Five Dock

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

Five Dock's population is estimated at around 10,385 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 562 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,823 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 10,371 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2025 and an additional 80 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,221 persons per square kilometer, placing Five Dock in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 5.7% growth since the 2021 Census exceeded its SA3 area's growth rate of 5.5%, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving Five Dock's population growth.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth, with Five Dock expected to increase by 232 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 2.1% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Five Dock recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Five Dock has recorded approximately 38 residential properties granted approval annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 190 homes were approved, with a further 1,090 approved in FY-26. On average, 1.4 new residents per year have been associated with each dwelling constructed over the past five financial years. However, this figure has increased to 5.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years.

The average construction value of new properties is $909,000, indicating a focus on premium market segments. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalled $20.0 million. Compared to Greater Sydney, Five Dock has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 58th percentile nationally in terms of new dwelling approvals. Building activity shows a focus on higher-density living, with 64% attached dwellings.

Five Dock reflects a low density area, with approximately 261 people per approval. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 218 residents by 2041. Current development patterns suggest that new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Five Dock 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 identified 13 projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones include TOGA Five Dock Mixed-Use Masterplan, Kings Bay Village, Five Dock Station - Sydney Metro West, and Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy (PRCUTS) - Stage 2. The following list details those most relevant.

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AreaSearch assessment positions Five Dock ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Five Dock has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there are 5,836 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Five Dock mirrors Greater Sydney's at 68.8%. Census responses indicate that 51.0% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors. Notably, education & training has a higher share of employment at 1.2 times the regional level, while retail trade shows lower representation at 7.4% compared to the regional average of 9.3%.

The area's residential nature suggests limited local job opportunities, supported by Census data comparing working population to resident population. In the 12-month period ending in December 2025, Five Dock's labour force decreased by 1.0%, employment declined by 1.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's growth in employment and labour force, and marginal increase in unemployment. 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 Five Dock's industry mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Five Dock's median income among taxpayers is $66,641, with an average of $100,007. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. By March 2026, based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32%, estimated incomes would be approximately $73,518 (median) and $110,328 (average). In Five Dock, household, family, and personal incomes rank highly, between the 84th and 84th percentiles nationally according to 2021 Census figures. The income analysis reveals that 26.9% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with broader regional trends showing 30.9% in the same category. Notably, 39.4% of Five Dock residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 18.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 80th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Five Dock displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Five Dock's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 45.4% houses and 54.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Five Dock stood at 32.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.9% and rented ones at 37.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Five Dock was $570, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Five Dock's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Five Dock has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.5% of all households, including 34.0% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.5%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 3.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational attainment in Five Dock is notably higher than national averages. As of 2016 data, 40.6% of residents aged 15 years or above have university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This educational advantage is reflected in various levels of tertiary education: Bachelor degrees at 26.9%, postgraduate qualifications at 11.0%, and graduate diplomas at 2.7%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent among residents aged 15 years or above, with 27.8% holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.0%) and certificates (15.8%).

Educational participation is high in Five Dock, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education programs as of the 2016 census data. This includes primary education at 9.1%, secondary education at 7.6%, and tertiary education at 5.6%.

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

Public transport analysis shows 91 active transport stops in Five Dock, served by 70 routes offering 4,970 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 116 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car is the dominant mode at 80%, followed by bus at 8% and walking at 5%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 51.0% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 710 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 54 weekly trips per individual stop.

Five Dock's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Five Dock's health outcomes data shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (6,889 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%.

Nationally, it averages 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 6.9% and 6.2% of residents respectively. 74.2% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, close to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,941 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.5%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Five Dock 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

Five Dock has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.7% of its population born overseas and 33.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Five Dock, making up 62.0% of the population, compared to 49.2% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are Italian (17.9%), Australian (15.9%), and English (15.4%).

Notably, Spanish is overrepresented in Five Dock at 0.9%, compared to the regional average of 0.6%. Lebanese representation is also higher at 1.9% versus 2.6%, and Hungarian is slightly more prevalent at 0.4% compared to the regional average of 0.3%.

Five Dock's median age exceeds the national pattern

At 41 years, Five Dock's median age is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Five Dock has a notably higher proportion of the 55-64 cohort (12.6%) and a lower proportion of the 25-34 cohort (11.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group increased from 9.1% to 11.1%, while the 75-84 cohort rose from 5.6% to 6.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort decreased from 12.6% to 11.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Five Dock's age profile. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 47%, adding 334 residents to reach 1,041. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 92% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 25-34 and 15-24 cohorts.