Mayfield West

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Mayfield West is around 2,143. This reflects an increase of 150 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,993. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,110 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 927 persons per square kilometer. Mayfield West's population growth of 7.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of NSW's 5.9%, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Mayfield West is expected to grow by just below the median of Australia's non-metropolitan areas, increasing by 261 persons to reach a total population of 2,404 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 7.9% over the 17 years.

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

Between May 2016 and April 2021, Mayfield West received approximately 93 dwelling approvals, averaging around 18 per year. As of May 2021, there have been 9 approvals in the current financial year FY-26. The average new resident arrival rate per new home over the past five financial years was 0.4. New dwellings were developed at an average cost of $400,000.

In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $9.5 million. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Mayfield West has recorded 67% more construction activity per person. Approximately 55% of new building activity consists of townhouses or apartments, while detached dwellings make up around 45%. The current dwelling-to-population ratio is estimated at 408 people per approval. By 2041, Mayfield West's population is forecasted to increase by 170 residents.

Population forecasts indicate Mayfield West will gain 170 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Newcastle Port Logistics Hub, Mayfield Concept Plan, Former Waratah Gasworks Redevelopment, and Waratah Park Masterplan. 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 Mayfield West lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Mayfield West has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.0% as of an unspecified past year, with estimated employment growth of 1.9%. As of September 2025, the area had 1,108 residents employed, an unemployment rate of 5.0%, and workforce participation at 67.4%.

A significant portion, 25.2%, of residents worked from home according to Census responses, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance (1.4 times the regional level), education & training, and retail trade. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.4% of local workers. The area functions as an employment hub with 2.4 workers per resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.9%, labour force increased by 3.1%, resulting in a 1.1 percentage point rise in unemployment. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.5%, the labour force fell by 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mayfield West's employment mix, local employment is expected to increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Mayfield West had an income level below the national average according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ending June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Mayfield West was $53,253 and the average income stood at $62,451. This compares to figures for Rest of NSW which were $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $57,971 (median) and $67,984 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Mayfield West all ranked modestly, between the 41st and 51st percentiles. Income brackets indicated that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominated with 34.2% of residents (732 people), similar to the surrounding region where 29.9% occupied this bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Mayfield West, with only 81.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 38th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 4th decile.

Mayfield West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Mayfield West, as per the latest Census, consisted of 79.2% houses and 20.8% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mayfield West was at 24.7%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (35.8%) or rented (39.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,844, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure for Mayfield West was recorded at $370, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Mayfield West's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.5% of all households, consisting of 23.3% couples with children, 22.9% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 39.5%, with lone person households at 33.1% and group households comprising 5.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

Educational qualifications in Mayfield West lag behind regional benchmarks, with 25.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 32.2% in NSW. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 17.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 37.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.8%) and certificates (27.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary education, 8.6% in tertiary education, and 6.6% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 36 operational transport stops in Mayfield West, consisting solely of bus services. These stops are served by 45 distinct routes, facilitating a total of 1,217 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents typically situated 84 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most residents commute outward; cars remain the primary mode at 89%, while 4% walk. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.2, below the regional average. Notably, 25.2% of residents work from home (as per the 2021 Census, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 173 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 33 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Mayfield West is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Mayfield West faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are notable across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 52% (~1,106 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is relatively low compared to other areas. The most common medical conditions in Mayfield West are mental health issues (impacting 13.4%) and asthma (9.7%), while 61.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Mayfield West has 15.0% of residents aged 65 and over (321 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Mayfield West ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mayfield West, as per the report dated "2016", exhibited below-average cultural diversity. Its population was predominantly Australian citizens (89.5%), born in Australia (88.4%), and speaking English at home (92.7%). Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 46.8% of residents.

Notably, the 'Other' religious category constituted 0.8%, similar to Rest of NSW's figure. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.6%), Australian (27.6%), and Scottish (9.0%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Welsh was overrepresented at 0.8% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, Polish at 1.0% versus 0.5%, and French at 0.7% against a regional figure of 0.4%.

Mayfield West hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

The median age in Mayfield West as of May is 33 years, which is notably lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and significantly below the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 age cohort is disproportionately high at 21.8% in Mayfield West, while the 55-64 year-olds are under-represented at 7.7%. This concentration of young adults aged 25-34 is well above the national average of 14.4%. According to post-2021 Census data, the percentage of the population in the 25-34 age group has increased from 19.3% to 21.8%, while the 35-44 cohort has risen from 13.5% to 14.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 9.8% to 7.7%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 12.0% to 10.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Mayfield West, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 20% (91 people), reaching a total of 559 individuals from the current figure of 467. Meanwhile, both the 55-64 and 65-74 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.