Erskineville

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

The population of Erskineville is estimated at around 10,713 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,056 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,657 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 10,495 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 13,225 persons per square kilometer, making land in the suburb a highly-sought resource. Erskineville's growth of 10.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the state (7.8%) and Greater Sydney, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 65.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year for areas not covered by this data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth, with Erskineville expected to grow by 2,288 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 19.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Erskineville averaged around 55 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 277 homes. As of FY-26, 40 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.6 new residents arrived per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This suggests demand exceeds supply, potentially driving price growth and increased buyer competition.

Developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties, constructing new dwellings at an average value of $593,000. Commercial approvals totalled $89.4 million in FY-26, indicating high local commercial activity. Erskineville's development levels per person are similar to Greater Sydney's, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas. Recent building activity consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, promoting affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

The area has approximately 319 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth. By 2041, Erskineville is projected to grow by 2,070 residents (AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate). Building activity aligns with growth projections, but heightened competition may occur as the population increases.

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

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of seventeen projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include The Erskineville Project (Ashmore Precinct), Erskineville Village, Brightwell Real Estate Coulson Street Development, and Park Sydney - Arbor Stage 2. The following list details those projects likely to be 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Erskineville well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Erskineville has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.0% as of AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there were 7,492 residents in work and an unemployment rate of 1.2%, which is below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was at 82.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. According to Census responses, 70.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance sectors. Erskineville has a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction has limited presence with 4.3% employment compared to 8.6% regionally. The ratio of 0.9 workers for each resident indicates substantial local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending in June 2025, Erskineville's labour force decreased by 0.5%, alongside a 1.1% decline in employment, leading to an increase in unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.2%. 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 Erskineville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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 2023 shows Erskineville's median income among taxpayers is $87,249. The average income is $113,574. This places Erskineville in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Sydney has a median income of $60,817 and an average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Erskineville would be approximately $94,979 (median) and $123,637 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Erskineville rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 99th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 34.1% of residents earn over $4,000 per week (3,653 people). This is different from the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Erskineville demonstrates affluence with 50.4% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 18.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 95th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Erskineville's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 3.2% houses and 96.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Erskineville was at 12.9%, with dwellings either mortgaged (33.0%) or rented (54.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,800, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent was $620, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Erskineville's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,800 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 57.6% of all households, including 15.9% couples with children, 36.3% couples without children, and 4.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 42.4%, with lone person households at 32.5% and group households comprising 10.0%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Erskineville's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 years and over, 66.5% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. University degrees are the most common, with 41.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 20.5% and graduate diplomas at 4.3%. Vocational pathways account for 17.6% of qualifications in this age group, including advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (8.4%).

Furthermore, 22.2% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, with 8.8% pursuing tertiary education, 4.9% primary education, and 3.0% secondary education.

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

Erskineville has 24 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus routes. These stops are covered by 11 individual routes, collectively facilitating 5666 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 160 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 49%, followed by train at 23% and walking at 14%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.3 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 70.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 809 trips per day, equating to approximately 236 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Erskineville is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Erskineville shows superior health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 72% of Erskineville's total population (7,675 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%.

Nationally, the average is 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in Erskineville, affecting 10.5% and 8.4% of residents respectively. 74.7% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Only 6.7% of Erskineville's population is aged 65 and over (717 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

Erskineville 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

Erskineville had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 20.5% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 38.7% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Erskineville, making up 23.8% of its population. Notably, Judaism comprised 0.9%, slightly higher than the Greater Sydney average of 0.8%.

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were English at 24.5%, Australian at 17.1%, and Other at 11.4%. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French was overrepresented at 1.2% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, Welsh at 0.9% (vs 0.4%), and Russian at 0.7% (vs 0.4%).

Erskineville hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Erskineville's median age is 35 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 28.9%, higher than Greater Sydney but lower than the national average of 14.4%. The 5-14 age group makes up 5.5% in Erskineville. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has increased from 23.0% to 24.3%, while the 25-34 group has decreased from 32.1% to 28.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant changes in Erskineville's demographics. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow by 577 people (41%), from 1,414 to 1,992. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age group is expected to increase by a modest 3%, adding 18 people.