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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
The median house price in Tempe is $1.77m, with units at $1.68m. House values have moved 3.0% a year compounded over five years.
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Tempe has an estimated 3,664 residents, up from 3,550 at the 2021 Census — a change of 114 people, or 3.2%. That puts 1,981 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
Based on demographic assessments by AreaSearch using ABS releases and new addresses verified since the Census, the suburb of Tempe has a population of approximately 3,664 as of May 2026. This indicates an expansion of 114 people (3.2%) from the 2021 Census, which counted 3,550 residents. This figure is derived from the resident population of 3,660 estimated by AreaSearch after reviewing the ABS June 2025 ERP data and incorporating 2 validated new addresses. The suburb of Tempe has a density of 1,980 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the typical ratio of national areas monitored by AreaSearch.
The 3.2% growth rate of the suburb of Tempe trails the SA3 region (6.1%) by 2.9 percentage points. Most of the recent gains were driven by overseas migration, which comprised approximately 71.0% of the growth. Projections for the suburb of Tempe utilize ABS and Geoscience Australia data from 2024 (using 2022 as a base), supplemented by 2022 NSW State Government projections (using 2021 as a base) where SA2 coverage is absent. These sources also supply age-specific growth rates for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, the suburb of Tempe is expected to see above-median expansion compared to national areas, growing by 531 persons to 2041, which represents a total increase of 14.4% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
41 new dwellings have been approved in Tempe over the past five years, an average of 8 a year. That is 2.3 approvals per 1,000 residents. Few approvals have been recorded in the most recent months, well below the longer-run average; the latest ABS periods are still being reported. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Analysis of building data indicates that Tempe has averaged approximately 8 residential approvals annually, with a total of 41 homes approved over the last 5 financial years. In the current FY-26, no approvals have been recorded. With an average of 1.1 new residents per home entering the area between FY-21 and FY-25, supply and demand appear balanced. The average value of these approved dwellings stands at $772,000, showing a focus on higher-end builds. Commercial approvals total $218,000 for this financial year, suggesting very low commercial construction activity. Tempe's per capita building activity is roughly 58% of the Greater Sydney average, placing it in the 70th percentile nationally, despite a recent rise in construction speed.
The building level remains below the national norm, suggesting a mature suburb with possible planning limitations. Recent construction consists solely of townhouses or apartments, providing more accessible entry points for investors, downsizers, and first-home buyers. This marks a shift from the current housing mix, where houses make up 68.0% of dwellings, indicating a scarcity of vacant land and a move towards denser housing options. With approximately 192 people per building approval, Tempe is classified as a low-density development zone. Future estimates indicate Tempe will add 527 residents by 2041. If the pace of development does not change, the supply of homes may fall short of population growth, leading to increased buyer competition and upward pressure on prices.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Tempe
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 90 current infrastructure and development projects close to Tempe, worth an estimated $22.8 billion. 21 are already under construction and 24 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities, precincts & urban renewal and sports & recreation. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure projects, major works, and planning policies significantly affect area performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely to influence the area. Principal projects include M6 Stage 1 (St Peters to Kogarah), Marrickville Station Metro Upgrade, Rail Service Improvement Program - T8 Airport & South Line Upgrades (Component of MTMS Stage 2), and Camdenville Park Upgrade.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Rail Service Improvement Program - Central to Hurstville Capital Works
Upgrades along the T4/T8 corridor between Central and Hurstville to boost rail capacity and reliability. Scope includes the Sydney Terminal Area Reconfiguration (track reconfiguration and platform extensions around Central to Erskineville Junction), the Hurstville crossover, targeted station works and power/signalling upgrades. Delivered by the Next Rail partnership (John Holland and Jacobs) for Transport for NSW.
M6 Stage 1
M6 Stage 1 is a NSW Government motorway project delivering twin four-kilometre tunnels between the M8 Motorway at Arncliffe and President Avenue at Kogarah, with entry and exit ramps, future tunnel stubs, local road upgrades, a pedestrian and cyclist shared path, bridges and landscaping. Construction remains delayed after 2024 subsidence events and tunnelling issues, with the tunnel targeted to open to traffic in late 2028. Surface works and community-facing road, path and landscaping works have continued, while Transport for NSW has issued a default notice requiring the CGU joint venture to resume substantive works including tunnelling.
Arncliffe Central
Arncliffe Central is a mixed-tenure urban renewal redevelopment of the former Arncliffe Estate between Eden Street and the Princes Highway. The project is replacing 142 ageing social housing dwellings with 806 new apartments across four buildings, including 311 social housing apartments, 291 affordable housing apartments and 204 private market apartments. It also includes a 4000 sqm public park, shops, community facilities, a childcare centre, pedestrian links and landscaped public spaces. Construction is underway, with social homes on track for 2027 and the wider precinct expected to complete in 2028.
