Tempe

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

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Tempe is around 3,641 people. This reflects an increase of 91 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,550 people. The latest estimate by AreaSearch, based on the resident population of 3,630 and additional validated new addresses, aligns with this figure. This results in a density ratio of 1,968 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Tempe has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 71.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in June 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are utilized. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for the area, expected to expand by 602 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 20.4% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Tempe when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Tempe recorded approximately six residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 32 homes. As of FY-26, zero approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 6.3 new residents arrived per year per dwelling constructed. This demand significantly exceeds new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $772,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $218,000, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Tempe shows substantially reduced construction, 55.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, though recent construction activity has intensified. However, this activity remains lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New construction has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix, currently 68.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

With approximately 241 people per dwelling approval, Tempe shows characteristics of a low density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Tempe is expected to grow by 742 residents through to 2041. Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 17 projects likely affecting this region. Notable ones are M6 Stage 1 (St Peters to Kogarah), Marrickville Station Metro Upgrade, Rail Service Improvement Program - T8 Airport & South Line Upgrades (part of MTMS Stage 2), and Camdenville Park Upgrade. The following 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 employment landscape in Tempe shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Tempe has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being notably prominent. Its unemployment rate is 4.5%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 2,014 residents employed, while the unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.

This is 0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.5%. The workforce participation rate in Tempe is similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.0%. According to Census responses, a significant 52.3% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical services, education & training, and health care & social assistance.

Notably, there is strong specialization in education & training with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance has a limited presence at 11.6% compared to the regional average of 14.1%. The ratio of workers to residents, as per Census data, indicates local employment opportunities are above the norm. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Tempe's labour force decreased by 1.3%, with employment decreasing by 0.9%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Tempe's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Tempe's median income among taxpayers is $61,881. The average income in the suburb is $75,028. This places Tempe above national averages. Comparing with Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003 shows Tempe's incomes are higher. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $67,364 (median) and $81,675 (average). From the Census conducted in August 2021, incomes in Tempe rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 89th percentiles. Distribution data shows that 28.4% of residents earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly. A significant 41.7% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 18.6% of income but strong earnings place disposable income at the 85th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

As evaluated in the latest Census, Tempe's dwelling structures consisted of 67.6% houses and 32.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Tempe stood at 30.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.0% and rented ones at 26.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,000, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Tempe was $600, higher than Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Tempe's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $3,000 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Tempe features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 74.2% of all households, including 34.7% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 12.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.8%, with lone person households at 18.5% and group households comprising 7.0%. The median household size is 2.7 people, aligning with Greater Sydney's average.

The educational profile of Tempe exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area has university qualification rates of 42.3%, which is significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 55.2%. This difference presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives in the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common type of qualification, with 28.5% of residents holding one. Postgraduate qualifications follow at 11.3%, with graduate diplomas at 2.5%.

Vocational pathways account for 23.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.0% and certificates 14.5%. Educational participation is high in the area, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in primary education, 6.8% in secondary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Tempe has 22 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 8 routes, collectively facilitating 2,931 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 164 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. Car remains the dominant mode at 61%, followed by train at 18% and walking at 7%. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 0.8, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 52.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 418 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 133 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Private health cover was found to be very high at approximately 57% of the total population (around 2,059 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions were mental health issues affecting 8.8% of residents and asthma impacting 8.1%. Around 72.4% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 14.2% of residents aged 65 and over (517 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Tempe was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Tempe's population shows high cultural diversity, with 34.9% born overseas and 30.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Tempe, accounting for 37.2%. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented in Tempe compared to Greater Sydney, with 0.5% versus 0.8%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.9%), Australian (18.2%), and Other (12.4%). Notably, Macedonian (3.7%) and Vietnamese (3.4%) populations are higher in Tempe than the regional averages of 0.4% and 1.8%, respectively.

Tempe's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Tempe is 39, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and close to the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Tempe has a notably higher proportion of people aged 35-44 (19.4% locally vs. 16.0% in Greater Sydney) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (12.0% vs. 17.8%). Post-2021 Census data shows the 35-44 age group increased from 17.4% to 19.4%, while the 15-24 cohort rose from 9.7% to 11.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 14.7% to 12.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Tempe. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 38%, adding 206 people and reaching 745, while the 0-4 group will grow by 6%, adding 13 residents.