Council (LGA) · Area profile
Inner West
35 km²
Young adults and professionals make up a large part of the Inner West, where nearly 36% of residents are aged between 25 and 44. This is a highly educated and affluent area with a diverse population, as over a third of people were born overseas. It is a place of high density and mobility, where a huge proportion of the community works from home and many choose to live without a car. The neighborhood is characterized by high incomes and a strong preference for secular lifestyles.
Inner West's schools draw a community as advantaged as its high household incomes suggest.
Explore Inner West by topic
The typical resident is 38, and there are far fewer children and seniors here than in most other areas. De facto relationships are much more common than the national figure, with 17.8% of the population in such partnerships.
A diverse community, 33.4% of residents were born overseas, which is well above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, Irish, Scottish and Chinese.
Language diversity is high, with 25.8% of people using a language other than English at home. This is much higher than most areas, though it is about the same as the state average.
The area is strongly secular; over half of the population (50.7%) report no religion, a figure far above both the state and national averages.
Education levels are among the highest in the country, with 48.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This helps explain the high number of professionals in the workforce.
Typical incomes are well above the national figure, with a typical family earning $3,155 a week. About 37.9% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, among the highest for its level.
While fewer people here need help with daily activities compared to most areas, there is a higher rate of mental health conditions at 10.4%.
Participation in unpaid care and housework is much lower than in most other areas. Volunteers make up 14.8% of the community, which is slightly above the state figure.
First Nations residents here are noticeably older and have a much higher Year 12 completion rate (57.0%) than the national figure.
Living arrangements are varied, with 30.3% of people living alone, which is well above the national figure. Small households are common, with 2.3 people per home on average.
Housing is dominated by rentals (43.8%) and apartments, with very few detached houses. Costs are high, as typical monthly home loans are $3,000 and weekly rents are $500.
This is a highly flexible area where 52.7% of people work from home, among the highest at this level. Consequently, 17.7% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The population is quite mobile, with 46% of people having moved house in the last five years, which is well above the national average.
Employment is strong, with 68.4% of adults working or looking for work. Many residents are professionals (41.0%) or managers (18.7%).
The area is ranked among the most advantaged in the country, with a perfect score of 10 for overall advantage, education and job skills.
The Inner West is much wetter than the state average, with an average annual rainfall of 1,316mm.
Crime rates are generally lower than most areas, particularly for burglary and robbery, though motor vehicle theft is higher than average.
Described as a walker's paradise, every single home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, a school and public transport.