Petersham

Petersham is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, Petersham's population is estimated at around 9,284, reflecting an increase of 1,084 people since the 2021 Census. The suburb had a population of 8,200 in 2021. This growth, equivalent to 13.2%, exceeds both the SA3 area's 5.8% and the state's growth rates. Petersham's population density is 7,196 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.0% of Petersham's recent population gains. AreaSearch projects Petersham's population to increase by 473 persons by 2041, reflecting a reduction of 2.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to grow by 473 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting with a reduction of 2.2% 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, indicates Petersham has experienced approximately 30 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Around 150 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with nine already approved in FY-26. The population decline during this period has maintained adequate housing supply relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $545,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $37.8 million in commercial approvals registered, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Petersham's development levels per person are similar to Greater Sydney's, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area, but below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Building activity shows 25% detached dwellings and 75% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The location has approximately 335 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth.

With stable or declining population forecasts, Petersham may experience less housing pressure, 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's performance. 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 most likely to be 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 the technology sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate is 6.1%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 5,128 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.9% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Petersham stands at 67.2%, slightly below Greater Sydney's 70.0%. According to Census responses, 61.6% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. 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 of 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 5.0% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, Petersham's labour force decreased by 1.4% and employment declined by 1.3%, maintaining a relatively stable unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a slight rise in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide insight into potential future demand within Petersham. These projections suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Petersham's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes that 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

Petersham suburb has a median taxpayer income of $68,446 and an average of $94,825, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Nationally, these figures are very high compared to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,023. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $74,510 (median) and $103,226 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023. Petersham's household, family, and personal incomes ranked highly nationally in the 2021 Census, between the 79th and 92nd percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 29.2% (2,710 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, similar to the metropolitan region's 30.9%. Notably, 37.2% of Petersham residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. High housing costs consume 19.1% of income, but with strong earnings, disposable income ranks at the 74th percentile nationally. The SEIFA income ranking places Petersham 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 structures, 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 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Petersham was at 19.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.7% and rented ones at 51.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,900, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Petersham was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Petersham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents 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, smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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 exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 53.7% hold university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and New South Wales' 32.2%. 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%, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 11.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.1% 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 serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are connected by 36 routes that facilitate 8,163 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance to the nearest transport stop for residents is 142 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation at 55%, followed by trains at 20% and buses at 8%. On average, there are 0.6 vehicles per dwelling in Petersham, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 61.6%, work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 1,166 trips per day, equating to approximately 173 weekly trips per individual stop.

Petersham's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Petersham residents have relatively positive health outcomes, according to health data. AreaSearch's analysis showed mortality rates and health conditions were largely in line with national benchmarks. The prevalence of common health conditions was low across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (5,971 people), compared to 59.9% in Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues impacted 12.5% of residents, while asthma affected 8.8%. A total of 68.0% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among the working-age population were broadly typical. Petersham has 12.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,160 people), lower than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, with national rankings largely in line 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 showed high cultural diversity, with 29.0% born overseas and 20.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 34.8%. Judaism, while small at 0.7%, was higher than Greater Sydney's 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (23.4%), Australian (18.8%), and Other (12.0%). Notable differences existed in French (0.8% vs regional 0.5%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%), and Irish (11.0% vs 6.1%) populations.

Petersham's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Petersham's median age is 36 years, closely matching 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 percentage of residents aged 25-34 years (22.0%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 years (7.0%). This 25-34 concentration is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. According to the 2021 Census, Petersham's population aged 15-24 grew from 11.9% to 13.1%, while the 5-14 age group declined from 8.4% to 7.0%, and the 45-54 age group decreased from 14.8% to 13.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Petersham's age profile. The 65-74 age cohort is projected to grow by 18%, adding 114 residents to reach a total of 746. Residents aged 65 years and above will drive 97% of the population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 55-64 and 5-14 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.