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 November 2025, the estimated population of Mayfield West is around 2,333, reflecting a growth of 340 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 17.1% rise from the previous figure of 1,993 residents. AreaSearch's analysis, which includes validated new addresses and ABS ERP data released in June 2024, indicates an estimated resident population of 2,306 for Mayfield West. The population density ratio is approximately 1,010 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth since the 2021 Census exceeds both the non-metro area (5.1%) and its SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration has been the primary driver of population gains recently.

For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for covered areas, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas. By 2041, Mayfield West is projected to experience a population increase just below the median of Australia's non-metropolitan areas. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to grow by approximately 272 persons over this period, reflecting an overall decrease of 0.4% in total population.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Mayfield West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Mayfield West has received approximately 17 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling around 88 homes. This is based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data. In FY-26 so far, 8 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents arriving per new home over these five years is approximately 0.5 per year.

Commercial approvals in the current financial year amount to $77.3 million. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Mayfield West records around 57.0% more construction activity per person. New building activity comprises about 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% medium and high-density housing. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently approximately 79.0% houses. Mayfield West shows characteristics of a growth area with around 146 people per dwelling approval.

Population projections indicate stability or decline, suggesting reduced housing demand pressures in the future.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones are Mayfield Concept Plan, Newcastle Port Logistics Hub, Former Waratah Gasworks Redevelopment, and Waratah Park Masterplan. Details about these projects follow.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Mayfield West recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Mayfield West has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.5% as of an unspecified past year.

Employment growth over the previous year was estimated at 1.6%. As of June 2025, 1,125 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Mayfield West was 63.3%, exceeding the Rest of NSW average of 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.

Health care & social assistance showed particularly strong specialization with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 0.4% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. There were 2.4 workers per resident as at the Census, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.6%, while labour force grew by 2.5%, resulting in a rise of 0.7 percentage points in unemployment. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and an increase of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand within Mayfield West. These projections indicate that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mayfield West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.5% over ten years. However, it is important to note that these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not take into account localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Mayfield West has an income below the national average. The median income is $53,253 and the average income stands at $62,451. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Mayfield West would be approximately $59,968 (median) and $70,326 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Mayfield West rank modestly, between the 41st and 51st percentiles. Income brackets indicate that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 34.2% of the community (797 individuals), which is similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Mayfield West, with only 81.2% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 38th percentile.

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

In Mayfield West, as per the latest Census data, 79.2% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 20.8% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW where 70.5% were houses and 29.5% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Mayfield West stood at 24.7%, with mortgaged properties at 35.8% and rented ones at 39.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,844, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent in Mayfield West was $370, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Mayfield West's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 constitute 60.5% of all households, including 23.3% couples with children, 22.9% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 39.5%, with lone person households at 33.1% and group households making up 5.9%. 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 trail regional benchmarks; 25.5% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to 32.2% in NSW. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 17.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 37.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.8%) and certificates (27.3%).

Educational participation is notably high; 32.0% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.8% in primary, 8.6% in tertiary, and 6.6% pursuing secondary education. Mayfield West Public School provides local educational services within Mayfield West, with an enrollment of 323 students as of the latest data available. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas.

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

Transport analysis indicates 36 active stops operating within Mayfield West. These are served by a mix of buses along 45 routes, offering 1,382 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 84 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 197 trips per day across all routes, translating to roughly 38 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

Health data shows significant issues in Mayfield West, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 52% of the total population (~1,204 people), compared to 55.6% in Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues affect 13.4% of residents, while asthma impacts 9.7%. Conversely, 61.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in Rest of NSW. The area has 14.8% of residents aged 65 and over (345 people), lower than the 16.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges largely consistent with the general population's health profile.

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 has a lower-than-average cultural diversity, with 89.5% of its residents being citizens and 88.4% born in Australia. English is spoken as the only language at home by 92.7%. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 46.8%.

The 'Other' religious category is overrepresented in Mayfield West at 0.8%, compared to 0.5% regionally. Top ancestry groups are English (29.6%), Australian (27.6%), and Scottish (9.0%). Notably, Welsh (0.8%) Polish (1.0%), and French (0.7%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Mayfield West compared to regional averages of 0.8%, 0.8%, and 0.4% respectively.

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

The median age in Mayfield West as of May was 33 years, which is significantly lower than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and also substantially below the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 age cohort was notably over-represented at 21.4% in Mayfield West, while the 65-74 year-olds were under-represented at 8.0%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the proportion of the population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 19.3% to 21.4%, while the proportions for the 45 to 54 age group have decreased from 12.0% to 10.6% and for the 55 to 64 age group from 9.8% to 8.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Mayfield West, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 12%, reaching 561 people from a current total of 499. Conversely, both the 45-54 and 5-14 age groups are forecasted to decrease in number.