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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of November 2025, Five Dock's population is estimated at around 10,327. This reflects an increase of 504 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,823. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 10,275 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional 82 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 4,198 persons per square kilometer, placing Five Dock in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 5.1% growth since census is within 0.3 percentage points of its SA3 area (5.4%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth, with the area expected to increase by 149 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a reduction of 1.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Five Dock recorded around 38 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, approximately 190 homes were approved, with a further 1,078 approved in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, indicating a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average value of new homes being built is $909,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment. In terms of commercial development, $20.0 million in approvals have been recorded this financial year, reflecting steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Five Dock has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 59th percentile nationally for assessed areas. Building activity shows 36.0% detached houses and 64.0% attached dwellings, favoring higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

Five Dock reflects a low density area with around 256 people per approval. Population projections indicating stability or decline should reduce housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

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 has identified 13 projects likely affecting this area. Notable ones include TOGA Five Dock Mixed-Use Masterplan, Kings Bay Village, Five Dock Station for Sydney Metro West, and Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy (PRCUTS) - Stage 2. 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.

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

Five Dock has a highly educated workforce. The technology sector is prominently represented.

Its unemployment rate was 2.9% in the past year. Employment stability remained relatively consistent during this period, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 5,673 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was at 64.4%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%.

Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. The area specializes particularly in education & training with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. However, retail trade shows lower representation at 7.4% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, labour force increased by 0.2%, but employment declined by 0.4%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and labour force expand by 2.4%. As of 25-November-25, NSW employment had contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Five Dock's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. Five Dock's median income among taxpayers was $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 September 2025, current estimates project Five Dock's median income at approximately $72,545 and average at $108,868, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Five Dock rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 84th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income analysis shows that 26.9% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with broader trends across the region at 30.9%. Notably, 39.4% of Five Dock residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. Despite high housing costs consuming 18.2% of income, 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 a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Five Dock, as per the latest Census data, 45.4% of dwellings were houses while 54.6% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This differs from Sydney metropolitan area's figures of 37.8% houses and 62.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Five Dock was 32.2%, similar to Sydney metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 29.9%, with rented dwellings at 37.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, matching Sydney metro's average, while median weekly rent was $570 compared to Sydney metro's $3,000 and $560 respectively. Nationally, Five Dock's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than Australia's average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Five Dock has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 70.5% of all households, consisting of 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% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the Greater Sydney average.

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. Among residents aged 15 and above, 40.6% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4%. The area has a significant educational advantage, with bachelor degrees being the most common at 26.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 11.0% and graduate diplomas at 2.7%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.8% of residents holding such qualifications.

Advanced diplomas account for 12.0% and certificates for 15.8%. Educational participation is high in Five Dock, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 7.6% in secondary education, and 5.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Five Dock shows that there are currently 91 active transport stops serving the area. These stops cater to a mix of bus services, with 70 individual routes operating throughout Five Dock. Together, these routes facilitate a total of 4,970 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 116 meters away from their nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency stands at 710 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 54 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Five Dock. Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (6,850 people), compared to 69.2% across Greater Sydney, which stands at 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 6.9 and 6.2% of residents respectively, while 74.2% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 76.3% across Greater Sydney. As of 18th June 2021, the area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,900 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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 cultural diversity, with 34.7% of its population born overseas and 33.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Five Dock, comprising 62.0% of people, compared to 57.1% across Greater Sydney. The top three represented ancestry groups are Italian (17.9%), Australian (15.9%), and English (15.4%).

Notably, Spanish (0.9%) and Lebanese (1.9%) have higher representation in Five Dock than regionally (Spanish: 0.8%, Lebanese: 2.2%). Hungarian representation is also notably higher 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 larger proportion of the 55-64 age group (12.7% locally) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.5%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group increased from 9.1% to 10.7%, while the 25 to 34 cohort decreased from 12.6% to 11.5%. By 2041, Five Dock's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 54%, adding 363 residents to reach 1,035. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to contribute to 95% of the population growth. Conversely, the 15 to 24 and 45 to 54 age groups are projected to decline in population.