South Hurstville

South Hurstville has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

The population of South Hurstville is estimated at around 5,715 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 494 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,221 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 5,581 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 121 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 5,602 persons per square kilometer, placing South Hurstville in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 9.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (7.6%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 95.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year for each SA2 area, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year for areas not covered by this data. Considering these projections, an above median population growth is projected for South Hurstville, with the suburb expected to increase by 1,019 persons to 2041, reflecting a 15.5% increase in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in South Hurstville according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

South Hurstville experienced around 37 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 189 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved in FY-26. This results in about 1.2 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past five financial years, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, recent figures show an acceleration to 7.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting increasing demand and tightening supply.

Development projects averaged $644,000 in construction value, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $124,000 in commercial development approvals were recorded, indicating a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Sydney, South Hurstville had 87.0% more building activity per person as of recent periods, providing ample choice for buyers despite some moderation in development activity. New developments consisted of 29.0% standalone homes and 71.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a trend towards denser development to cater to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift differs from the current housing mix, which is currently 50.0% houses, due to reduced availability of development sites and changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. South Hurstville shows a developing market with around 329 people per dwelling approval.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by 885 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

South Hurstville 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 12 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Horizon Hurstville, Lotus Residence Hurstville, Allen & George South Hurstville, and Sydney Metro City and Southwest - Future Hurstville Extension. 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 labour market in South Hurstville shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

South Hurstville has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate in the area is 2.8%. Over the past year, ending December 2025, there was an estimated employment growth of 5.2%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of that date, 3197 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in South Hurstville is on par with Greater Sydney's 70.2%. Census responses indicate that a high proportion (40.9%) of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and professional & technical services.

South Hurstville shows particular strength in the transport, postal & warehousing sector, with an employment share 1.6 times higher than the regional level. Conversely, professional & technical services are under-represented, with only 9.4% of South Hurstville's workforce compared to 11.5% in Greater Sydney. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between the Census working population and resident population counts. During the year ending December 2025, employment levels increased by 5.2%, while labour force increased by 5.6%, causing a rise of 0.4 percentage points in the unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insights into potential future demand within South Hurstville. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to South Hurstville's employment mix suggests local employment growth of 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of South Hurstville had a median taxpayer income of $46,976 and an average income of $69,374 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is slightly above national averages, which were $51,895 (median) and $77,416 (average). By September 2025, these figures are estimated to be approximately $51,138 (median) and $75,521 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranked at the 57th percentile ($1,867 weekly), while personal income was at the 32nd percentile. The earnings profile showed that 33.2% of locals (1,897 people) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 category. High housing costs consumed 18.2% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 55th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

South Hurstville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 49.5% houses and 50.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Hurstville was higher at 35.6%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (34.3%) or rented (30.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,383, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was $500, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, South Hurstville's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

South Hurstville has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 74.6% of all households, including 39.2% couples with children, 19.7% couples without children, and 13.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 25.4%, with lone person households at 22.5% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

University qualification levels in South Hurstville stand at 34.0%, slightly below Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (22.5%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 26.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.9% and certificates at 14.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.0% currently enrolled in formal education: 9.0% in primary, 8.0% in secondary, and 6.1% in tertiary education.

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

South Hurstville has 31 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 13 different routes that together facilitate 1,116 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 109 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to South Hurstville being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 76%, followed by trains at 14% and walking at 5%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 40.9%, work from home, which may be partially due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 159 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 36 weekly trips per individual stop.

South Hurstville'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 South Hurstville. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low across both young and old age cohorts.

Private health cover was found to be high at approximately 54% of the total population (~3,106 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis and diabetes, impacting 5.7% and 4.7% of residents respectively. 77.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 18.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,080 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

South Hurstville's population is significantly diverse, with 48.9% born overseas and 61.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 47.0% of residents. Notably, Buddhism is more prevalent in South Hurstville (5.5%) compared to Greater Sydney (4.1%).

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (29.9%), Other (11.2%), and English (11.0%), with Chinese being substantially higher than the regional average of 8.4%. There are notable overrepresentations of Greek (6.9% vs regional 1.9%), Lebanese (5.7% vs regional 2.6%), and Croatian (1.7% vs regional 0.7%) ethnic groups in South Hurstville compared to the region.

South Hurstville's population is slightly older than the national pattern

South Hurstville has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in South Hurstville at 11.9%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 14.4%. Between 2021 and the present, the percentage of the population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 13.0% to 14.4%. Conversely, the percentage of the population aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.8% to 12.4%, and the percentage of those aged 5 to 14 has dropped from 12.2% to 10.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that South Hurstville's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow significantly, increasing by 65% from 354 people to 585. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. The 0-4 age group is projected to grow at a more modest rate of 1%, adding only 3 residents.