Matraville

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Matraville is around 10,632. This reflects an increase of 707 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,925. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 10,390 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 139 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,705 persons per square kilometer, placing Matraville in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 7.1% growth since census is within 0.7 percentage points of the state's growth rate of 7.8%, demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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. These projections indicate that the suburb is expected to expand by 522 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 2.6% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Matraville when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Matraville averaged approximately 65 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21 and FY25, around 327 homes were approved, with an additional 24 approved so far in FY26. Over the past five financial years, supply has met or surpassed demand, with roughly 0.7 people moving to the area for each dwelling built.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $639,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. In FY26, there have been $609,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. New development consists predominantly of townhouses or apartments (83.0%), with standalone homes making up 17.0%. This shift towards denser development caters to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers, marking a change from the current housing mix of 48.0% houses.

Matraville shows characteristics of a growth area, with around 155 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 280 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Fourteen projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. Among these key projects are Botany Cogeneration Plant in Matraville, Finucane Reserve Upgrade, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, and MOD 6 Chlorine Liquefaction Plant. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Matraville has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 8.5% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 4.0%. As of December 2025, 5,203 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 4.4%, above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is 66.4%, below Greater Sydney's 70.2%. A high 38.9% of residents work from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Education & training has a strong share at 1.3 times the regional level, while professional & technical services have lower representation at 8.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 4.0% while labour force grew by 3.1%, reducing unemployment by 0.8 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Matraville's mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.8% in five years and 13.8% in ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localized population changes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Matraville has high national median income of $54,879 and average income of $76,885. Greater Sydney's median income is $60,817 with an average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for Matraville as of September 2025 are approximately $59,741 (median) and $83,697 (average). Census data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in Matraville are around the 65th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 25.5% of locals (2,711 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, similar to broader regional trends at 30.9%. Notably, 34.4% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 18.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. Matraville's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Matraville displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Matraville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 47.7% houses and 52.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Matraville was at 32.6%, with the rest either mortgaged (31.9%) or rented (35.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent was $480, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Matraville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,817 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Matraville has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 74.0% of all households, consisting of 38.5% couples with children, 19.9% couples without children, and 13.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 26.0%, with lone person households at 23.0% and group households making up 3.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

Educational attainment in Matraville aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Matraville's educational qualifications trail regional benchmarks. As of 2019, 30.9% of residents aged 15+ held university degrees, compared to Greater Sydney's 38.0%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 20.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%).

Trade and technical skills were prominent, with 31.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (20.4%). Educational participation was notably high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the 2016 Census. This included 9.7% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 5.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Matraville has 60 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 28 different routes that together facilitate 4,456 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is considered excellent, with residents typically residing 163 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outwards. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 83%, while buses account for 8%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 38.9% of residents work from home, which may be partly attributed to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 636 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 74 weekly trips per stop.

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

Matraville shows better-than-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is high at approximately 57% (~6,092 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.3%) and asthma (6.5%). 71.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Matraville has a higher proportion of seniors at 19.2% (2,041 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Senior health outcomes are above average and align with national rankings for the general population.

Matraville 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

Matraville has a high level of cultural diversity, with 36.6% of its population born overseas and 30.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Matraville, accounting for 62.5% of the population. However, Judaism is significantly overrepresented in Matraville, comprising 3.8% compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are English at 18.0%, Australian at 17.7%, and Other at 13.7%. Notably, Russian, Hungarian, and French ethnicities are overrepresented in Matraville compared to the regional averages (Russian: 1.1% vs 0.4%; Hungarian: 0.6% vs 0.3%; French: 1.0% vs 0.5%).

Matraville's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Matraville is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group comprises 15.4% of Matraville's population, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 age group makes up 8.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 15.4%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 10.6% to 8.9%. The 55-64 age group has also dropped from 13.0% to 11.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Matraville. Notably, the 85+ age group is expected to grow by 75%, reaching 484 people from the current 276. The combined 65+ age groups will account for 56% of total population growth, reflecting Matraville's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 5-14 and 65-74 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.