Marrickville Station Metro Upgrade
Upgrade of Marrickville Station to metro standards as part of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest project (Sydenham to Bankstown conversion). Works include platform screen doors, mechanical gap fillers, level access boarding, security systems, CCTV, solar panels, and bridge upgrades to the Illawarra Road and Livingstone Road overbridges. The station was closed in September 2024 along with the rest of the T3 Bankstown Line between Marrickville and Bankstown. On-track testing commenced in April 2025 and the Southwest Metro is now scheduled to open in the second half of 2026, delayed from the original 2025 target due to industrial action.The Marrickville, Canterbury and Lakemba stations package is being delivered by a joint venture of Haslin Constructions and Stephen Edwards Constructions.
Ice Zoo Wolli Creek
Olympic-sized ice skating rink providing year-round facilities for public skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and other ice sports. It serves as a community hub and training ground for athletes, featuring sustainable design elements, parking, cafe, and gym.
Erskineville Village
A $2 billion urban renewal masterplan transforming a 50,000sqm former industrial site into a vibrant mixed-use precinct. The development features approximately 1,000 residences across Build-to-Rent (Nation) and Build-to-Sell (Lillian) stages, including 169 affordable housing units managed by Evolve Housing. Key infrastructure includes the 7,500sqm McPherson Park, the 20m wide Kooka Walk pedestrian boulevard, and a 5,000sqm retail and dining precinct featuring a supermarket and cafes.
Steel Park Sporting Ground Upgrade
Comprehensive sporting ground upgrade including improved field surface and new turf, upgraded irrigation and drainage systems, enhanced floodlighting, cricket wicket upgrade, and fencing improvements. The project will improve the functionality of the three soccer fields used in winter and cricket facilities used in summer.
Bayou Wolli Creek
A premium residential development featuring two eight-level apartment buildings comprising 98 apartments with three levels of basement parking. The project offers luxurious amenities including a rooftop garden with panoramic views of parklands, river and Sydney skyline, modern fitness facilities, collaborative coworking spaces, and access to riverside walking trails along the Cooks River. The development emphasizes sustainability with solar-powered homes, energy-efficient systems and eco-friendly materials, and has been awarded a 4-Star iCIRT rating for construction quality and reliability.
1,953 residents of Tempe are employed, from a labour force of 2,037. Unemployment sits at 4.1%, with participation at 67.2%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.8% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 3,996, about 109% of the resident population, so the area draws in more workers than it sends out. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Tempe is characterized by a highly educated workforce, with strong representation in technology. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%, and employment grew by 0.5% over the past year. In March 2026, 1,953 residents were employed. The local unemployment rate matches Greater Sydney's 4.1%, and participation is close to the metropolitan rate of 69.1%. Census records show 52.3% of workers worked from home, though this was influenced by pandemic lockdowns. The primary employment sectors for residents are professional & technical, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Education & training is highly represented, with a local share that is 1.3 times the regional average.
Health care & social assistance employs 11.6% of residents, which is lower than the Greater Sydney level of 14.1%. There are 0.7 jobs for every resident, indicating an above-average volume of local employment options. Over the 12-month period, local employment grew by 0.5% while the total labour force shrank by 0.1%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 1.9%, its labour force expand by 1.9%, and unemployment experience a minor decline. National forecasts from May-25 by Jobs and Skills Australia suggest overall employment will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Mapping these industry-specific projections to the local workforce mix suggests Tempe's employment could increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Tempe is $2,452 a week (about $128,000 a year), with median personal income at $1,067 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $61,881 a year against an average of $75,028. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO records for financial year 2023 show high income levels in Tempe, with a median of $61,881 and an average of $75,028. This compares to a median of $60,817 and an average of $83,003 across Greater Sydney. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 are approximately $68,267 for the median and $82,771 for the average. Census data places local household, family, and personal incomes in the 84th to 89th national percentiles. The most common weekly income bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, containing 28.4% of residents (1,040 people), similar to the wider region where 30.9% are in this range.
