Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Earlwood
6 km²
A high proportion of residents in Earlwood now work from home, marking a shift in how this established community connects to the city. It is a prosperous, multicultural suburb where nearly half of all households speak a language other than English. The area is notably older than the national average, with a strong presence of seniors and a high rate of home ownership. This combination of stability and wealth is reflected in the large family homes and high typical incomes found throughout the neighbourhood.
Earlwood's schools draw a community as advantaged as its high household incomes suggest.
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The community is noticeably older than the state and national figures, with 20.7% of people aged 65 and over. Over half of the population is married, while de facto relationships are much lower than in most similar areas.
Earlwood has a very strong overseas connection, with 34.7% of people born abroad—well above the national figure. Greek is the most common ancestry at 22.3%, followed by Australian and English.
Language diversity is a standout feature here, as 46.2% of people use another language at home, which is far above the national average. Greek is the most common non-English language, spoken by 18.1% of residents.
The area is more religious than most, with 62.6% identifying as Christian. The proportion of people with no religion is far below the national figure.
Residents are well-qualified, with 29.1% holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is higher than most areas and is consistent with a high rate of Year 12 completion, which is well above the state average.
Incomes are high in Earlwood, where the typical family earns $2,486 a week. This is a little above the state and national figures, and 33.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.
While 6.8% of people need help with daily activities—higher than most areas—those with long-term health or mental health conditions are slightly less common than the state average.
Providing unpaid care is more common here than in most areas. However, the volunteering rate is much lower than the national figure.
The First Nations community in Earlwood is small but distinguished by high educational achievement, with a Year 12 completion rate far above the national figure. Unemployment among this group is also remarkably low at 0.0%.
Homes here tend to be larger than average, with 2.8 people per household. This is reflected in the fact that 65.9% of households are couples with children.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, and 44.4% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national average. Rent is very high, with a typical weekly payment well above the state figure.
Working from home is extremely common at 46.2%, far above the national rate. Despite this, the area is very well connected, with 98.8% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport.
The population is relatively stable, with far fewer people moving in the last five years compared to the state average. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much lower than the national figure.
Professional and managerial roles are common, though the proportion of adults working or looking for work is a little below the state average. Health and education are the top industries for local workers.
The suburb is very walkable, with nearly all homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or school. Access to groceries and health services is also far above the state average.