellings at 14.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Dudley was $2,324, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Dudley was $420, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Dudley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,324 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 81.3 percent of all households, including 40.9 percent couples with children, 29.2 percent couples without children, and 10.0 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 18.7 percent, with lone person households at 18.7 percent and group households at 0.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

Dudley's educational attainment is notably high, with 39.8% of its residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 23.5% in the SA3 area. The area's residents have a significant educational advantage, particularly in bachelor degrees (27.2%), postgraduate qualifications (9.7%), and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (22.1%).

Educational participation is notably high in Dudley, with 30.9% of its residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.7% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 4.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Dudley's public transport analysis shows 25 active stops operating within the area, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by 10 individual routes that collectively provide 182 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 160 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Dudley's primarily residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 97%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 33.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 26 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 7 weekly trips per individual stop.

Dudley's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows Dudley performed well in health metrics based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts had low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover was found to be high at approximately 63% of Dudley's total population (1,590 people), compared to 51.9% across Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.7% and 7.7% of residents respectively. Dudley had 71.2% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Under-65 population health outcomes were better than average. Dudley has 17.3% of residents aged 65 and over (435 people), lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Dudley is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Dudley, surveyed in June 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 90.6% of residents born in Australia, 94.7% being citizens, and 96.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 44.5%. Judaism, at 0.3%, was overrepresented compared to Rest of NSW's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were Australian (31.6%), English (31.1%), and Scottish (9.6%). Welsh (1.1% vs regional 0.5%), Polish (1.0% vs 0.5%), and Macedonian (0.5% vs 0.4%) were notably overrepresented.

Dudley's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Dudley's median age is 38, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 35-44 age group constitutes 15.4% of Dudley's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 75-84 cohort makes up 4.4%. According to the 2021 Census, Dudley's 35-44 age group has risen from 13.5% to 15.4%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 9.3% to 11.0%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort decreased from 11.9% to 10.7%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 15.8% to 14.7%. Demographic projections suggest Dudley's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 35-44 age group is expected to grow by 21% (83 people), reaching 471 from 387. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts.