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 May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Matraville is around 10,709. This reflects an increase of 784 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 10,693 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, combined with an additional 140 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,724 persons per square kilometer, placing Matraville in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 7.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's growth rate of 7.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in Matraville.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 462 persons to reach a total population of 11,171 by 2041. This reflects an increase of 4.2% in total over the 16-year period.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Matraville averaged around 65 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21 and FY25, an estimated 327 homes were approved, with a further 35 approved in FY26 so far. Over the past five financial years, on average, only 0.7 people moved to Matraville for each dwelling built, indicating supply met or exceeded demand.

The average construction cost of new dwellings was $639,000, suggesting developers targeted the premium market segment. In FY26, commercial approvals totalled $609,000, indicating minimal commercial development activity. New developments consisted of 17.0% standalone homes and 83.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards denser development to cater to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. Currently, houses make up 48.0% of Matraville's housing mix.

With around 156 people per dwelling approval, Matraville is considered a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Matraville is forecasted to gain 446 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. Key projects include the 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.

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 Matraville lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Matraville has a well-educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 8.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.4%. As of December 2025, there were 5,275 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 4.4%, above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 65.2% compared to Greater Sydney's 68.8%. A high proportion of residents, 38.9%, worked from home according to Census responses. Key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Education & training had a particularly strong specialization with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Professional & technical services showed lower representation at 8.9% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 4.4% while labour force grew by 3.5%, causing a fall in unemployment rate by 0.8 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.2%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment should expand by 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, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ending June 2023 shows median income in Matraville is $54,879 and average income is $76,885. This compares to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since June 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 are approximately $60,543 (median) and $84,820 (average). Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Matraville are at the 65th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows 25.5% of locals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, consistent with broader trends. 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

The dwelling structure in Matraville, as per the latest Census, consisted of 47.7% houses and 52.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Matraville was at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented ones at 35.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,817, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in Matraville was recorded as $480, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Matraville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,817 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents stood 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 account for 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

Educational qualifications in Matraville differ from regional benchmarks. As of the latest data, 30.9% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees, compared to 38.0% in Greater Sydney. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 10.9% and certificates for 20.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.4% 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, collectively offering 4,456 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 163 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Matraville being primarily residential. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 83%, with 8% using buses. 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 reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 636 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 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 demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population, around 6,136 people, compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.3% and 6.5% of residents respectively, while 71.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have notably healthy outcomes with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 19.0% of residents aged 65 and over, around 2,034 people, which is higher than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with 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's population shows high cultural diversity, with 36.6% born overseas and 30.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Matraville, practiced by 62.5%. Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 3.8% of Matraville's population 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, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The 45-54 age group makes up 14.5% of the population in Matraville, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 9.8%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 15.3% of the population. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 13.0% to 11.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Matraville. Notably, the 85+ age group is expected to grow by 77%, reaching a population of 473 from the current 267. Meanwhile, the 65-74 and 0-4 age groups are projected to experience population declines.