Dudley

Dudley lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, Dudley's population is estimated at around 205,280. This reflects an increase of 6,942 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 198,338. The growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,498 residents following examination of the ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional five validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 37,597 persons per square kilometer. Dudley's population growth of 3.5% since the 2021 census exceeded that of the broader SA3 area at 2.9%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during this period.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the suburb is projected to grow by 12,830 persons based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 10.6% over the seventeen-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Dudley among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Dudley recorded around 503 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 2,516 homes. As of FY-26149 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodated approximately 2.4 new residents. The average construction value of new homes is $912,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $450.6 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Dudley's construction level is 18.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. In terms of dwelling types, 75.0% are standalone homes and 25.0% are townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses at 177.0%.

The estimated population per dwelling approval in Dudley is 536 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. Population is expected to remain stable or decline, potentially reducing pressure on housing and creating opportunities for buyers.

Dudley 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 four projects likely to affect the region: 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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The exceptional employment performance in Dudley places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Dudley has a highly educated workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 7.3%.

As of June 2025, Dudley had 50,740 residents employed, an unemployment rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation at 121.0%. Key industries for residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance showed notable concentration with employment levels at 2.0 times the regional average. Conversely, mining had lower representation at 0.8% versus the regional average of 2.5%.

The worker-to-resident ratio was 0.9 as of the Census, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 7.3%, labour force by 8.7%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 1.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 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 Dudley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

Dudley's median income among taxpayers was $104,114 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $126,746 during the same period. This compares to figures for Rest of NSW which were $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $117,243 (median) and $142,729 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, individual earnings ranked at the 98th percentile nationally ($1,562 weekly). However, household income ranked lower at the 64th percentile. Distribution data showed that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 64.2% of residents (131,789 people), mirroring regional levels where 29.9% occupied this bracket. Income distribution demonstrated clear polarization, with 52.8% in lower brackets (<$800/week) and 35.0% in higher brackets (>$3,000/week). After housing costs, residents retained 173.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

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

Dudley's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 176.8% houses and 23.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.4% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dudley stood at 72.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 67.0% and rented dwellings at 60.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,860, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Dudley was $560, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $370. Nationally, Dudley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,860 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 136.6% of all households, consisting of 55.8% couples with children, 56.4% couples without children, and 22.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining -36.6%, with lone person households at 56.8% and group households comprising 6.6% of the total. The median household size is 5.0 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Dudley exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Dudley is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2021 data, 40.8% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 23.5% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 28.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 77.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (19.0%) and certificates (58.2%).

Educational participation is high, with 62.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data. This includes 22.0% in primary education, 16.6% in secondary education, and 9.2% pursuing tertiary education. Dudley Public School, established on January 1, 1875, serves local educational needs within Dudley with an enrollment of 248 students as of the most recent data. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. As of 2021, the area functions as an education hub with 30.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 14.6, attracting students from nearby communities. Dudley has demonstrated significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1104.

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

Dudley's public transport analysis indicates 4,150 active transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 550 individual routes, resulting in 9,250 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents on average located 466 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,321 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per stop.

Dudley's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Dudley's health data shows a relatively positive picture with low prevalence rates for common conditions among its general population, albeit higher than national averages in older and at-risk groups. Approximately 103% of Dudley residents have private health cover, compared to 54.2% across Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (19.6%) and arthritis (18.6%), with 129.0% claiming to be free from medical ailments, higher than the 62.6% in Rest of NSW.

Dudley has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 39.3%, or 80,675 people, compared to 21.4% in Rest of NSW. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Dudley was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Dudley's cultural diversity is notable, with 20.8% of its population born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Dudley, comprising 128.6% of people, compared to 52.5% across Rest of NSW. Regarding ancestry, Australian comprises 61.8%, English 60.6%, and Irish 19.8% of Dudley's population, all substantially higher than regional averages of 30.7%, 31.5%, and 8.2% respectively.

Notably, Australian Aboriginal is overrepresented at 9.0% in Dudley (vs 3.4%), German at 7.8% (vs 3.1%), and Scottish at 16.0% (vs 8.8%).

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

Dudley's median age is 75, which is significantly higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and also above the national average of 38. The age distribution in Dudley aligns closely with the Rest of NSW average across all cohorts. Notably, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of Dudley's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 25.8% to 27.8%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 55 to 64 has decreased from 24.0% to 22.1%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 22.8% to 21.0%. By 2041, Dudley's age composition is expected to shift significantly. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow strongly by approximately 60%, adding around -6,574 residents to reach a total of approximately 4,305. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 85+ and 75 to 84 cohorts.