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 November 2025, the estimated population for the Tempe statistical area (Lv2) 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 change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,630 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional validated new address since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,968 persons per square kilometer, which is 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%, outperforming the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 71.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch is using 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 utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected expansion of 608 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 20.5% 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 thirty-two homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. An average of 6.3 new residents per year arrived per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This demand significantly exceeds new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $772,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In this financial year, there have been $218,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to Greater Sydney, where Tempe shows substantially reduced construction (55.0% below regional average per person). This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, although construction activity has intensified recently. Nationally, this activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New construction in Tempe has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 68.0% houses), likely due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Tempe shows characteristics of a low density area with around 241 people per dwelling approval.

Looking ahead, Tempe is expected to grow by 747 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If 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 has identified 17 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include 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 list details those most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Tempe shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Tempe has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 4.5%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, Tempe has 2,026 residents employed, an unemployment rate of 4.8% (0.3% higher than Greater Sydney's 4.2%), and a workforce participation rate of 66.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents are professional & technical, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Tempe shows strong specialization in education & training with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance has limited presence at 11.6% compared to the regional 14.1%.

The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates a high level of local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Tempe's labour force decreased by 1.1%, with employment decreasing by 0.7%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and the labour force expand by 2.4%, but unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from NSW as of 25-Nov shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Tempe's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. Tempe's median income among taxpayers was $61,881, with an average of $75,028. Nationally, the median income is lower at $59,486 and the average is $82,155. In Greater Sydney, the median income is $60,817 and the average is $83,003. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, Tempe's estimated median income would be approximately $67,364 and the average would be around $81,675. The 2021 Census data ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Tempe between the 84th and 89th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 28.4% of residents earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, mirroring the surrounding region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. Notably, 41.7% earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating prosperity and robust local economic activity. 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

Tempe's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 67.6% houses and 32.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 29.2% houses and 70.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Tempe was at 30.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.0% and rented ones at 26.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,000, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,800. The median weekly rent figure in Tempe was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $495. Nationally, Tempe's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Tempe features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average 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 make up the remaining 25.8%, consisting of 18.5% lone person households and 7.0% group households. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 42.3%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 55.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational pathways account for 23.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 9.0% and certificates at 14.5%. Educational participation is high, 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's public transport analysis indicates 22 operational stops, consisting of a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 8 distinct routes, collectively facilitating 2,931 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 164 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 418 trips daily 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. Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~2,059 people), compared to 66.2% across Greater Sydney. Mental health issues are the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 8.8% of residents, followed by asthma at 8.1%. A total of 72.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.3% across Greater Sydney. Tempe has 14.5% of residents aged 65 and over (527 people), which is higher than the 13.0% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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 has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.9% of its population born overseas and 30.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Tempe, comprising 37.2% of people. Judaism is overrepresented in Tempe compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.5% versus 0.6%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.9%), Australian (18.2%), and Other (12.4%). Notably, Macedonian (3.7%) and Vietnamese (3.4%) are overrepresented in Tempe compared to regional averages of 0.5% and 3.3%, respectively. French ancestry is equally represented at 0.8%.

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

The median age in Tempe is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Tempe has a notably higher percentage of individuals aged 35-44 (19.2%) and a lower percentage of those aged 25-34 (12.7%). Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35-44 age group grew from 17.4% to 19.2%, while the 25-34 cohort declined from 14.7% to 12.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Tempe. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 40%, adding 211 people and reaching a total of 747 from the current 535. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age group will experience more modest growth of 4%, with an increase of just 8 residents.