Furthermore, 41.7% of households earn more than $3,000 weekly, which supports retail spending. Mortgage and rent costs account for 18.6% of household income, leaving disposable income at the 85th percentile, while the SEIFA index places the area in the 8th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Tempe had 1,263 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 68% detached houses and 5% apartments. 43% are owned with a mortgage, 26% rented and 31% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $600 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,000 a month, a total housing cost higher than 96% of areas nationally. Rent absorbs 24.5% of household income here and mortgage repayments 28.2%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the time of the last Census, Tempe's housing stock consisted of 67.6% houses and 32.3% semi-detached, apartment, or other dwelling types, compared to the Sydney metro split of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Homeownership was higher than the metropolitan average at 30.7%, with 43.0% of homes mortgaged and 26.3% rented. The median monthly mortgage payment was $3,000, and the median weekly rent was $600, compared to Sydney metro averages of $2,427 and $470. Locally, mortgage payments are higher than the Australian median of $1,863, and rents are higher than the national median of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Tempe counted 1,263 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.7 people each. 35% are couples with children, against 25% couples without children. 19% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.3 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up 74.2% of households, consisting of 34.7% couples with children, 25.4% couples without children, and 12.4% single parents. Non-family households account for 25.8% of the total, with lone person households representing 18.5% and group households making up 7.0%. The median household size is 2.7 people, matching the average for Greater Sydney.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
42.3% of adults in Tempe hold a university qualification, including 28.5% with a bachelor degree and 11.3% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 14.5% hold a vocational qualification. 2 schools serve the area, with 1,358 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,087 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
University qualification rates in the area stand at 42.3%, which is lower than the SA4 average of 55.2%. Among residents, bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.5%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 11.3% and graduate diplomas at 2.5%. Vocational education is held by 23.5% of residents aged 15 and over, with 9.0% holding advanced diplomas and 14.5% holding certificates. Study participation is high, with 27.7% of the population enrolled in education. This includes 9.3% in primary schools, 6.8% in high schools, and 5.2% in tertiary institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Tempe reaches 22 stops on 8 routes, timetabled for about 2,900 services a week. The typical home sits about 160 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 0.8 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
There are 22 public transport stops operating in Tempe, consisting of train stations and bus stops. These stops serve 8 distinct routes, which provide 2,931 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to a transit stop is 164 meters. As a residential suburb, most workers commute out of the area. Private vehicles are the main transport mode at 61%, followed by trains at 18% and walking at 7%. Vehicle ownership stands at 0.8 per household, below the regional average. A high proportion of residents (52.3%) worked from home, based on 2021 Census figures.
Service frequency averages 418 daily trips across the transit network, translating to approximately 133 weekly trips per transit stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
72.4% of residents in Tempe report no long-term health condition. 5.4% need daily assistance with core activities, and 56.6% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.6 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators in Tempe are strong, showing a low prevalence of common chronic illnesses among both younger and older cohorts. Private health insurance coverage is high, with approximately 57% of residents (~2,072 people) covered, compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. Mental health conditions and asthma are the most common diagnoses, affecting 8.8% and 8.1% of residents respectively. Conversely, 72.4% of residents reported having no long-term health conditions, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes for working-age residents are average, while residents aged 65 and over make up 14.0% of the population (512 people), compared to 15.5% in Greater Sydney.
Senior health outcomes are strong, ranking higher than national averages.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
34.9% of Tempe residents were born overseas and 30.5% speak a language other than English at home, more culturally diverse than 77% of areas nationally. The largest reported ancestries are English (20.9%) and Australian (18.2%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Tempe displays high cultural diversity, with 34.9% of residents born outside Australia and 30.5% speaking a non-English language at home. Christianity is the primary religion, followed by 37.2% of the population. Judaism is practiced by 0.5% of residents, compared to 0.8% across Greater Sydney. The top ancestral backgrounds are English at 20.9%, Australian at 18.2%, and Other at 12.4%. Several ancestries show higher local concentrations than the regional average, including Macedonian at 3.7% (compared to 0.4% regionally), Vietnamese at 3.4% (compared to 1.8%), and French at 0.8% (compared to 0.5%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Tempe is 39. 23.0% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The median age of 39 in Tempe is higher than the Greater Sydney average of 37 and close to the national average of 38. The 35 - 44 age cohort is highly represented at 19.6% of the population, while the 25 - 34 cohort is lower at 12.0%. The concentration of 35 - 44 year-olds exceeds the national average of 14.3%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group grew from 17.4% to 19.6% and the 15 to 24 group grew from 9.7% to 11.0%, while the 25 to 34 group decreased from 14.7% to 12.0%.
By 2041, the 45 to 54 group is projected to grow by 30% (167 people) to reach 728 from 560, while the 0 to 4 group is expected to increase by 2%, adding 5 residents.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Tempe
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 3 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 2 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (3,550 at the 2021 Census → 3,664 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL13800). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.