Surry Hills

An assessment of population growth drivers in Surry Hills reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, the estimated population of Surry Hills statistical area (Lv2) is around 17,158. This reflects an increase of 1,330 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,828. The change was inferred from the resident population estimated by AreaSearch at 17,099 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 59 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 12,998 persons per square kilometer, placing Surry Hills (SA2) in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The growth rate of 8.4% since the 2021 Census exceeded the state average of 7.6%, positioning Surry Hills as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 99.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.

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. Future population trends project an above median growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. By 2041, based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Surry Hills (SA2) is expected to expand by 2,694 persons, reflecting a total gain of 15.4% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Surry Hills is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Surry Hills averaged approximately 8 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending June 2021. This totals an estimated 40 homes. As of May 2026, 5 approvals have been recorded in FY-26.

Despite population decline in recent years, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, creating a balanced market with good buyer choice. Additionally, $178.8 million in commercial development approvals were recorded this financial year, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Sydney, Surry Hills has significantly less development activity, 92.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. It is also under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent building activity consists entirely of medium and high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Surry Hills is forecasted to gain 2,635 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Surry Hills 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 63 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include Sydney Jewish Museum Redevelopment, Marlborough House Redevelopment, The Post House, and Mariyung Fleet (New Intercity Fleet). Those detailed below are expected to be 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.

Employment conditions in Surry Hills remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Surry Hills has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being notably represented. Its unemployment rate is 5.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 11,289 residents in work and the unemployment rate is 1.6% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 70.9%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among Surry Hills' residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Notably, the area has a high specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction is under-represented, with only 3.3% of Surry Hills' workforce compared to 8.6% in Greater Sydney. The area functions as an employment hub, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas, with a ratio of 2.0 workers for every resident as per the Census data. Over the 12-month period ending September 2025, Surry Hills experienced a decrease of 1.6% in its labour force and a 1.1% decline in employment, leading to a fall of 0.4 percentage points in the unemployment rate. This contrasts with Greater Sydney where employment rose by 2.1%, the labour force grew by 2.4%, and unemployment increased by 0.2 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows that NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Surry Hills' employment mix indicates that local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, although these figures are based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

The suburb of Surry Hills had a median taxpayer income of $70,916 and an average of $111,705 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. These figures are among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $77,199 (median) and $121,602 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Surry Hills, between the 83rd and 97th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that 29.2% of residents (5,010 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, which is consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 30.9% in the same category. Economic strength is evident through 39.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 21.3% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Surry Hills, as per the latest Census, consisted of 1.1% houses and 98.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Surry Hills was at 14.1%, similar to Sydney metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.9% and rented ones at 67.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,839, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. The median weekly rent figure for Surry Hills was $550, matching Sydney metro's figure but significantly higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, Surry Hills's mortgage repayments were notably higher at $1,863.

Surry Hills features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 40.9% of all households, including 7.4% that are couples with children, 29.3% that are couples without children, and 3.1% that are single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 59.1%, with lone person households making up 46.8% and group households comprising 12.2%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

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

Surry Hills residents aged 15+ have a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. 62.8% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 41.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational pathways account for 18.2%, with advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 8.3%.

A total of 24.7% are actively pursuing education, including 10.9% in tertiary, 3.1% in primary, and 2.0% in secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 47 active transport stops operating within Surry Hills. These comprise a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. They are serviced by 28 individual routes collectively providing 23,681 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as excellent with residents typically located 114 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 3,383 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 503 weekly trips per individual stop.

Surry Hills's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in Surry Hills, with both young and elderly age groups experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is notably high at approximately 71% of the total population (12,168 people), compared to 68.5% across Greater Sydney, which is above the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and asthma were found to be the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.1 and 7.0% of residents respectively.

A total of 74.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. As of 31 December 2020, 10.1% of residents were aged 65 and over (1,732 people). Health outcomes among seniors in Surry Hills are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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

Surry Hills has a high level of cultural diversity, with 27.7% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 47.5% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Surry Hills, comprising 28.0% of people. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 1.3% of Surry Hills' population.

The top three represented ancestry groups are English at 22.8%, Other at 15.1%, and Australian at 14.7%. Notably, French (1.6%), Spanish (1.2%), and Russian (0.9%) ethnic groups are also overrepresented compared to regional percentages.

Surry Hills's population is younger than the national pattern

Surry Hills's median age was 35 years in 2021, slightly younger than Greater Sydney's 37 and the national average of 38. The 25-34 age group constituted 32.2%, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort was less prevalent at 2.8%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group was well above the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and the present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 9.4% to 11.4%, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 12.7% to 11.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Surry Hills. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase by 776 people (40%), from 1,938 to 2,715. Meanwhile, the 25-34 cohort is expected to grow by a modest 0%, with an increase of just 9 people.