Strathfield (NSW)

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for Strathfield, NSW, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb's population is estimated at around 27,965 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,050 people (7.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 25,915 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 27,717 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,269 persons per square kilometer, placing Strathfield in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Strathfield's 7.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (6.4%) and the state level, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for Strathfield was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 95.0% 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 are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering these projections, Strathfield is expected to experience above median population growth, expanding by 5,298 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 17.8% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Strathfield recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Strathfield shows around 66 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling approximately 332 homes. As of FY-26, 25 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodates about 1.5 new residents per year. However, this figure has increased to 11.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. The average construction value of new homes is $1,332,000, indicating a focus on premium properties by developers.

In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $770,000, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Strathfield has significantly less development activity, which is 50.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. The area's new building activity consists of 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, maintaining Strathfield's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests at Census, indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures.

Strathfield indicates a mature market with around 412 people per approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 4,978 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

A total of 59 infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include notable initiatives such as the Parramatta Road Urban Amenity Improvement Program, Burwood Culture House, Strathfield Council Parks Upgrades under the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program, and the Strathfield Town Centre Masterplan. The following list details those projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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The labour market in Strathfield shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Strathfield has a highly educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. The unemployment rate was 2.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.8%.

As of June 2025, 17,046 residents were in work, and the unemployment rate was 1.5% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation was 62.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Health care & social assistance shows notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

In contrast, construction employs just 6.1% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 8.6%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.8% while the labour force grew by 4.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.6%, the labour force grew by 2.9%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts, released in Sep-22, suggest potential future demand within Strathfield. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Strathfield's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Strathfield had a median income among taxpayers of $46,567 and an average of $76,866. This was higher than the national averages. Greater Sydney had a median income of $56,994 and an average of $80,856 during this period. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest Strathfield's median income could be approximately $52,439 and the average around $86,559 by September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household incomes in Strathfield ranked at the 81st percentile ($2,262 weekly), while personal incomes ranked lower at the 52nd percentile. Income analysis revealed that 29.7% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring the metropolitan region where 30.9% fell into this bracket. Notably, 36.7% earned above $3,000 weekly, indicating prosperity pockets driving local economic activity. High housing costs consumed 16.6% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 79th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Strathfield features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Strathfield's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 45.5% houses and 54.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 33.5% houses and 66.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Strathfield was at 30.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.5% and rented ones at 45.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,765, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,436. The median weekly rent figure for Strathfield was $480, compared to Sydney metro's $465. Nationally, Strathfield's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Strathfield features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 68.6% of all households, including 32.0% couples with children, 26.0% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.4%, with lone person households at 19.8% and group households comprising 11.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

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

Strathfield's educational attainment is notably high, with 49.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, surpassing Australia's (30.4%) and NSW's (32.2%) averages. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 32.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational pathways account for 21.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 13.0% and certificates at 8.2%. Educational participation is high, with 35.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: tertiary (13.9%), secondary (6.0%), and primary (5.9%).

Twelve schools serve 7,533 students; educational conditions are above average (ICSEA: 1088). Schools include six primary, two secondary, and four K-12 institutions. Strathfield functions as an education hub with 26.9 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 15.8, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Strathfield has 163 active public transport stops. These include train and bus services. There are 79 different routes operating from these stops.

Each week, they facilitate a total of 19,256 passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 118 meters. On average, there are 2,750 transport trips per day across all routes. This amounts to approximately 118 weekly trips per individual stop.

Strathfield's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Strathfield, with younger cohorts having very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 57% (~16,021 people) have private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (4.7%) and diabetes (4.1%), while 81.1% report being completely free of medical ailments compared to 77.0% in Greater Sydney. Strathfield has 15.0% (4,194 people) residents aged 65 and over. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

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

Strathfield's population is predominantly diverse linguistically, with 68.9% speaking a language other than English at home, and 62.8% born overseas. Christianity is the primary religion in Strathfield, comprising 40.7% of its residents. However, Hinduism is notably overrepresented, making up 22.2% compared to the Greater Sydney average of 11.2%.

In terms of ancestry, 'Other' is the largest group at 25.5%, higher than the regional average of 17.6%. Chinese ancestry follows at 19.7%, while English ancestry is lower at 7.4% compared to the regional average of 12.9%. Other ethnic groups notably overrepresented include Korean (7.0% vs regional 2.8%), Lebanese (5.6% vs 3.1%), and Sri Lankan (1.0% vs 0.4%).

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

Strathfield's median age is 31 years, which is lower than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Strathfield has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (26.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, younger residents have decreased the median age by 1 year to 31. During this period, the proportion of 25-34 year-olds increased from 22.6% to 26.4%, while the proportions of 45-54 year-olds declined from 9.9% to 8.3% and those aged 55-64 dropped from 10.5% to 9.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Strathfield. The number of residents aged 75-84 is projected to increase by 972 people (68%), from 1,426 to 2,399. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age cohort is expected to grow modestly by 7% (63 people).