Rhodes

Population growth drivers in Rhodes are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Rhodes is around 13,785, reflecting a growth of 2,332 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 20.4% rise from the previous figure of 11,453 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 12,518 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 653 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 13,648 persons per square kilometer, placing Rhodes in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate exceeded that of both its SA3 area (5.9%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, a significant population increase is forecasted for Rhodes, with an expected expansion of 3,699 persons, reflecting a total increase of 17.6% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Rhodes among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Rhodes shows around 214 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 1,071 homes. As of FY-26, no approvals have been recorded yet. On average, 0.2 new residents per year arrived for each new home built between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand in the area.

The average construction value of these properties was $522,000. In the current financial year, Rhodes has seen $28.8 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rhodes exhibits 178.0% higher building activity per person, indicating robust developer interest in the area. New developments consist of 1.0% standalone homes and 99.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 33 people per dwelling approval, Rhodes is considered a growth area. Future projections estimate an addition of 2,432 residents by 2041, based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate.

Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand in the area, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Marquet and Mary, Rhodes Bay, Harmony - Rhodes Central East, and Rhodes East Mixed-Use Development. The following list details those likely to have the greatest relevance.

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

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Employment performance in Rhodes ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Rhodes has a highly educated workforce, with its technology sector being particularly prominent. Its unemployment rate was 2.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.9%.

As of June 2025, 8,590 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.9% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Rhodes is 69.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Notably, professional & technical employment levels are at 1.6 times the regional average, while education & training has a limited presence with 5.9% employment compared to 8.9% regionally.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.8, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.9%, and the labour force grew by 4.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points in Rhodes. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6%, the labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rhodes's employment mix indicates a potential local employment increase of 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

Rhodes' median taxpayer income was $55,745, with an average of $75,667 according to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Nationally, these figures are high, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on a 12.61% growth in wages since financial year 2022, current estimates project the median income to be approximately $62,774 and the average income to be around $85,209 by September 2025. Census data from 2021 shows that incomes in Rhodes rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes all falling between the 77th and 86th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that the majority of residents, 36.2% or 4,990 people, fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket, mirroring regional patterns where 30.9% occupy this range. Economic strength is evident with 31.3% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting increased consumer spending. However, high housing costs consume 23.1% of income, though strong earnings place disposable income at the 65th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Rhodes, as per the latest Census evaluation, had 3.2% houses and 96.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 37.8% houses and 62.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rhodes was at 10.8%, with the rest being mortgaged (28.4%) or rented (60.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, below Sydney metro's average of $3,000. The median weekly rent was $560, matching Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Rhodes' mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

Rhodes features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 64.9% of all households, including 21.2% that are couples with children, 35.6% that are couples without children, and 6.2% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.1%, with lone person households at 25.7% and group households comprising 9.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Rhodes has a higher educational attainment than Australian and NSW averages. 67.7% of Rhodes residents aged 15+ have university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 39.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (25.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational pathways account for 15.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 5.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.1% in tertiary, 4.5% in primary, and 2.1% in secondary education. Schools appear to be located outside Rhodes' immediate boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Rhodes has 28 operational public transport stops, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 14 different routes, facilitating 7,455 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 128 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 1,065 daily trips across all routes, which translates to about 266 weekly trips per individual stop.

Rhodes's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Rhodes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is found to be high at approximately 57% of the total population (~7,832 people), compared to 68.8% across Greater Sydney.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 3.6 and 3.3% of residents respectively, while 88.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 76.3% across Greater Sydney. As of March 2021, 7.7% of Rhodes' residents are aged 65 and over (1,061 people), which is lower than the 18.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Rhodes is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Rhodes has a high level of cultural diversity, with 77.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 75.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Rhodes, accounting for 26.7% of people. However, Buddhism is notably overrepresented, making up 7.0% compared to the Greater Sydney average of 3.2%.

In terms of ancestry, Chinese individuals comprise 39.7%, substantially higher than the regional average of 12.7%. Other ancestry groups make up 16.2%, while Korean individuals account for 10.6%, which is significantly higher than the regional average of 2.7%. There are also notable differences in the representation of Indian (6.8% vs regional 2.6%), Vietnamese (1.8% vs 1.1%), and Filipino (2.4% vs 1.3%) ethnic groups compared to Greater Sydney averages.

Rhodes hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Rhodes has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Rhodes has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (33.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, Rhodes's residents have aged by an average of 1.2 years, with the median age rising from 32 to 33. Specifically, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 10.0% to 12.2%, while those aged 45-54 have risen from 6.5% to 8.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 37.7% to 33.4%, and those aged 0-4 have dropped from 7.0% to 5.6%. Demographic projections suggest that Rhodes's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to increase substantially, rising from 4,604 to 5,329 people (an increase of 724 people or 16%). Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.