Lawson (NSW)

Lawson is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Lawson (NSW) is around 2,674. This reflects an increase of 23 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,651. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 2,667 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 366 persons per square kilometer. Lawson's growth rate of 0.9% since census positions it within 0.8 percentage points of the SA3 area (1.7%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase by 158 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 5.1% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Lawson, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Lawson has seen approximately 12 new home approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 64 homes. As of FY-2025/26, there have been 5 approvals recorded. Despite population decline, development activity has been relatively adequate. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $409,000.

This year, there have also been $343,000 in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lawson shows 140.0% higher building activity per person. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 444 people.

Future projections suggest Lawson will add 137 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Lawson has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 0 projects that could impact this area. Notable projects include Regional NSW Road Network Safety Improvements, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, Paling Yards Wind Farm, and Sydney Metro, with the following list outlining those most relevant.

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

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

Lawson has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation as of September 2025. In this month, 1,453 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.9% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Lawson stands at 66.9%, slightly below Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census responses indicate that 40.4% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety. Notably, education & training has a high concentration with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Conversely, finance & insurance has limited presence with only 1.5% of employment compared to the regional average of 7.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.2%, accompanied by a 3.3% decrease in employment, resulting in an unemployment rate drop of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising slightly by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within Lawson. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Lawson's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.9% over ten years. However, it is important to note that this extrapolation is for illustrative purposes only and does not consider localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data, released for financial year 2023, shows Lawson's median income among taxpayers is $47,979, with an average of $58,187. This is below the national average and compares to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $52,230 (median) and $63,342 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, Lawson's household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly between the 34th and 36th percentiles. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 32.2% of residents (861 people), aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 36th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Lawson's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.3% houses and 5.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lawson stood at 37.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.0% and rented ones at 18.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,849, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427, while the median weekly rent figure was $387 compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Lawson's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 66.6% of all households, including 27.8% couples with children, 24.9% couples without children, and 12.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.4%, with lone person households at 30.8% and group households comprising 2.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

The educational profile of Lawson exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 33.7%, surpassing the SA4 region average of 23.9%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.2%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, held by 34.8% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (23.8%).

Educational participation is high at 27.3%, with 8.4% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Lawson has 29 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 20 routes that facilitate 905 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is considered good with residents typically residing 278 meters from the nearest stop. Lawson, being predominantly residential, sees most residents commuting outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 87%, while train usage stands at 6%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 40.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 129 trips per day, equating to approximately 31 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Lawson is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Lawson faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~1,336 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.9 and 9.3% of residents respectively. Conversely, 62.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 21.3% of residents aged 65 and over (569 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Lawson ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Lawson's population was found to be below average in cultural diversity, with 81.9% born in Australia, 91.5% being citizens, and 93.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 39.5% of Lawson's population. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.8%), Australian (26.4%), and Scottish (9.3%), all higher than regional averages of 19.0%, 17.8%, and 5.5% respectively. Notably, Welsh (1.1%) was overrepresented compared to the region's 0.4%, as were French (0.9%) versus 0.5% and Dutch (1.8%) versus 0.7%.

Lawson hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Lawson is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lawson has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (16.2%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.9%). This concentration of 55-64 year-olds is well above the national average of 11.2%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of Lawson's population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 4.8% to 7.3%, while the proportion of those aged 55 to 64 has declined from 17.6% to 16.2%. The proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 also decreased, from 14.2% to 13.0%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Lawson's age structure. Notably, the 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 45%, reaching 283 people from its current size of 195. This growth will contribute significantly to the overall population growth in Lawson, with combined age groups of 65 and above accounting for 80% of this increase. In contrast, both the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.