Petersham

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

As of Nov 2025, Petersham's population is estimated at around 9,271. This reflects an increase of 1,071 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,200. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of resident population at 9,136 following examination of ABS' ERP data release in Jun 2024 and additional validation of 350 new addresses since the Census date. Petersham's population density ratio is 7,186 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. Petersham's growth rate of 13.1% since the 2021 Census exceeded both its SA3 area (5.6%) and state averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Petersham.

For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for SA2 areas covered, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for uncovered areas. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas until 2041. Based on these projections, Petersham is expected to grow by 477 persons by 2041, reflecting a reduction of 2.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Petersham has experienced around 30 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Approximately 150 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, with nine so far in FY-26. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $545,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year, $37.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Petersham has similar development levels per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. However, these levels are below average nationally, suggesting possible planning constraints due to the area's maturity. New building activity comprises 25.0% detached dwellings and 75.0% townhouses or apartments, favouring compact living and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

Petersham has approximately 335 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Given stable or declining population forecasts, the area may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Victoria Road Precinct Rezoning, 29-31 Brighton Street Petersham, Henson Park Grandstand Redevelopment, and Stanmore North Precinct Planning (Our Fairer Future Plan). 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.

Petersham shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Petersham has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.1%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 5,114 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Petersham is at 69.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The key industries of employment among residents are professional & technical, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Petersham shows strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs just 5.0% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the census working population vs resident population count. In the 12-month period ending in Petersham, labour force decreased by 1.4%, and employment declined by 1.4%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. Meanwhile, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Petersham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Petersham has a median taxpayer income of $68,446 and an average income of $94,825 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is notably high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,030 during the same period. Considering a Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $74,510 (median) and $103,226 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Petersham rank highly nationally, between the 79th and 92nd percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 29.2% of the community earns between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (2,707 individuals), which is similar to the pattern seen in the metropolitan region where 30.9% falls within this range. Notably, 37.2% of Petersham residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the area. Despite high housing costs consuming 19.1% of income, strong earnings place disposable income at the 74th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Petersham features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Petersham's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 22.6% houses and 77.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had 29.2% houses and 70.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Petersham was 19.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.7% and rented ones at 51.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Petersham was $2,900, surpassing the Sydney metro average of $2,800. The median weekly rent figure in Petersham was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $495. Nationally, Petersham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 56.1% of all households, including 22.3% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 7.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 43.9%, with lone person households at 35.0% and group households comprising 8.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

Petersham demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Petersham's educational attainment significantly exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 53.7% possess university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational pathways account for 20.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 11.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in tertiary education, 6.8% in primary education, and 6.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Petersham has 47 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 36 individual routes that facilitate 8,163 weekly passenger trips combined. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility with an average distance of 142 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 1,166 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 173 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Petersham is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Petersham shows favorable health outcomes, with both younger and older age groups having low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 64% of the total population (5,963 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 12.5% of residents, while asthma impacts 8.8%. A total of 68.0% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 70.3%. The area has 12.1% (1,121 people) aged 65 and over, with seniors' health outcomes broadly inline with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Petersham was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Petersham's population shows higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 29.0% born overseas and 20.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Petersham, comprising 34.8% of its population. Notably, Judaism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.7% versus 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.4%), Australian (18.8%), and Other (12.0%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: French is equally represented at 0.8%, Hungarian also at 0.4%, while Irish people are overrepresented at 11.0% compared to the regional average of 9.7%.

Petersham's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Petersham's median age is nearly 36 years, close to Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, which is slightly below Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Petersham has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (22.7%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.2%). This concentration of young adults aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, Petersham's population has seen an increase in the 15 to 24 age group from 11.9% to 12.8%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 14.8% to 13.6%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 8.4% to 7.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Petersham's age profile will change significantly. The 65 to 74 cohort is projected to grow by 21%, adding 129 residents to reach a total of 741. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 91% of population growth, highlighting the trend of demographic aging. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age groups are projected to experience population declines.