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 November 2025, Frenchs Forest's population is estimated at around 14,835. This reflects an increase of 568 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 14,267. The change was inferred from the resident population of 14,807 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,695 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Frenchs Forest's growth of 4.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (3.2%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 73.0% 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. 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median is expected, with Frenchs Forest expected to grow by 1,868 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 12.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Frenchs Forest has seen around 25 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 128 homes were approved, with 9 more in FY-26 so far. On average, 1.8 people moved to the area per dwelling built over the past five financial years, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this has increased to 9.3 people per dwelling over the past two years, suggesting growing popularity and potential supply constraints.

New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $957,000, targeting the premium segment. Commercial development approvals totaled $2,000 in FY-26, reflecting the area's residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, Frenchs Forest has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 21st percentile nationally, implying limited buyer choice. New building activity comprises 55% detached dwellings and 45% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options. This marks a shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 93% houses.

The area has around 775 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. By 2041, Frenchs Forest is forecast to gain 1,845 residents. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

AreaSearch has identified 38 infrastructure 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 most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Frenchs Forest ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Frenchs Forest has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 2.4%, lower than Greater Sydney's 4.2%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relatively consistent. The workforce participation rate is high at 67.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Major industries employing residents include professional & technical services (35.1%), health care & social assistance (18.9%), and education & training (12.4%).

Transport, postal & warehousing has a lower presence at 2.5% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.0%, employment decreased by 0.4%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% and the labour force expand by 2.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Frenchs Forest's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on 2nd June 2022 for financial year 2022, Frenchs Forest had a median income among taxpayers of $62,962 and an average level of $94,804. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to the national median of $51,372 and average of $83,129. In Greater Sydney, the median was $56,994 and the average was $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $70,902 for median income and $106,759 for average income as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Frenchs Forest rank at the 97th percentile with a weekly income of $3,109. The earnings profile shows that 37.5% of residents (5,563 people) fall within the $4,000+ bracket, while only 28.2% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range in Greater Sydney. A significant 51.7% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.2% of income, but strong earnings 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 structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 57.6% houses and 42.4% 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, higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,000. Median weekly rent in Frenchs Forest was $800, compared to Sydney metro's $592. Nationally, Frenchs Forest's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 comprise 86.4% of all households, including 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%. The median household size is 3.2 people, 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 university qualification rate is 40.1% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the Australian average of 30.4% and NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are held by 29.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.9% and certificates at 17.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 11.7% in primary, 10.2% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education. Frenchs Forest has five schools with a combined enrollment of 2,339 students. The area's socio-educational conditions are above average (ICSEA: 1096). Educational provision is conventional, split between two primary and three secondary institutions.

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

Frenchs Forest has 106 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 107 different routes that together facilitate 4,746 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility in the area is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 160 meters from their nearest transport stop.

On average, there are 678 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 44 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Frenchs Forest exhibits excellent health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 64% of its total population (9540 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Sydney's 71.5%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

Asthma and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in Frenchs Forest, affecting 6.9% and 6.0% of residents respectively. 75.2% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.7%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.3% (2418 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 17.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong and align with the general population's health profile in Frenchs Forest.

Frenchs Forest 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

Frenchs Forest had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 17.8% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 29.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Frenchs Forest, accounting for 54.0% of its population. Notably, Judaism was proportionally represented at 0.3%, similar to Greater Sydney's figure.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (28.0%), Australian (23.1%), and Other (9.8%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French residents comprised 1.2% (vs regional 1.1%), Welsh 0.9% (vs 0.7%), and South African 1.0% (vs 0.9%) of the population in Frenchs Forest.

Frenchs Forest's median age exceeds 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 median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age cohort is notably over-represented in Frenchs Forest at 16.5%, compared to the Greater Sydney average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 6.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.2% to 15.9% of the population. During this period, the 5-14 cohort has declined from 16.5% to 15.3%, and the 65-74 age group has dropped from 7.8% to 6.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Frenchs Forest's age profile. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 644 people (161%), rising from 400 to 1,045. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 65% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.