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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, the estimated population of Zetland is around 15,689. This reflects an increase of 3,067 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,622. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 14,313 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 1,111 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 19,611 persons per square kilometer, placing Zetland in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 24.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the state average (6.7%) and metropolitan area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For future projections, AreaSearch is adopting 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 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. Examining future trends, a significant population increase is forecast for the top quartile of statistical areas across the nation, with Zetland expected to grow by 4,632 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall increase of 20.8% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Zetland averaged around 416 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 2,084 homes. As of FY-26, no approvals have been recorded yet. Historically, there has been approximately one new resident per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially driving population growth beyond current expectations.

The average construction value of new homes is $554,000. In the current financial year, there have been $6.7 million in commercial approvals, indicating limited focus on commercial development. Compared to Greater Sydney, Zetland has shown 455.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering greater choice for buyers and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. All new construction in Zetland over this period has been comprised of townhouses or apartments, demonstrating a trend towards denser development that appeals to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 23 people per dwelling approval, Zetland exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to grow by 3,256 residents through to 2041.

Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects expected to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Green Square Town Centre, The Kingsborough, Zetland Square, and Meriton Green Square Stage 2 Development. Relevant projects are listed below.

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

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Employment conditions in Zetland rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Zetland has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being well-represented. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 1.9%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relatively high. The AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data shows that in June 2025, 9,814 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.3% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Zetland stands at 72.2%, surpassing Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

Notably, the area has a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 9.0% compared to the regional average of 14.1%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 0.2%, while labour force grew by 0.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6% and a labour force increase of 2.9%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Zetland's employment mix indicates that local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, although these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Zetland's median income among taxpayers was $69,129, with an average of $84,315. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $77,846 (median) and $94,947 (average). According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Zetland reached the 93rd percentile nationally at $1,262 weekly. The earnings profile shows that 35.6% of residents (5,585 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income bracket, reflecting regional patterns where 30.9% occupy this range. Notably, 32.8% of Zetland residents earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consume 25.4% of income, but despite this, disposable income ranks 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 2.3% houses and 97.7% 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, lower than Sydney metro's $2,705. The median weekly rent in Zetland was $600, higher than Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Zetland's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 53.1% of all households, including 11.4% couples with children, 35.4% couples without children, and 4.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute 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, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 1.9.

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

In Zetland, 61.7% of residents aged 15 and above possess university qualifications, exceeding the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. 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, with advanced diplomas making up 9.6% and certificates 9.5%. Educational participation is high, 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. Educational facilities appear to be located outside Zetland's immediate boundaries, necessitating families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Zetland's public transport analysis shows 18 active stops operating within the area, all of which are bus services. These stops are covered by 11 different routes that together facilitate 6,881 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 111 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency across all routes averages 983 trips per day, amounting to approximately 382 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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Zetland, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (9,444 people), compared to 69.7% across Greater Sydney.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 5.6 and 5.5% of residents respectively. 85.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 77.4% across Greater Sydney. As of 2021, 4.1% of Zetland's residents are aged 65 and over (643 people), which is lower than the 9.7% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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 levels of cultural diversity in the country, with 52.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of 2016. This is higher than the national average of 20%. Additionally, 66.1% of Zetland's population was born overseas, compared to the national average of 28.7%.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Zetland, with 30.5% of people identifying as Christian. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented in Zetland compared to Greater Sydney, with 1.2% of its population identifying as Jewish versus 1.1% regionally. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Zetland are Chinese (27.3%), Other (16.5%), and English (14.9%). The representation of Russian (0.9%) and Spanish (0.9%) ethnicities is slightly higher than the regional averages of 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively, while French ethnicity is approximately equal to the regional average at 0.9%.

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 significantly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Zetland has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (41.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 17.7% to 19.8% of Zetland's population, while the 25 to 34 cohort has decreased from 42.4% to 41.1%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest that Zetland's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is expected to grow steadily, increasing by 1,067 people (17%) from 6,448 to 7,516. Conversely, the population in the 35 to 44 age range is projected to decrease by 192 individuals.