Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Hill is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, Dulwich Hill's population is estimated at around 15,004, reflecting an increase of 958 people since the 2021 Census. The population in 2021 was 14,046. This growth is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 14,668 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024, and an additional 128 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 7,077 persons per square kilometer, placing Dulwich Hill in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This growth rate of 6.8% since the census positions Dulwich Hill within 1.0 percentage points of the state's growth rate of 7.8%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Dulwich Hill.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Dulwich Hill is expected to expand by 311 persons to 2041, reflecting a decrease of 0.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Dulwich Hill shows approximately 25 residential properties granted approval each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 129 homes from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26115 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.2 new residents per dwelling were constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, this has intensified to 31.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $443,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating focus on quality developments. In FY-26, there have been $4.9 million in commercial approvals, showing limited commercial development focus. Recent construction comprises 12.0% standalone homes and 88.0% attached dwellings, offering affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns of 29.0% houses. Dulwich Hill has around 2076 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area with stable or declining population expected in the future, potentially reducing pressure on housing and creating opportunities for buyers.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Dulwich Hill should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 26 projects likely impacting the area. Major projects include JF Laxton Reserve Upgrade, Cooks to Cove GreenWay, Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, and Marrickville Station Metro Upgrade. The following list details 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 Dulwich Hill shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Dulwich Hill has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate here is 5.3%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 9,069 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 1.1% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Dulwich Hill stands at 75.1%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census responses indicate that 58.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors. Dulwich Hill shows strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Meanwhile, construction has limited presence here, with 5.6% employment compared to 8.6% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 0.9%, resulting in a rise in unemployment rate by 1.0 percentage points. In Greater Sydney, employment grew by 2.1%, labour force expanded by 2.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dulwich Hill's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released on 30 June 2023 for financial year 2023, Dulwich Hill had a median income among taxpayers of $66,520. The average income stood at $86,972. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to the national median of $60,817 and average of $83,003 for Greater Sydney. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $72,414 (median) and $94,678 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings in Dulwich Hill stand out at the 88th percentile nationally with weekly earnings of $1,157. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 32.9% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, with 4,936 residents falling into this category. This pattern is similar to the broader area where 30.9% of residents earn within this range. The suburb demonstrates considerable affluence with 32.2% earning over $3,000 per week, which supports premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 18.1% of income in Dulwich Hill, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 68th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Dulwich Hill features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dulwich Hill's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 28.9% houses and 71.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This differed from Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dulwich Hill stood at 25.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.7% and rented ones at 46.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Dulwich Hill was $470, equal to Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Dulwich Hill's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,500 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Dulwich Hill features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 59.1% of all households, consisting of 23.4% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.9%, with lone person households at 34.4% and group households comprising 6.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Dulwich Hill's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 49.4% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. The area has a strong educational advantage with bachelor degrees being the most prevalent at 31.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 22.7% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas making up 10.8% and certificates 11.9%.

Educational participation is high in Dulwich Hill, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 7.6% in primary education, 7.5% in tertiary education, and 6.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Dulwich Hill has 60 operational public transport stops offering a mix of light rail and bus services. These are served by 27 unique routes, facilitating 8,547 weekly passenger trips in total. The accessibility to these stops is excellent, with residents typically residing just 139 meters from the nearest one. Predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 64%, followed by trains at 15% and buses at 8%. On average, there are 0.6 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 58.7% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Daily service frequency averages 1,221 trips across all routes, translating to around 142 weekly trips per individual stop.

Dulwich Hill's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Dulwich Hill residents show positive health outcomes, according to AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions. The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age cohorts, aligning with national benchmarks.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (9,188 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 10.9 and 8.3% of residents respectively. 69.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among working-age residents are typical. The area has 14.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,100 people), lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Dulwich Hill was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Dulwich Hill's population showed significant cultural diversity, with 33.7% born overseas and 29.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Dulwich Hill, accounting for 40.9% of the population. Judaism, although a minority, was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney figures (0.4% vs 0.8%).

The top three ancestry groups were English (20.5%), Australian (17.4%), and Other (13.4%). Notable differences in ethnic group representation included Hungarian (0.5% vs regional 0.3%), Greek (5.0% vs 1.9%), and Lebanese (2.6%, equal to regional figures).

Dulwich Hill's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Dulwich Hill is 38 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 and equivalent to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Dulwich Hill has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (18.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.1%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 9.8% to 11.3%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 9.4% to 8.1%. By 2041, Dulwich Hill's age composition is expected to change significantly. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 90%, reaching 541 people from 285. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 84% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 age groups.