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 February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Matraville is around 10,632. This figure reflects a growth of 707 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,925. The current population is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 10,390 residents 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 results in a population 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 growth rate of 7.1% since the census is within 0.7 percentage points of the state's growth rate of 7.8%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Matraville.

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 applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Based on these aggregations, the suburb is expected to expand by 504 persons to reach a population of around 11,136 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 1.8% over the 17-year period.

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

Matraville averaged approximately 65 new dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 326 homes were approved, with an additional 25 approved so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, on average, 0.6 people moved to Matraville for each dwelling built, indicating supply meeting or exceeding demand.

The average expected construction cost of new dwellings was $639,000, suggesting developers targeted the premium market segment. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $609,000, reflecting minimal commercial development activity. New developments comprised 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, demonstrating a trend towards denser development to cater to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift contrasts with the current housing mix of 48.0% houses.

With around 155 people per dwelling approval, Matraville exhibits growth area characteristics. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Matraville is projected to gain 191 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond projections.

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

Fourteen infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Notable ones include the Botany Cogeneration Plant in Matraville, Finucane Reserve Upgrade, Yorktown Parade and Fitzgerald Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment, and MOD 6 Chlorine Liquefaction Plant.

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

Matraville has a well-educated workforce. Professional services are strongly represented in the area. The unemployment rate is 9.1%.

Over the past year, employment growth was estimated at 3.5%, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 5,142 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 4.9%, which is 0.7 percentage points higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Matraville is somewhat below standard, at 66.3% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, a high proportion of residents, 38.9%, work from home.

Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Matraville shows strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share that is 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 8.9% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparing working population to local population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 3.5% while labour force grew by 2.7%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1%, labour force grow by 2.4%, and unemployment increase by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Matraville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

The latest AreaSearch postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 indicates that Matraville's median income is $54,879 and average income is $76,885. This compares to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003 in the same period. Considering an 8.86% growth in wages since financial year ending June 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $59,741 (median) and $83,697 (average). Census data shows that Matraville's household, family, and personal incomes are at the 65th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 25.5% of locals (2,711 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to regional levels where 30.9% fall into this category. 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. The area'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 contrast, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Matraville was higher at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented ones at 35.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,817, above Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Matraville was $480, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Matraville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than 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 comprise 74.0% of all households, including 38.5% couples with children, 19.9% couples without children, and 13.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute 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, aligning with the Greater Sydney average.

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

Matraville's residents aged 15+ have 30.9% with university degrees, compared to Greater Sydney's 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (20.8%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 31.3%, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (20.4%). Educational participation is high, with 30.4% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.7%), secondary (8.6%), and tertiary (5.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 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 active 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. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 163 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Matraville being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation, used by 83% of residents, while buses are used by 8%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 38.9% of residents work from home, which may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 636 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 74 weekly trips per individual 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 superior health outcomes based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and elderly cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is high at approximately 57% (~6,092 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.3%) and asthma (6.5%), while 71.9% claim to be completely free of medical ailments, versus 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Matraville has 19.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,030 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Senior health outcomes are above average, aligning 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 high 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, comprising 62.5% of people. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 3.8% versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (18.0%), Australian (17.7%), and Other (13.7%). Notably, Russian (1.1%) Hungarian (0.6%) and French (1.0%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.4%, 0.3% and 0.5% respectively.

Matraville's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Matraville is 42 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, and also older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 15-24 age group constitutes 15.4% of Matraville's population, compared to the Greater Sydney average, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 8.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 15.4%, and the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 10.6% to 8.9%. Meanwhile, the 55-64 age group has dropped from 13.0% to 11.6%. By 2041, Matraville's population is forecasted to undergo substantial demographic changes. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 78%, reaching 474 people from the initial 265. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 58% of total population growth, reflecting Matraville's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 5-14 and 65-74 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.