State Electorate · Area profile
Bankstown
27 km²
Almost two thirds of the 94,669 people in Bankstown use a language other than English at home, making it a remarkably diverse community. This is a young area where the typical resident is 34, and children under 15 make up a much higher proportion of the population than in most other areas. Many residents were born overseas, contributing to a multicultural character where Arabic and Vietnamese are common. It is a bustling hub with a high density of large families and a strong connection to public transport.
Bankstown has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
Families are well catered for: 33 schools serve Bankstown.
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The typical resident is 34, which is noticeably younger than the national figure of 38. Children under 15 make up 21.6% of the population, a figure well above the Australian average of 18.2%.
Born overseas, 46.7% of the population comes from outside Australia, which is far above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries include Vietnamese (14.2%), Chinese (9.8%), and English (9.0%).
Language diversity is very high, with 65.3% of people using another language at home, far above the New South Wales figure of 26.6%. This is reflected in the common use of Arabic (23.3%) and Vietnamese (15.1%), though 15.1% of residents still speak little or no English.
Religion plays a significant role here, as the proportion of people with no religion (13.8%) is far below the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity (33.4%) and Islam (32.0%) are the most common affiliations.
A growing number of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher (19.5%), though this remains well below the New South Wales figure of 27.8%. About 58.5% of residents completed Year 12, which is about the same as the national average.
Typical incomes are much lower than in most areas, with a typical weekly household income of $1,375 compared to the national figure of $1,746. Only 14.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is far below the state average.
People needing help with daily activities (7.1%) are a little more common here than in the rest of the state. However, reports of long-term health conditions (20.1%) and mental health conditions (4.7%) are well below national figures.
Participation in unpaid work is lower than usual, with only 6.2% of people volunteering, well below the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care for children and housework is also much lower than in most other areas.
Homes are often crowded, with 3.1 people per home, which is a little above the national figure of 2.5. One-parent families are also much more common here (18.5%) than in the rest of Australia.
Renting is very common, with 42.6% of households renting, far above the national figure of 30.6%. This helps explain why the proportion of homes owned outright (25.1%) is much lower than in most areas.
The area is well connected, with 523 public transport stops and a high rate of public transport departures. While 11.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, 26.5% of people work from home, a figure well above the national average.
The population is relatively stable, as 34.3% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas account for 11.8% of the population.
Jobs and stability are challenging, with an unemployment rate of 9.1%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%. Only 43.6% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the state average.
Bankstown is very walkable, with a score of 7.5. Almost every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park (100%) or public transport (99.9%), and 86.3% are within a short walk of groceries.