Leichhardt (NSW)

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

The suburb of Leichhardt (NSW) had an estimated population of 15,876 as of November 2025, based on analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated by AreaSearch. This figure reflects a growth of 718 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,158. The estimated resident population of 15,790, calculated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 218 validated new addresses since the Census date, indicates this growth. This population density equates to approximately 6,106 persons per square kilometer, placing Leichhardt in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 4.7% growth rate since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's 3.4%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for Leichhardt.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, 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, Leichhardt is expected to increase by just below the median of national statistical areas, with an estimated population increase of 1,386 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of approximately 7.9% over the 17-year period.

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

Leichhardt has received around 71 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY20 to FY24, approximately 358 homes have been approved in total. As of FY26, 15 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.4 new residents per year have arrived for each new home over the past five financial years, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand.

The average construction value of new dwellings has been $779,000, suggesting a focus on premium developments. This financial year, Leichhardt has seen $1.5 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting its residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Leichhardt has recorded 55.0% more new home approvals per person. Recent construction comprises 58.0% standalone homes and 42.0% townhouses or apartments, offering a mix of medium-density options across different price brackets.

Notably, the proportion of detached housing being constructed is higher than the existing pattern at Census (37.0%), indicating strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. Leichhardt has around 539 people per approval, suggesting a mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Leichhardt is expected to gain 1,257 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Leichhardt 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 32 projects potentially influencing this region. Notable initiatives include Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre Renovation, Leichhardt Oval Redevelopment, Oria Annandale (Lilyfield border), and Redevelopment of 40-76 William Street, Leichhardt. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Leichhardt maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Leichhardt has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 4.1% as of June 2025, aligning with Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.5%. As of June 2025, 10,094 residents were in work, with a workforce participation rate of 72.0%, higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.5 times the regional average), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.5%, labour force by 4.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.6% and a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate over the same period. 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. Applying these projections to Leichhardt's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

Leichhardt had a median taxpayer income of $78,986 and an average of $110,287 in financial year 2022. These figures are significantly higher than the national averages of $56,994 for median income and $80,856 for average income. By September 2025, these numbers are estimated to have increased to approximately $88,946 (median) and $124,194 (average), based on a 12.61% growth in wages since financial year 2022. According to Census 2021 income data, Leichhardt ranks highly for household, family, and personal incomes, between the 93rd and 96th percentiles nationally. The majority of locals (5,143 people, or 32.4%) fall into the $4000+ weekly earnings category, which is higher than the region's leading bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 at 30.9%. A substantial portion of residents (45.9%) earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power in the community. Despite high housing costs consuming 19.4% of income, Leichhardt's disposable income remains at the 90th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Leichhardt displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census evaluated Leichhardt's dwelling structure as 36.6% houses and 63.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Sydney metro had 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Leichhardt was 24.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.8% and rented ones at 40.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,400, below Sydney metro's $3,500. Median weekly rent was $600 in Leichhardt, matching Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Leichhardt's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were above the national figure of $375.

Leichhardt features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 67.6% of all households, including 30.9% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.4%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 6.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

Leichhardt demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Leichhardt's educational attainment significantly exceeds national and state averages. 53.8% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 22.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 11.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.2% in tertiary education, and 6.3% pursuing secondary education. There are six schools operating within Leichhardt, educating approximately 1,972 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1128). Education provision is balanced with five primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (12.4 places per 100 residents vs 10.3 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Leichhardt has 50 active public transport stops operating currently. These include a mix of lightrail and bus services. There are 31 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 6,696 weekly passenger trips.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 163 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 956 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 133 weekly trips per individual stop.

Leichhardt's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Leichhardt's health outcomes show excellent results, particularly for younger cohorts who have a low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high here at approximately 70% (11,171 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 80.5%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions in Leichhardt, affecting 8.9 and 7.3% of residents respectively. About 73.5% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 73.2%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.3% (2,111 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Leichhardt 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

Leichhardt's population showed high cultural diversity, with 29.8% born overseas and 20.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 41.4%. Judaism was slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney (0.5% vs 0.7%).

The top three ancestry groups were English (22.7%), Australian (19.0%), and Irish (10.4%). Notably, Spanish (1.0%) and French (0.8%) groups were proportionally similar to the regional averages, while Hungarian was also similarly represented at 0.4%.

Leichhardt's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Leichhardt's median age in 2021 was 37 years, matching Greater Sydney's figure and closely resembling Australia's median age of 38 years. The 35-44 age group constituted 18.2% of Leichhardt's population in 2021, higher than Greater Sydney's percentage. Conversely, the 15-24 age cohort comprised only 10.9%. Between 2016 and 2021, the 15-24 age group increased from 9.3% to 10.9%, while the 0-4 age group decreased from 6.7% to 5.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Leichhardt's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 69%, reaching 1,237 people from 730. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 70% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 15-24 and 35-44 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.