Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Penshurst
2 km²
A walker's paradise with a high density of amenities, Penshurst is a highly accessible suburb in the Georges River region. It is a diverse community where more than half of the residents were born overseas and many speak a language other than English at home. The area is notably well-qualified, with a high proportion of residents holding university degrees, which helps explain the professional nature of the local workforce. This combination of cultural variety and high education levels defines the character of the suburb.
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The community is slightly younger than the state and national figures, with a typical age of 37. Children under 15 make up 14.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.
A very high 52.0% of residents were born overseas, far above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Chinese, English, and Australian.
Language diversity is striking, with 55.9% of people using another language at home, compared to 22.3% nationally. Mandarin and Cantonese are the most common non-English languages.
The area is more religious than most, as the 28.0% of people with no religion is far below the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the most common affiliation at 41.8%.
Educational attainment is high; 33.4% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, well above the national figure of 26.3%. This is reflected in the local workforce, where professionals make up 25.8% of occupations.
Typical household income is $1,689 a week, which is about the same as the national figure. However, the typical family income is a little below the national figure at $1,942.
Residents report better health than most areas, with only 20.5% having a long-term health condition, well below the national figure of 27.7%.
Participation in unpaid work and volunteering is much lower than most areas, with only 8.4% of people volunteering, well below the national figure of 14.1%.
The First Nations population is small, making up 0.7% of the community. Those who identify as First Nations are noticeably older than the national figure, with a typical age of 28.
Living arrangements are varied, as 28.0% of people live alone, which is higher than most areas. One-parent families are also more common here than in most similar areas.
The housing stock is dominated by flats or apartments (57.2%), and 42.8% of households rent, which is far above the national figure of 30.6%.
Public transport use is very high, with 10.9% commuting via transit, well above the national figure of 3.1%. This is consistent with the fact that 16.1% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The population is quite mobile, with 41.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 16.5% of the community.
Health care and social assistance is the largest industry for workers. The unemployment rate is 5.3%, which is about the same as the national figure of 5.1%.
The area is considered more advantaged than about 60% of similar areas, with a strong score for education and job skills.
Penshurst experiences high rainfall, with an annual average of 1,177mm, which is far above the New South Wales average of 515mm.
This is a highly walkable area where 100% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, school, and public transport, and 99.7% are near groceries.