Marrickville

An assessment of population growth drivers in Marrickville reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, Marrickville's population is estimated at around 27,627. This reflects an increase of 1,057 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 26,570. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population as 27,356 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 656 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,788 persons per square kilometer, placing Marrickville in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 4.0% growth since census positions it within 1.6 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.6%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 83.0% 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of Australian statistical areas is expected for Marrickville to 2041, with an estimated growth of 2,830 persons reflecting a 9.3% total increase over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Marrickville has recorded around 119 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, between FY21 and FY25, approximately 597 homes were approved, with a further seven approved so far in FY26. Despite a falling population during this period, new supply appears to have kept up with demand, offering good choice to buyers.

The average construction value of these properties is around $593,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment by developers. In terms of commercial approvals, Marrickville has seen $55.0 million in FY26, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Marrickville shows moderately higher development activity, with 15.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This has maintained good buyer choice while supporting existing property values, although development activity has moderated in recent periods. Recent construction comprises 8.0% standalone homes and 92.0% medium and high-density housing.

This skew towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers, representing a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition of 32.0% houses. Marrickville has a population density of around 1468 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Marrickville is expected to grow by 2563 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 63 projects impacting the area. Key projects include M6 Stage 1 (St Peters to Kogarah), Marrickville Station Metro Upgrade, Victoria Road Precinct Rezoning, and Henson Park Grandstand Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market performance in Marrickville lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Marrickville has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 7.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

There were 14,847 residents employed at this time, with an unemployment rate 3.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Marrickville was 66.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The key industries of employment among residents were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Marrickville showed particular strength in professional & technical employment, with a share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employed only 5.4% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data compared to local population. Over the previous 12 months, Marrickville's labour force decreased by 1.4%, while employment decreased by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.1% and labour force grew by 2.4%. State-level data as of 25-Nov showed NSW employment had contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Marrickville's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Marrickville had a median taxpayer income of $64,676 and an average income of $83,214 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is notably higher than Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. By September 2025, based on an 8.86% increase from the financial year 2023 Wage Price Index growth, estimated incomes would be approximately $70,406 (median) and $90,587 (average). The 2021 Census data ranks Marrickville's household, family, and personal incomes between the 76th and 84th percentiles nationally. In terms of earnings profile, 31.1% of Marrickville residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week (8,591 individuals), closely mirroring metropolitan patterns where 30.9% fall within this range. A significant proportion, 34.1%, earns above $3,000 per week, indicating robust economic capacity in the area. Despite high housing costs consuming 18.3% of income, strong earnings place disposable income at the 73rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Marrickville features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Marrickville, as per the latest Census, consisted of 32.0% houses and 67.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 29.2% houses and 70.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Marrickville stood at 24.2%, similar to the Sydney metro level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (28.2%) or rented (47.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Marrickville was $2,600, below the Sydney metro average of $2,800. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $480, compared to Sydney metro's $495. Nationally, Marrickville's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Marrickville features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 60.8% of all households, consisting of 23.4% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 39.2%, with lone person households at 30.0% and group households making up 9.2%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

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

Marrickville's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications (47.7%) than the national average (30.4%) or NSW state average (32.2%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 31.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational pathways account for 21.6% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 12.0%. Educational participation is high, with 26.7% currently enrolled in formal education, including tertiary (7.9%), primary (6.7%), and secondary (5.6%) levels.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 7.9% in tertiary education, 6.7% in primary education, and 5.6% pursuing secondary education.

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

Marrickville has 107 operational public transport stops offering a combination of train and bus services. These stops are served by 23 distinct routes that facilitate a total of 7,650 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transports is rated highly, with residents on average being located just 156 meters from the nearest stop.

On an average day, there are 1,092 trips across all routes, which translates to about 71 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Marrickville shows better-than-average health outcomes for both younger and older residents. Common health conditions have low prevalence in these age groups.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at nearly 60% of the total population (16,512 people), compared to 66.2% across Greater Sydney. Mental health issues affect 10.5% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.6%. About 70.4% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 70.3%. Residents aged 65 and over make up 14.5% (4,005 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 13.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring the general population's health profile.

Marrickville 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

Marrickville has high cultural diversity, with 36.5% of its population born overseas and 34.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Marrickville, making up 36.2% of people. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 0.6% versus 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.8%), Australian (16.7%), and Other (13.1%). Notably, Greek (6.5%) Vietnamese (5.2%) and Lebanese (2.2%) populations are higher than regional averages of 4.6%, 3.3% and 1.6% respectively.

Marrickville's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Marrickville has a median age of 37, which matches Greater Sydney's figure of 37 years and is comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 22.3% of Marrickville's population compared to Greater Sydney, while the 5-14 cohort comprises 7.5%. This concentration of individuals aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present day, the proportion of people aged 15-24 has increased from 9.7% to 10.7%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 8.7% to 7.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate substantial shifts in Marrickville's age structure. Notably, the 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 53%, reaching 2,076 people from its current figure of 1,353. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 58% of projected growth. Conversely, the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.