Frenchs Forest

Frenchs Forest has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Frenchs Forest is around 14,831, reflecting a growth of 564 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 4.0% change from the previous population count of 14,267. The current resident population estimate of 14,801 is based on AreaSearch's analysis of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,695 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Frenchs Forest's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.3%) and SA4 region since the 2021 census, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Frenchs Forest is expected to experience an above median population growth, increasing by 1,848 persons to reach a total of 16,679 by 2041. This projected increase represents a gain of 12.3% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Frenchs Forest shows an average of around 29 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25147 homes were approved, with a further 22 approved so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, on average, 1.6 people moved to the area for each dwelling built. However, this has increased to 12.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting the area's growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

Development projects have an average construction value of $950,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year, there have been $6.8 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating Frenchs Forest's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Frenchs Forest has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and places among the 16th percentile nationally, suggesting limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. New building activity shows 58.0% standalone homes and 42.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a mix of medium-density options across price brackets. This shift from the area's existing housing (currently 93.0% houses) indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more diverse, affordable housing options.

Frenchs Forest has around 1052 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,818 residents by 2041, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections but potentially heightening competition among buyers as the population grows.

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

AreaSearch has identified 38 projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include Forestway Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Belrose Village Green, The Jardin - Stage 1 & 2, and a 146-room hotel at Forest Hotel. Below is a list detailing those 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.

The labour market in Frenchs Forest shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Frenchs Forest has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate is 2.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 8,109 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation matches Greater Sydney's 70.2%. Census responses show 52.0% of residents work from home, but Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors.

Transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented at 2.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.2% alongside a 0.6% employment decline, causing unemployment to rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Frenchs Forest's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting 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 that Frenchs Forest has one of the highest incomes in Australia. The median income is $62,963 and the average income stands at $94,807. In comparison, Greater Sydney's figures are a median income of $60,817 and an average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $68,542 (median) and $103,207 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that Frenchs Forest's household incomes rank at the 97th percentile ($3,109 weekly). The earnings profile shows that 37.5% earn over $4,000 weekly (5,561 residents), contrasting with the broader area where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Frenchs Forest demonstrates considerable affluence with 51.7% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consume 16.2% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 96th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Frenchs Forest's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Frenchs Forest stood at 37.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.1% and rented ones at 15.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,467, exceeding the Sydney metro average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Frenchs Forest was $800, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Frenchs Forest's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Frenchs Forest features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 86.4% of all households, consisting of 54.3% couples with children, 22.6% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 13.6%, with lone person households at 12.3% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Frenchs Forest places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 40.1% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4% and the NSW rate of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 27.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (11.9%) and certificates (17.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 33.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.7% in primary, 10.2% in secondary, 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

Frenchs Forest has 118 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 107 different routes that collectively facilitate 6,146 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 160 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward, primarily by car (86%). Bus usage accounts for 6% of trips. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 52% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 878 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 52 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this data, displaying the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Frenchs Forest's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Frenchs Forest shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (9,537 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 6.9 and 6.0% of residents respectively. 75.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Frenchs Forest has 16.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,461 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Frenchs Forest, as per the census data from June 2016, showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas. Here are the figures: 17.8% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home and 29.9% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Frenchs Forest with 54.0%.

However, Judaism stood out with 0.3%, compared to Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, English topped the list at 28.0%, higher than the regional average of 19.0%. Australian ancestry was also notably high at 23.1% (regional avg: 17.8%), while Other ancestry was lower at 9.8% (regional avg: 16.0%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French (1.2% vs regional 0.5%), Welsh (0.9% vs regional 0.4%), and South Australian (1.0% vs regional 0.5%) were notably overrepresented in Frenchs Forest.

Frenchs Forest's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Frenchs Forest has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 years and Australia's figure of 38 years. The 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in Frenchs Forest at 16.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age cohort is under-represented at 6.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.2% to 16.3% of the population, while the 55-64 cohort has risen from 11.2% to 12.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has declined from 16.5% to 15.0%, and the 65-74 age group has dropped from 7.8% to 6.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Frenchs Forest's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 613 people (143%), from 430 to 1,044. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 65% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.