Wakeley

Wakeley is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Wakeley's population is estimated at around 4,868 as of Feb 2026, reflecting a decrease of 25 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,893. This change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,793 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of five new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density stands at 2,986 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth for Wakeley during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Projections indicate an overall population decline by 145 persons by 2041, but growth is anticipated within specific age cohorts, notably the 75 to 84 age group which is projected to expand by 207 people.

The level of residential development activity in Wakeley is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Wakeley has experienced an average of approximately 4 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 20 dwellings have been approved for development in Wakeley. In the current financial year, FY26, one dwelling has been approved so far.

Despite a declining population trend, this level of development activity has been adequate relative to other areas. The average expected construction cost value for new properties in Wakeley is $244,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY26, commercial approvals valued at $258,000 have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity in the area compared to Greater Sydney. Wakeley records significantly lower building activity than the regional average per person (82.0% below). This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties.

New construction in Wakeley has consisted entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. The location has approximately 1082 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. With stable or declining population forecasts, Wakeley may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

Nine projects identified by AreaSearch may influence the local area's performance. These include 239 Canley Vale Road Development, EVO Fairfield, Fairfield Hospital Redevelopment, and Fairfield Showground Community and Events Centre. The following list details those projects likely to have the most relevance.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Wakeley recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Wakeley has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 5.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 5.8%. As of December 2025, 2,028 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 1.4% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Wakeley lagged at 53.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. A high proportion of residents, 32.5%, worked from home, possibly due to Covid-19 lockdown impacts. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Manufacturing was particularly specialized, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services had lower representation at 6.1% compared to the regional average of 11.5%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment increased by 5.8%, while labour force grew by 4.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Wakeley's employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Wakeley suburb had median taxpayer income $47,132 and average $60,357 in latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This was lower than national average, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $51,308 (median) and $65,705 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, individual incomes were at the 4th percentile ($502 weekly), while household income was at the 38th percentile. Income distribution showed largest segment as 30.9% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,504 residents). Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 82.8% of income remaining, ranking at the 38th percentile.

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

In Wakeley, as per the latest Census evaluation, 85.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 14.3% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. In contrast, Sydney metropolitan area had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wakeley stood at 42.6%, compared to mortgaged properties at 32.4% and rented ones at 25.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,058, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Weekly rent in Wakeley was $450, slightly higher than the Sydney metro figure of $470. Nationally, Wakeley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 85.9% of all households, including 46.6% couples with children, 21.9% couples without children, and 16.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 14.1%, with lone person households at 13.2% and group households comprising 1.2%. The median household size is 3.2 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Wakeley faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 17.8%, significantly lower than Greater Sydney's average of 38.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (0.5%). Vocational credentials are held by 25.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.8% and certificates at 15.7%. Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.3% in secondary, 9.1% in primary, and 5.3% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.3% in secondary education, 9.1% in primary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wakeley has 30 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 38 different routes that together facilitate 1,183 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent access to these stops, with an average distance of 170 meters to the nearest one. Most residents commute outwards from Wakeley, predominantly by car (88%). Train use is at 6%. The area has an average vehicle ownership rate of 1.6 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 32.5% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 169 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 39 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wakeley's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though slightly higher across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Wakeley based on AreaSearch's assessment as of June 2021. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be low among the general population, though slightly higher across older, at-risk cohorts.

The rate of private health cover was relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (around 2,474 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney as of June 2021. The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis and diabetes, impacting 7.2% and 7.2% of residents respectively, while 74.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney as of June 2021. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 23.1% of residents aged 65 and over (around 1,124 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney as of June 2021. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, though ranking lower nationally than the broader population as of June 2021.

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

Wakeley, one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, has a population where 60.8% were born overseas and 77.7% speak a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Wakeley, with 62.7% of residents identifying as such. Notably, Buddhism is significantly overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney's average, comprising 20.1% of Wakeley's population.

In terms of ancestry, 'Other' is the largest group at 38.3%, followed by Vietnamese (15.7%) and Chinese (11.7%), all substantially higher than regional averages. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Croatian (3.0% vs 0.7%), Serbian (2.4% vs 0.5%), and Spanish (1.2% vs 0.6%).

Wakeley's median age exceeds the national pattern

Wakeley's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly older than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Wakeley has a notably over-represented cohort of 65-74 year-olds (12.3%) and an under-represented group of 25-34 year-olds (11.4%). Post the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 6.1% to 8.7%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 12.9% to 14.5%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 13.6% to 12.3%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.2% to 11.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Wakeley's age profile. The 75 to 84 cohort is projected to grow by 36%, adding 152 residents to reach 576. This growth will be driven entirely by residents aged 65 and older. Conversely, population declines are anticipated for the 65 to 74 and 45 to 54 cohorts.