Council (LGA) · Area profile
Penrith
405 km²
Rapid growth has transformed Penrith, with its population climbing 22% since 2011 to reach 217,664 people. This is a young and family-oriented community where the typical resident is just 35, well under the national figure of 38. The area is marked by a high number of children and large households, which helps explain why homes here are often spacious. It is a diverse and evolving hub in Greater Sydney that balances a residential feel with strong economic growth.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
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The community is notably young, with 21.2% of people being children under 15, a figure much higher than in most other areas. Meanwhile, the proportion of seniors aged 65 and over is well below the national average.
About 23.3% of residents were born overseas, which is much higher than in most similar areas, though still well below the New South Wales average. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.
Language diversity has increased, with the share of people using a language other than English at home rising by 5.1 percentage points since 2011 to reach 19.6%.
While 54.3% of people identify as Christian, the number of residents reporting no religion has risen sharply, climbing 15 percentage points since 2011 to 29.3%.
Education levels have risen, with the share of adults completing Year 12 growing by 10 percentage points since 2011. Those with a bachelor degree or higher make up 17.3% of the population.
Typical weekly household incomes are $1,903, which is a little above the national figure and significantly higher than in most similar areas. The share of households earning over $3,000 a week rose 13 percentage points since 2011.
Health statistics are around the middle for similar areas, with 27.7% of people reporting a long-term health condition and 8.9% mentioning a mental health condition.
Local participation in volunteering is among the lowest for similar areas, having fallen to 8.6%. However, a high 28.2% of people provide unpaid care for children.
The First Nations community is among the largest at this level, with a typical personal income of $721 and an unemployment rate of 8.2%, which is well below the national figure.
Homes here tend to be larger, with 2.8 people per household. One-parent families are much more common here than in most other areas, making up 17% of the total.
Detached houses are very common, with 82.7% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Renting is more frequent than in most areas, and typical weekly rents have risen by $100 since 2011 to $400.
While public transport stops are numerous, only 1.7% of people use them to commute, a sharp drop from 2011. Working from home has surged, now accounting for 26.3% of commuters.
The area is quite mobile, with 37.6% of residents moving house in the last five years. However, the rate of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen slightly since 2011.
Most adults are working or looking for work, at a rate of 62.4%, which is well above the state average. The most common industries are health care, construction, and retail.
Penrith is in a strong position, ranking in the top 20% of areas for overall advantage. It has a large business community with 16,786 enterprises.
The area receives much more rain than the state average, with 990mm annually. Maximum temperatures are also slightly higher than the New South Wales average.
Motor vehicle theft is much higher than in most areas, while burglary rates are lower. Overall crime rates have fallen by 12.4% over the last five years.
The area is very walkable, with 92.3% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 86% within 15 minutes of a school, far exceeding the state average.