Zetland

Zetland lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

The estimated population of the suburb of Zetland is around 14,993 as of May 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 2,371 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,622. The change is inferred from the resident population of 14,991 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 1,554 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 18,741 persons per square kilometer, placing Zetland in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 18.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (7.1%) and Greater Sydney, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecasted for Zetland, with an expected increase of 4,056 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 27.0% in total over the 16 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data shows Zetland experienced approximately 416 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 2,084 homes. As of FY-26282 approvals have been recorded. On average, one new resident arrives per new home each year between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply meets or exceeds demand. The average value of new dwellings is $554,000, suggesting developers target the premium market with high-end developments.

In FY-26, $6.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting Zetland's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Zetland records 441% more new home approvals per person. New construction consists entirely of townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 23 people per dwelling approval, Zetland exhibits growth area characteristics. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Zetland is projected to grow by 4,054 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current projections.

Looking ahead, Zetland is expected to grow by 4,054 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Zetland has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly impacted by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 30 such projects that are expected to influence the area. Notable projects include Green Square Town Centre, The Kingsborough, Meriton Green Square Stage 2 Development, and Zetland Square. The following list provides details on 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 of employment trends sees Zetland performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Zetland has an educated workforce with 2.0% unemployment rate as of AreaSearch's statistical aggregation in December 2025. There are 9,511 residents employed, with a 2.2% lower unemployment rate compared to Greater Sydney's 4.2%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney at 68.8%.

According to Census responses, 58.6% of residents work from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Zetland has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, at 1.5 times the regional average, but is under-represented in health care & social assistance with only 9.0% of its workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population vs resident population.

Between December 2024 and 2025, labour force decreased by 0.3%, while employment decreased by 0.7% in Zetland, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment and labour force growth of 2.2% and 2.3% respectively, with marginal unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Zetland. Applying these projections to Zetland's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.1% 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

Zetland suburb shows median taxpayer income of $69,129 and average income of $84,315 according to latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,030. By March 2026, estimates suggest median income would be approximately $76,263 and average income $93,016 based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023. In the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Zetland stood at the 93rd percentile nationally ($1,262 weekly). Distribution data shows that 35.6% of the community (5,337 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, slightly higher than the broader area where 30.9% fall into this bracket. Notably, 32.8% of Zetland residents earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity in the area. Despite high housing costs consuming 25.4% of income, disposable income remains at the 62nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Zetland's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 0.3% houses and 99.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metro had 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Zetland was at 7.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.2% and rented ones at 72.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Zetland was $2,642, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in Zetland was $600, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Zetland's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 53.1% of all households, including 11.4% that are couples with children, 35.4% that are couples without children, and 4.3% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 46.9%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households comprising 15.3%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Educational achievement in Zetland places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

In Zetland, educational attainment is notably high with 61.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares favourably to the national average of 30.4% and the New South Wales (NSW) average of 32.2%. The area's strong educational advantage is evident in its distribution of qualifications: bachelor degrees are most common at 38.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.6% and certificates 9.5%.

Educational participation is high in the area, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 18.1% in tertiary education, 2.9% in primary education, and 1.6% pursuing secondary education.

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

Zetland has 24 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 7,138 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's home to the nearest transport stop is 110 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outwards due to Zetland being primarily residential. Cars are the dominant mode of transportation, used by 50% of residents, followed by trains at 19% and buses at 13%. The average number of vehicles per dwelling is 0.3, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 58.6% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, there are an average of 1,019 trips per day, equating to approximately 297 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

AreaSearch's assessment shows excellent health outcomes across Zetland.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high, at approximately 60% of the total population (9,025 people). The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 5.6% and 5.5% of residents respectively. 85.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Only 4.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (629 people), lower than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with the general population nationally.

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

Zetland has one of the highest language diversity rates in the country, with 52.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of 2016 Census data. Additionally, 66.1% of Zetland's residents were born overseas during this period. Christianity is the predominant religion in Zetland, making up 30.5% of the population.

However, Judaism is notably overrepresented in Zetland compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.2% of the population identifying as Jewish versus a regional average of 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, Chinese heritage is significantly higher in Zetland than the regional average, comprising 27.3% of the population compared to 8.4%. Other ancestry makes up 16.5%, and English ancestry comprises 14.9%. There are also notable differences in the representation of Russian (0.9% vs 0.4%), Spanish (0.9% vs 0.6%), and French (0.9% vs 0.5%) ethnic groups compared to regional averages.

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

Zetland's median age is 30 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Zetland has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (40.3%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. According to post-2021 Census data, the proportion of Zetland's population aged 35-44 has grown from 17.7% to 20.4%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 has decreased from 42.4% to 40.3%. Demographic modeling indicates that by 2041, Zetland's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to increase by 1,495 people (25%), from 6,042 to 7,538. Conversely, the number of residents aged 35-44 is expected to decrease by 157.