Sutton (NSW)

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

The population of the suburb of Sutton (NSW) is estimated to be around 1,605 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase from the population reported in the 2021 Census, which was 1,556 people. The current population figure is based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated since the Census date. AreaSearch estimated the resident population at 1,582 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, with an additional 8 validated new addresses contributing to the current estimate. This results in a population density ratio of 11.1 persons per square kilometer. The suburb's population growth since the Census, at 3.1%, is within 2.1 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 5.2%.

Interstate migration contributed approximately 39.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other drivers such as natural growth and overseas migration also being positive factors. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections forecast significant population increases in the top quartile of Australia's non-metropolitan areas, including the suburb of Sutton (NSW), which is expected to increase by 470 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 27.9% over the 17-year period.

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

Sutton experiences limited development activity, averaging two approvals per year over five years, totalling 13 approvals. This reflects the rural nature of the area, where development is driven by local housing needs rather than broad market demand. Note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Recent development has consisted entirely of detached dwellings, reflecting the area's rural character where larger properties are typical. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 549 people, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment.

Population forecasts indicate Sutton will gain 447 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Sutton has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 96 projects that may impact this region. Notable ones include Throsby School, Throsby District Playing Fields, Harrison Town Centre Development, and Harrison Local Centre Expansion (Harrison 5 Precinct). The following list details those most likely to be 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 Sutton rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Sutton has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 0.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data as of December 2025. In this month, 1,011 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.4% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation in Sutton stands at 75.0%, surpassing Regional NSW's 61.3%. Census responses indicate that 15.4% of residents work from home, with Covid-19 lockdown impacts considered. Key employment industries among residents include public administration & safety, construction, and professional & technical services. Notably, public administration & safety has a significant presence in Sutton, with an employment share 2.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance has limited presence at 6.3%, compared to Regional NSW's 16.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels in Sutton decreased by 4.2% and employment declined by 4.3%, leaving unemployment relatively stable. In comparison, Regional NSW experienced an employment decline of 1.2%, a labour force decline of 0.8%, and an increase in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide further insight into potential future demand within Sutton. These projections suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Sutton's employment mix indicates a potential local employment increase of 6.1% over five years and 12.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2023, the suburb of Sutton's median income among taxpayers is $64,805. The average income for Sutton is $79,780. This is significantly higher than national averages. In comparison, Regional NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes for Sutton would be approximately $70,547 (median) and $86,849 (average) by September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Sutton rank highly nationally, between the 90th and 97th percentiles. Income distribution data shows that 36.4% of locals (584 people) fall into the $4000+ category, unlike surrounding regions where the predominant income bracket is $1,500 - 2,999 at 29.9%. Economic strength in Sutton is evident with 50.9% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000. After housing costs, residents retain 90.5% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Sutton's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 98.9% houses and 1.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sutton stood at 49.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.1% and rented ones at 14.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,668, higher than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Sutton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Sutton features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 83.4% of all households, including 42.4% couples with children, 34.3% couples without children, and 5.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 16.6%, with lone person households at 14.6% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Educational achievement in Sutton places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Sutton's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 34.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 24.1% in the SA4 region. This indicates a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 34.6% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas accounting for 11.4% and certificates for 23.2%. Educational participation is high in Sutton, with 32.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 10.1% in secondary education, and 6.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Sutton has 30 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 13 different routes that together offer 115 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically living 439 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards, and cars remain the primary mode of transport at 94%. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 2.3, which is above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 15.4% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

On average, there are 16 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per stop.

Sutton's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Sutton. Based on AreaSearch's assessment, mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups.

The prevalence of common health conditions was found to be exceptionally low. Approximately 58% of the total population (937 people) had private health cover, compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW. The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.4 and 7.2% of residents respectively. A total of 67.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (316 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Sutton ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Sutton's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.1% of its population being citizens, 84.3% born in Australia, and 90.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Sutton, comprising 53.7% of people, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. The top three ancestry groups in Sutton are Australian (28.2%), English (26.7%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Croatian (2.0%) is overrepresented in Sutton compared to the regional average of 0.3%, Hungarian (0.5%) also exceeds its regional representation of 0.2%, and Welsh (0.8%) slightly surpasses the regional figure of 0.5%.

Sutton hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Sutton has a median age of 43, which is equal to Regional NSW and higher than the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 15-24 are prominent at 16.3%, while those aged 75-84 are smaller at 6.0% compared to Regional NSW. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has grown from 14.5% to 16.3%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 14.6% to 12.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Sutton's age structure, with the 25-34 group expected to grow by 42%, reaching 242 from 170.