Lewisham (NSW)

Population growth drivers in Lewisham are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of 1 Nov 2025, Lewisham (NSW) statistical area (Lv2) population is estimated at around 4,276. This reflects an increase of 216 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,060. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of resident population at 4,174 as of Jun 2024, following examination of ABS ERP data release and validation of 68 new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 6,681 persons per square kilometer, placing Lewisham (NSW) in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. Lewisham's growth rate of 5.3% since census is within 2.3 percentage points of NSW's state average of 7.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch projections for Lewisham (NSW) are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in Jun 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former. Population growth is anticipated to be steady, with Lewisham (NSW) expected to grow by 38 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Lewisham has experienced around 11 dwellings receiving development approval each year. Over the past five financial years, between FY2021 and FY2025, approximately 55 homes were approved, with a further 31 approved so far in FY2026. This suggests an average of 1.6 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years, indicating stable market conditions due to balanced supply and demand. However, recent data shows this ratio has intensified to 29.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, potentially indicating growing popularity and undersupply.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $443,000, which is moderately above regional levels, suggesting an emphasis on quality construction. In FY2026, commercial approvals registered totalled $819,000, indicating minimal commercial development activity in the area. Recent construction comprises 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% medium to high-density housing, focusing on higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

Lewisham's population density is around 1684 people per approval, reflecting a mature, established area. With stable or declining population projections, Lewisham should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers in the future.

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

Five projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key ones include Cooks to Cove GreenWay, Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, Petersham Village Precinct Rezoning and Masterplan, and Petersham Station Low and Mid Rise Housing / TOD Precinct. The following details those likely most relevant.

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The employment landscape in Lewisham shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Lewisham has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector prominently represented. Its unemployment rate is 4.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, Lewisham has 2,862 residents employed while its unemployment rate is 0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Lewisham stands at 71.4%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Lewisham shows strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

However, manufacturing has limited presence with only 2.4% employment compared to the regional figure of 5.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Lewisham's labour force remained stable (0.0% change) while employment declined by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and labour force expansion of 2.4%, with a smaller increase in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. State-level data for NSW as of 25-Nov shows employment contraction by 0.03% (loss of 2,260 jobs) and an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lewisham's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Lewisham's median income among taxpayers is $77,173, with an average of $100,921. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared 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 for Lewisham would be approximately $84,011 (median) and $109,863 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Lewisham rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 95th percentiles. Income brackets indicate 29.8% of the population (1,274 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, reflecting metropolitan patterns where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. Lewisham demonstrates considerable affluence with 41.3% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consume 19.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 82nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Lewisham features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living

Lewisham's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 28.7% houses and 71.3% other dwellings. Home ownership stood at 19.2%, with 32.9% of dwellings mortgaged and 47.9% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, and the median weekly rent was $520. Nationally, Lewisham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Lewisham features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a median household size of 2.2 people

Family households constitute 59.2% of all households, including 22.6% couples with children, 28.2% couples without children, and 7.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.8%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 9.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people.

Lewisham shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Lewisham's educational attainment exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 59.6% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 37.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 19.1%, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 10.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.0% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in tertiary education, 7.1% in primary education, and 5.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Lewisham has 27 active public transport stops. These include train, light rail, and bus services. There are 39 individual routes serving these stops, providing a total of 7,857 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 101 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 1,122 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 291 weekly trips per individual stop.

Lewisham's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Lewisham had low prevalence of common health conditions across all ages. Private health cover was high at approximately 67%, compared to the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma were most common, affecting 11.1% and 8.6% respectively. 71.5% reported no medical ailments, higher than Greater Sydney's 0%. Lewisham had 12.1% residents aged 65 and over (517 people). Seniors' health outcomes were strong, aligning with the general population's profile.

Lewisham 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

Lewisham's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 25.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 34.3% born overseas. Christianity was the main religion in Lewisham, comprising 33.5% of its population. Judaism, however, was notably overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to None% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (20.8%), Australian (19.1%), and Other (11.2%). Some ethnic groups showed significant divergences: Hungarian was overrepresented at 0.4% in Lewisham (vs None% regionally), Spanish at 0.7% (vs None%), and Russian at 0.5% (vs None%).

Lewisham hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Lewisham's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lewisham has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (26.2%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. From the 2021 Census to present, the population share of those aged 35 to 44 has increased from 17.7% to 19.0%, while the share of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 8.3% to 7.3%. By 2041, demographic forecasts indicate significant changes for Lewisham's population structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 93%, adding 95 residents and reaching a total of 198. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 90% of the population growth, highlighting trends towards demographic aging. Conversely, population declines are projected for those aged 15-24 and 0-4 years.