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 Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Lewisham (NSW) is around 4,276 people. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,060 people. The increase of 216 people (5.3%) is inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 4,174 in Jun 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,681 persons per square kilometer, placing Lewisham in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2011 to 2021, Lewisham has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.9%, outpacing Greater Sydney's growth during this period. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where necessary, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by 53 persons by 2041, reflecting a reduction of 1.1% in total over the 17-year period from 2024 to 2041.

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 shows Lewisham received around 10 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 54 homes were approved, with another 31 in FY-26 so far. Over the past five financial years, an average of 1.6 new residents per year per dwelling was recorded. However, this figure increased to 29.4 people per dwelling over the last two years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

The average construction value for new properties is $443,000, higher than regional levels. This financial year, $819,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited commercial development activity. Recent construction comprises 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% medium to high-density housing.

Lewisham's population density is around 1685 people per approval, suggesting a mature area with stable or declining population projections, which may reduce housing demand pressures.

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

Five projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the area: Cooks to Cove GreenWay, Sydney Metro Sydenham to Bankstown Conversion, Petersham Village Precinct Rezoning and Masterplan, Petersham Station Low and Mid Rise Housing / TOD Precinct.

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

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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 being notably prominent. The unemployment rate is 4.4% as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. By December 2025, 2,848 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 4.2%, which is 0.2% higher than Greater Sydney's rate.

Workforce participation in Lewisham is 81.3%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 70.2%. According to Census responses, 65.5% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The primary industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Lewisham shows a strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Manufacturing, however, has limited presence with 2.4% employment compared to the regional average of 5.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.8% alongside a 2.3% decline in employment, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.2%, labour force expand by 2.3%, and a marginal increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lewisham's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $84,011 (median) and $109,863 (average). 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, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Lewisham, as per the latest Census, consisted of 28.7% houses and 71.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lewisham was at 19.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.9% and rented dwellings at 47.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lewisham was $2,817, higher than the Sydney metro average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Lewisham was $520, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Lewisham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 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, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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 the most common at 37.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications, 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 offering a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by 39 individual routes, facilitating 7,857 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically residing 101 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most Lewisham residents commute outward. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 59%, while train use stands at 23% and walking at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.5 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 65.5% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 1,122 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 291 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Lewisham is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Lewisham shows superior health outcomes based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and elderly residents have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (2852 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%.

Nationally, it stands at 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 11.1 and 8.6% of residents respectively. 71.5% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Under-65 residents have better than average health outcomes. Lewisham has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (543 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, ranking higher nationally than the general population.

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, surveyed in June 2016, had higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 25.2% speaking a language other than English at home and 34.3% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 33.5%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to 0.8% in Greater Sydney.

For ancestry, the top groups were English (20.8%), Australian (19.1%), and Other (11.2%). Hungarian, Spanish, and Russian ethnicities showed notable divergences: Hungarian at 0.4% vs 0.3%, Spanish at 0.7% vs 0.6%, and Russian at 0.5% vs 0.4%.

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 median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Lewisham has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (25.8%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of Lewisham's population aged 35-44 has increased from 17.7% to 18.9%, while the 15-24 age group has risen from 10.4% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 27.0% to 25.8%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 8.3% to 7.3%. By 2041, Lewisham's population is projected to undergo significant demographic changes. The 85+ age cohort is expected to grow by 80%, adding 85 residents to reach a total of 192. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 88% of the population growth, reflecting broader trends in demographic aging. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 age cohorts.