Newtown (NSW)

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

As of November 2025, Newtown's population is estimated at around 15,548 people, reflecting an increase of 858 individuals since the 2021 Census. This growth corresponds to a 5.8% rise from the previous population count of 14,690 people. The latest estimate by AreaSearch, based on examination of the ABS's June 2024 ERP data release and additional validated new addresses, indicates a resident population of 15,589 for Newtown. This results in a population density ratio of 9,778 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate since the census is 5.8%, which is within 0.9 percentage points of the state's average growth rate of 6.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% of Newtown's 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, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Applying growth rates by age group from these aggregations to all areas, the suburb is projected to increase by 2,481 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 16.1% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Newtown is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Newtown has recorded approximately 6 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 34 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved so far in FY-26. The area's population decline suggests that new supply is likely keeping pace with demand, offering buyers good choice.

New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $380,000, which is below regional norms, reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers. In this financial year, around $5.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature. New development consists of 22.0% detached dwellings and 78.0% medium and high-density housing, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers due to affordable entry pathways.

However, this skew towards compact living differs from current patterns (5.0% at Census), indicating robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. Newtown reflects a highly mature market with around 2583 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate Newtown will gain approximately 2,508 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Newtown 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 33 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Redevelopment, University of Sydney Campus Transformation, Landcom Camperdown Mixed-Use Development, and University of Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA). 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 employment landscape in Newtown shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Newtown has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 4.9%, showing relative stability over the past year based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

The unemployment rate in Newtown is 0.7% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 74.7%, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Newtown has a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employs just 4.1% of local workers, lower than Greater Sydney's 8.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparing working population to local population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment in Newtown increased by 0.4%, while labour force grew by 0.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% over the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Newtown's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Newtown's median income among taxpayers was $69,047 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $94,773 during the same period. This compares to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest Newtown's median income will be approximately $77,754 and the average income $106,724, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Newtown rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 94th percentiles. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominated with 29.9% of residents (4,648 people), similar to regional levels where 30.9% occupy this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, 39.3%, have incomes above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. High housing costs consume 20.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 77th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Newtown, as per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures comprised 5.1% houses and 94.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had no recorded houses or other dwellings at that time. Home ownership in Newtown stood at 17.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.9% and rented dwellings at 58.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, aligning with the Sydney metro average. The median weekly rent figure was $550, compared to no recorded figures for Sydney metro. Nationally, Newtown's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Newtown features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a median household size of 2.1 people

Family households account for 49.6% of all households, including 15.3% that are couples with children, 28.0% that are couples without children, and 5.1% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 50.4%, with lone person households at 36.5% and group households comprising 14.0%. The median household size is 2.1 people.

Newtown shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Newtown is notably high, with 59.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares to national figures of 30.4% for Australia and 32.2% for NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational pathways account for 18.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.1% and certificates 9.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.2% in tertiary education, 5.0% in primary education, and 3.8% pursuing secondary education. Newtown has a robust network of schools, comprising five primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school, educating approximately 2,244 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1111.

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

Analysis of public transport in Newtown shows 28 active transport stops currently operating. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 22 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 11,789 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 147 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 1,684 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 421 weekly trips per individual stop.

Newtown's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Newtown. Both young and old age cohorts saw low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (9,997 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues impacting 13.4% of residents and asthma affecting 8.3%. A total of 69.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 8.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,368 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Newtown 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

Newtown's population showed high cultural diversity, with 17.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 32.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Newtown, comprising 23.3%. Notably, Judaism had higher representation in Newtown at 1%, compared to none across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (24.2%), Australian (18.7%), and Irish (11.4%). Some ethnicities showed notable differences: French was overrepresented at 1.1% in Newtown versus none regionally, Spanish at 0.8%, and Welsh at 0.8%.

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

Newtown's median age is 34 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Newtown has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (28.8%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has increased from 13.1% to 16.0%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.5% to 11.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Newtown. The 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 51%, adding 2,288 residents to reach a total of 6,766. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 45 to 54 and 35 to 44 age groups.