Sydney

Population growth drivers in Sydney 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 the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb of Sydney's population is estimated at around 19,049 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,382 people (14.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,667 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 18,548, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional 602 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 6,479 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Sydney's 14.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state (6.7%), along with the metropolitan area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Moving forward with demographic trends, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the suburb expected to increase by 12,020 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 65.2% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Sydney among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Sydney recorded approximately 149 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 748 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. Over these five years (FY-21 to FY-25), there was an average of 1.7 people moving to the area for each dwelling built. However, this figure has intensified to 9.1 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

In terms of commercial activity, $1379.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year. Compared to Greater Sydney, Sydney has slightly more development, with a 48.0% increase above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New construction in Sydney is completely comprised of medium and high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 173 people per dwelling approval, Sydney shows characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate Sydney will gain 12,415 residents by 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 126 projects that are likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Eastern Distributor Maintenance and Upgrades, Hyde Metropolitan, Mariyung Fleet (New Intercity Fleet), and Harbourside Redevelopment by Mirvac. The following list details those projects most relevant to the area.

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 Sydney demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Sydney has a highly educated workforce with professional services well-represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.1%.

This rate is below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Sydney is 65.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries are accommodation & food, professional & technical, and finance & insurance. The area has a notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 3.5 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 6.5% of Sydney's workforce compared to 14.1% in Greater Sydney. There are 12.7 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.4%, while labour force increased by 0.4%. Unemployment remained essentially unchanged during this period. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6% and labour force expand by 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sydney's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 13.7% 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 that income in Sydney is exceptionally high nationally. The median income is $43,812 while the average income stands at $109,771. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $49,337 (median) and $123,613 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Sydney rank highly nationally, between the 75th and 79th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 35.2% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (6,705 residents), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 30.9% in the same category. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 34.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 23.3% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 67th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Sydney's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 0.1% houses and 99.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 2.3% houses and 97.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sydney stood at 13.9%, similar to Sydney metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 11.5% and rented ones at 74.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,691, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,705. Weekly rent median stood at $600 compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Sydney's mortgage repayments were higher ($2,691 vs $1,863) and rents substantially above the national figure ($600 vs $375).

Sydney features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 48.5% of all households, including 8.7% couples with children, 33.4% couples without children, and 4.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 51.5%, with lone person households at 37.4% and group households comprising 14.0%. The median household size is 2.1 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

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

In Sydney, a significant proportion of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, with 56.5% surpassing national (30.4%) and NSW (32.2%) averages. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational pathways account for 24.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 17.6% and certificates at 7.2%. Educational participation is high, with 37.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 9.5% in tertiary, 2.2% in primary, and 1.7% pursuing secondary education.

There are seven schools operating within Sydney, educating approximately 2,516 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1067) and functions as an education hub with 13.2 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities. The educational mix includes one primary, four secondary, and two K-12 schools.

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

The analysis of public transport in Sydney indicates there are currently 131 active transport stops operating. These include a mix of ferry, train, light rail, and bus services. There are 142 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 73,026 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 10,432 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 557 weekly trips per individual stop.

Sydney's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Sydney's health outcomes show exceptional results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 70% (13,364 people), significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 3.7% and 3.6% of residents respectively. A total of 87.9% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments compared to Greater Sydney's 77.4%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 7.0% (1,333 people) compared to Greater Sydney's 9.7%. Senior health outcomes align closely with those of the general population.

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

Sydney has one of the most culturally diverse populations in Australia, with 65.7% speaking a language other than English at home and 76.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Sydney, comprising 29.5%. Buddhism, however, is significantly overrepresented at 23.6%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 7.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Other (29.7%), Chinese (25.7%), and English (11.7%). Notably, Korean (2.9%) is overrepresented in Sydney compared to regional figures (1.1%), while Spanish (0.9%) and Russian (0.8%) show slight divergences from regional averages.

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

Sydney's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and also lower than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Sydney has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (39.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.2%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 12.8% to 13.7%, while the 55-64 age group has decreased from 6.2% to 5.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Sydney's age profile will change significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow by 46%, adding 3,451 residents to reach a total of 11,014.