Riverstone

Riverstone lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Riverstone's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 12,877. This reflects a growth of 4,250 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,627. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population being 11,574 as of June 2024, based on ABS ERP data, and an additional 667 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,021 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Riverstone's population growth of 49.3% since the 2021 Census exceeded both state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, making it a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 72.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with natural growth and overseas migration also being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Future population trends predict exceptional growth, placing Riverstone in the top 10 percent of national areas, with an expected increase of 21,421 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 157.7% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Riverstone was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers for Riverstone shows around 236 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 1,180 homes were approved, with 75 more expected in FY-26. On average, 4 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This significant demand has led to price growth and increased buyer competition, with new properties constructed at an average cost of $481,000. Riverstone has seen $2.9 million in commercial development approvals this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney, Riverstone's development activity is moderately higher, at 18.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This indicates strong developer confidence in the location. New building activity comprises 63.0% detached dwellings and 37.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 95.0% houses.

There are approximately 52 people per dwelling approval in Riverstone. Future projections estimate an addition of 20,302 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

AreaSearch has identified 27 projects that could impact the area significantly. Key projects include Riverstone Town Centre Rezoning, New High School for Schofields and Tallawong, Riverstone Community Resource Hub and Aquatic Facility, and Schofields Precinct Development. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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The employment environment in Riverstone shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Riverstone's workforce is well-educated with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate in Riverstone was 3.9% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 6.7%.

As of June 2025, 6,206 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Riverstone is 64.6%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction stands out with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 7.4% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 6.7% while labour force grew by 6.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% with a slight increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Riverstone's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

Riverstone's median income among taxpayers was $61,359 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $72,454 during the same period. This compares to Greater Sydney's median and average incomes of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Riverstone would be approximately $69,096 (median) and $81,590 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that incomes in Riverstone cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 39.0% of residents (5,022 people). High housing costs consume 19.7% of income. Despite this, disposable income is at the 68th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Riverstone is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Riverstone's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.9% houses and 5.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 84.9% houses and 15.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Riverstone stood at 19.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 45.0% and rented dwellings at 35.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,513, below Sydney metro's average of $2,700. Median weekly rent in Riverstone was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $540. Nationally, Riverstone's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,513 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Riverstone features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 81.3% of all households, including 43.3% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 14.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 18.7%, with lone person households at 15.6% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 3.3.

Educational attainment in Riverstone aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The university qualification rate in Riverstone is significantly lower than the SA3 area average, at 29.3% compared to 44.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with 19.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, held by 33.7% of residents aged 15 and above, including advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (24.1%). Educational participation is high, with 31.7% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 12.0% in primary, 7.5% in secondary, and 4.4% in tertiary education.

Riverstone has a robust network of seven schools educating approximately 2863 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1016) and balanced educational opportunities. The schools include three primary, one secondary, and three K-12 institutions. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 22.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.2, indicating Riverstone serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Riverstone has 54 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 32 routes that collectively facilitate 2,405 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 189 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 343 trips per day, which equates to approximately 44 weekly trips per individual stop.

Riverstone's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Riverstone. Prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high, approximately 56% of the total population (~7,154 people), compared to 58.5% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.7% and 7.7% of residents respectively, while 73.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 80.0% across Greater Sydney. The area has 9.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,158 people), which is higher than the 7.8% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

Riverstone 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

Riverstone's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 30.7% born overseas and 30.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Riverstone, comprising 51.4% of its population. Hinduism, however, is notably underrepresented compared to the Greater Sydney average, making up only 8.9%.

In terms of ancestry, Australian (23.7%) and English (20.4%) are significantly overrepresented compared to regional averages of 15.0% and 13.2%, respectively. Other ancestry is notably underrepresented at 15.4% versus the regional average of 22.0%. There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Filipino (3.7%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 6.2%, Maltese (2.1%) is also overrepresented relative to the region's 1.7%, while Indian (5.3%) is underrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's 16.9%.

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

Riverstone's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Riverstone has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (16.6%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (5%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 35-44 age group grew from 16.3% to 19.2%, while the 5-14 cohort increased from 14.8% to 16.6%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 18.1% to 14.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Riverstone's age profile will significantly change, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort (300%), adding 4,589 residents to reach a total of 6,122.