Region (SA4) · Area profile
Sydney - South West
540 km²
A massive growth in population has made Sydney - South West one of the largest and youngest areas of its kind. The typical resident is just 35, which is noticeably younger than the national figure. It is a diverse community where nearly half of the people were born overseas, leading to a high number of households that speak a language other than English. These factors combine to create a bustling, multicultural region with a high proportion of children and large family homes.
Sydney - South West has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
A fast-growing area where schools haven't kept pace per child.
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The population grew by 32% since 2011 to reach 474,430 people. It is a young community, with 20.9% of residents being children under 15, which is a little above the national figure.
People born overseas make up 47.4% of the population, a figure far above the national average of 27.7%. Common ancestries include Australian, English, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
Language diversity is very high, with 58.6% of people using a language other than English at home. This is far above the national figure, and 14.7% of residents speak little or no English.
Religious affiliation is common here, with only 14.9% of people reporting no religion—a figure far below the national average of 38.9%.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 17.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure. However, Year 12 completion rose by 9.7 points since 2011 to reach 56.6%.
Typical personal weekly income is $620, which is well below the national figure of $805. Typical family income is also a little below the national average at $1,850 a week.
About 7.4% of people need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national figure. Conversely, the rate of long-term health conditions is well below the national average.
Participation in volunteering is low, with only 6.3% of people volunteering—well below the national figure of 14.1%.
There are 6,396 First Nations people in the area. Their unemployment rate is 8.7%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.
Homes here are larger than usual, with 3.2 people per home compared to the national figure of 2.5. One-parent families are also more common than in most areas.
Rental properties are common, with 35.4% of households renting, well above the national figure. While 79.4% of homes have three or more bedrooms, typical weekly rents are $405.
Working from home has surged, with 27.4% of people doing so, up from just 2.4% in 2011. Most residents rely on cars, as only 2.2% commute by public transport.
About 36.4% of the population moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
The unemployment rate is 7.0%, which is a little above the national figure. Adults working or looking for work make up 49.5% of the population, far below the national average.
The region's population continues to grow quickly, with an estimated increase of 10.8% since 2021, which is well above the state average.
The area is wetter than most of the state, with average annual rainfall of 977mm, far above the New South Wales average of 515mm.
The area is very walkable, and 90.6% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, access to health services is lower than the state average.